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Smoking Cheese

DoubleEgger
DoubleEgger Posts: 19,375
in EggHead Forum
It has finally gotten cold again so it's cheese smoking time. First rodeo with this so we'll see how it goes. Apple chips and small chunks. 



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Comments

  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,983
    edited December 2015
    Looks good!  May I ask why you use such a long hose, I'm thinking the smoke donor egg has to work a lot harder to push the smoke through, just wondering.  The smoke will be a lot cooler though.
    canuckland
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,375
    I bought the longer hose for two reasons: The cooler smoke as you mentioned and it gives me more flexibility as I tend to get bored and move stuff around on the deck. I figure I can always cut it if I need to. 
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,983
    Agree, the extra length allows you to move the hose out of the way behind the eggs.  As long as you have no trouble pushing the smoke through you're fine.  btw, I don't think the cheese will be ready to eat for Christmas though, one year I had to put warning label on the smoked cheese, telling recipients not to eat until after the new year!
    canuckland
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    My only worry would be smoke can go stale and give an off taste. One of the reasons people use just the air intake vent to control temps and never shut the exit vent down so smoke doesn't get stale.
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,375
    Are you saying to pull the DFMT on the XL @Lit ?
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    You don't want the smoke to be in an enclosed area too long then get to your food. I'm not sure what the time frame is but I know even in a smoker alone people argue to always keep the top open fully due to stale smoke. It may not be an issue at all but if it tastes off at all you may want to shorten the hose. I would keep the XL top all the way open for sure. You can also get rid of the tubing all together and just put a couple holes in th ebottom of a soup can then get a couple pieces of lump going in there and drop a piece of wood on it and put that in your firebox. This time of year your egg shouldn't get over 100 and if it does just put a pan of ice between the platsetter and grate. You only need to smoke the cheese for an hour tops.
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  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Looking forward to your results brother Double!
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,375
    bgebrent said:
    Looking forward to your results brother Double!
    Pulled the cheese off at 2:30. Really wasn't much to look at change wise.  Mid January to see if this was a success. I'll bring you a block when we hit up S Tap.
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  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Sounds great @DoubleEgger!  Thanks man!
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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  • Hawg Fan
    Hawg Fan Posts: 1,517
    It will take a few attempts to get the exact amount of smoke for your pallet, but it's worth it.  I just sampled some cheese that I smoked on 11/11 and it was the best I've smoked after 4 batches.  Love the clean grid in your pictures.

    Any road will take you there if you don't know where you're going.

    Terry

    Rockwall, TX
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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,380
    edited December 2015
    DoubleEgger said:
    bgebrent said:
    Looking forward to your results brother Double!
    Pulled the cheese off at 2:30. Really wasn't much to look at change wise.  Mid January to see if this was a success. I'll bring you a block when we hit up S Tap.
    I think I've posted this before (or it may have been on another forum) but this is a neat post about the color/flavor of some cheese smoked at a few different time durations: http://www.thereallygoodlife.com/276/cold-smoking-cheese-taste-testing-the-first-batch/
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Looks good Michael. Didn't feel like trimming the 100' (exaggerated) dryer vent flex tube I see. :smiley: 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,375
    NPHuskerFL said:
    Looks good Michael. Didn't feel like trimming the 100' (exaggerated) dryer vent flex tube I see. :smiley: 
    I just rearranged the deck so the eggs are closer than they were when I built the contraption a few weeks ago. The 70 degree temps put a damper on smoking cheese
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,375
    Thanks @HeavyG !
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,375
    @Hawg Fan that's a new grid I bought when I picked up the AR a little back. First use...
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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Agree man. I was all ready to smoke some cheese and we started hitting in the mid eighties. Hopefully I can try this soon enough with anticipated cooler temps in the horizon. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    I tried some of mine this morning that I smoked end of November. I thought it was pretty good, not great. First attempt so I need some work. Put it somewhere out of sight so you aren't tempted!
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,375
    What do you think the issue was @theyolksonyou
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    Maybe a touch too much smoke. 2 hrs. Maybe 90 min next time. 
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  • Hawg Fan
    Hawg Fan Posts: 1,517
    theyolksonyou said:
    Maybe a touch too much smoke. 2 hrs. Maybe 90 min next time. 
    I personally don't care for a lot of smoke on my cheese, so I've settled on about 75-90 minutes of smoke using apple pellets.  I also smoked 2 bottles of Pakarika, which was excellent in chili and rubs.

    Any road will take you there if you don't know where you're going.

    Terry

    Rockwall, TX
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,989
    @DoubleEgger Looks great brother. Believe this or not, smoked cheese is one of my very favorites. 

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,836
    theyolksonyou said:
    Maybe a touch too much smoke. 2 hrs. Maybe 90 min next time. 
    If it's too smoky, just re-seal it and put it back in the fridge for awhile, it will continue to mellow.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    @dmw that's what I did
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
    edited December 2015
    Ok, this thread was more than I could stand.  I smoke gouda, cheddar, and pepperjack on about the 15th of Nov.  It's been calling my name from the bottom drawer of my fridge, and I had to bust open a pkg.

    I was worried about too much smoke - smoked for 4 hours.  Tried the gouda just now, and i really like it.  Lot's of smoke flavor, most likely too much for most.  Next time I'll cut back a little unless it's just for me.

    Edit - been about half an hour now, and I can still taste that creamy gouda smoke taste.  I don't want to overstate it, but I think I'm in love.  This could be more dangerous to my health than the Blackstone.
    Phoenix 
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