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Cold Smoke Gone Wrong?

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nealcr1
nealcr1 Posts: 198
edited December 2018 in EggHead Forum
I’m worried that I may have botched my first cold smoke on some cheese.  I vac sealed a week ago and opened a pack of tonight to see if it was good and it was awful.  I smoked it my LBGE with apple pellets for 3 hours.  My concern was that my Amazin Smoker maze worked good, but my smoke never got clear.  Should I toss the rest and redo or wait until Christmas to see if it mellows?  If I redo, how do I do a better job of getting clear smoke with the pellets?  Never used them before.
Mini Max, Medium BGE, Large BGE, Lodge Cast Iron Sportsman, Digi Q II, Woo 2, AR with Oval setup
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Comments

  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    Is it cheese?   Give it 3-4 weeks or it will taste like an ashtray 
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  • nealcr1
    nealcr1 Posts: 198
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    Yes....it is cheese
    Mini Max, Medium BGE, Large BGE, Lodge Cast Iron Sportsman, Digi Q II, Woo 2, AR with Oval setup
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    I cold smoke thanksgiving to give away at Christmas.  Needs time. 
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    The longer you wait, the more mellow. 
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  • nealcr1
    nealcr1 Posts: 198
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    Thanks.  It might take a while.  Smoke was pretty heavy for the three hours.
    Mini Max, Medium BGE, Large BGE, Lodge Cast Iron Sportsman, Digi Q II, Woo 2, AR with Oval setup
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  • Woodchunk
    Woodchunk Posts: 911
    edited December 2018
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    Never gotten clear smoke cold smoking with an aps with pellets. It's constant smoke the whole time. Just did about 8lbs of cheese the last week of November, opened a piece of 3yo white cheddar yesterday to check it, was terrific. Maybe next time try for 2 hours. Soft cheese takes less time than a harder cheese. It takes weeks for it to mellow out. Does not sound like you did anything wrong, wait a couple more weeks, if it's still too strong, just shave the outside off
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  • littlerascal56
    littlerascal56 Posts: 2,104
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    Did some like you posted, and it still tastes like an ashtray after 9 months on the refrigerator.  Won’t do any more pellet smoking for sure!
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    littlerascal56 said:
    Did some like you posted, and it still tastes like an ashtray after 9 months on the refrigerator.  Won’t do any more pellet smoking for sure!

    @littlerascal56   This is my method, just in case I might do something different.  I smoke one row of pellets blocked in with a foil ball - about 3-3 1/2hrs.  Only one side is lit.  Mellow on the counter for an hour before foodsaver.  I age the cheese in the fridge for two months.  

    Phoenix 
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  • EggbertGreenII
    EggbertGreenII Posts: 253
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    You don't say what flavor of pellet you used, perhaps a milder smoke would work better, something like alder might be a good choice. For me, the smokier the better, so I like hickory and oak.
    Tampa Bay, Florida
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  • SaintJohnsEgger
    SaintJohnsEgger Posts: 1,826
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    You guys sure talk about cold smoking of cheese a lot. I've never had smoked cheese. What's the big deal?

    I may have to try it but I would like to find some place that sells smoked cheese to try before going to all the trouble. Any good brand suggestions?
    Marshall in Beautiful Fruit Cove, FL.
    MiniMax 04/17
    Unofficial BGE MiniMax Evangelist
    Facebook Big Green Egg MiniMax Owners Group


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  • nealcr1
    nealcr1 Posts: 198
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    EggbertGreenII said:
    You don't say what flavor of pellet you used, perhaps a milder smoke would work better, something like alder might be a good choice. For me, the smokier the better, so I like hickory and oak.
    Apple
    Mini Max, Medium BGE, Large BGE, Lodge Cast Iron Sportsman, Digi Q II, Woo 2, AR with Oval setup
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    SaintJohnsEgger said:
    You guys sure talk about cold smoking of cheese a lot. I've never had smoked cheese. What's the big deal?

    I may have to try it but I would like to find some place that sells smoked cheese to try before going to all the trouble. Any good brand suggestions?
    Try a grocery store in the high end cheese cooler.  Smoked Gouda is easy to find. 
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    Also, you don’t need an amazin smoker.  You can use anything and a aluminum dryer vent hose into the bottom of your egg.  Paint can, another egg....
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  • Cashfan
    Cashfan Posts: 416
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    I had the same thing happen as the OP.

    Smoked a variety of cheeses for 2-4 hours, with apple pellets in an Amazen Smoker, then vacuum sealed them for two or three months. Every couple weeks I would try them and they all tasted like an ashtray.

    I have been considering cold smoking bacon, but after remembering the results of the cheese experiment, I think I will continue to hot smoke. 
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  • etherdome
    etherdome Posts: 471
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    Seems to me the vacuum seal is the common theme here. I’ve been smoking cheese for many years. Not saying my way is the right way, but only what has worked for me. When I finish I let it sit out for several hours, very lightly cover with oil (I use olive oil), then wrap with cellophane. Then I put the the cheese in the fridge (I have a garage fridge where smoke smell doesn’t matter ) and let it sit in an open ziploc for a minimum of 3 weeks. Never had an issue with ashtray taste. I also, btw, use the amazn smoker and pellets for 3 hours or so.  Seems to me with the vacuum seal you are sealing in the smoke so it doesn’t mellow???   Not sure about this but just a thought. I just purchased my first vacuum sealer last month. Was planning on and looking forward to using it with my cheese process but now am second guessing this. This process has worked well for me in the past and the cheese keeps for up to 6 months or so.   

    After thinking this out , maybe the answer is to vacuum seal it after 3-4 weeks . 
    Upstate SC
    Large BGE,  Blackstone, Weber genesis , Weber charcoal classic
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  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,194
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    I smoke mine with apple pellets every year. Cheese does not need a lot of smoke, or a long time in the smoke. I use my pellet cooker, but only because it’s leaky compared to the egg, and has more air volume. I smoke for one hour, I leave the pellet smoker off, and just like a smoke tube. This comes from getting too much smoke in the past. I keep it in the fridge for three weeks after the smoke  this is this years batch  
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,767
    edited December 2018
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    I have great results with my AMAZN smoker....It puts out a to of smoke and lighting one end only is a lot of smoke and easily fills mine which is about 74 cubic feet...I would not want to light both ends of the AMAZN smoker ....never used one in an Egg but I'd probably leave it wide open. ( the vents ) if I did 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    nealcr1 said:
    EggbertGreenII said:
    You don't say what flavor of pellet you used, perhaps a milder smoke would work better, something like alder might be a good choice. For me, the smokier the better, so I like hickory and oak.
    Apple
     Which brand? Cheaper pellets are basically compressed sawdust with an added flavor. 

    I've had good outcomes with B&B brand, which are rather inexpensive. I would use all wood i.e pellets made of 100% apple/cherry/etc. if I knew which brand to buy .

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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