Smoking cheese - The Resting Period

Botch · May 11

Was going to tag this onto the latest cheese smoking thread, but the Search showed me the newest one was ten years old, so I’m starting a new one.
I’ve been smoking different cheeses and salmon using the Amaz-n-Smoker tube, 12”. I usually do it in the late fall thru early spring, before it gets too hot outside. I know you’re supposed to let the cheeses “age” for a few weeks before consumption, to let the smoke mellow a bit. That works, but cheeses that I wrap in cellophane and pop into the freezer, I’ve found they don’t “mellow”.
Last fall I did about six cheeses and some lox. I filled the 12” tube only half-full, to mellow the smoke power a bit, but I couldn’t get the pellets lit; I poured a half-shot of rubbing alcohol down the tube but it leaked out all over my hand, decided I didn’t want to light it just then. Ended up filling the tube again.
Since then I bought a 6” tube, but haven’t used it yet. A week ago I grabbed the last slab of mild cheddar out of the freezer, set it in the frig door, and it has overpowered my entire frig ever since (six months in the freezer had not mellowed it at all). It’s edible, but still awfully strong.
Guess I don’t really have an issue to solve here, I will be smoking things in the future with the 6” tube and hope it’s not too strong. Should I let cheeses mellow in the frig for a couple weeks before even popping them into the freezer?

GrateEggspectations · May 11

It’s been so long since I’ve smoked cheese that I don’t remember how long I “mellowed” it. Good reminder to do it again.

IIRC, I used to smoke by time (of smoke exposure), not by Amazen tube or tray size. I imagine you smoked for a pretty long time with a 12” tube half full. Do you know how many hours it burned for?

If I were you, I’d try two things:
i) smoke by time. Try a few hours only. (I once went long and a chef friend could taste it. He advised me to dial it back!)
ii) check your pellet flavour. (Pretty sure the pellets I use are a combination of different smoke woods. If you want milder flavour, go with a pellet that’s made from a mild wood.)

You mention difficulty lighting the pellets. I am probably not raising anything you don’t know, but just in case…. The pellets will go out if they don’t get a good, solid burn before the smoking commences. Once you light the pellets, you have to let them burn with an active flame, however small, for a good ten mins or so until the flame extinguishes itself and is replaced by the wisps of smoke. Otherwise, if you don’t allow for a sufficient burn in this manner, the pellets will appear to be smoking correctly but will self extinguish over time. I had this happen a few times during my first few runs with the Amazen before I discovered the cause. A torch works best for lighting the pellets.

lousubcap · May 11

My only smoked cheese sustained happening is dry rubbed smoked cream cheese. I keep at least some in the stable. Once I get below around half a brick I go again and always crank out more based on demand.
I run for around 2 hours at 225-250*F. May sit for a bit (4-7 days) in a sealed container in the fridge but always a winner. I do find more smoke flavour (nod) if rested.
That smoke upshot also happens with anything that has been smoked and mellows in the fridge for me. FWIW-

Botch · May 11

GrateEggspectations said:

...IIRC, I used to smoke by time (of smoke exposure), not by Amazen tube or tray size. I imagine you smoked for a pretty long time with a 12” tube half full. Do you know how many hours it burned for?...

Again, I couldn't get a half-filled 12" tube lit in the first place. The full 12" tube stays smoking for about 4 hours, which for my small protein quantities is too much.
I'm hoping my 6" tube gives me just 2 hours (heh, I should be so lucky) and I'll cut it down from there, just using time, if necessary.

Will also try the Cap'n's recommendation and let it rest in a sealed container for a week before wrapping and freezing.

GrateEggspectations · May 11

Botch said:

GrateEggspectations said:

...IIRC, I used to smoke by time (of smoke exposure), not by Amazen tube or tray size. I imagine you smoked for a pretty long time with a 12” tube half full. Do you know how many hours it burned for?...

Again, I couldn't get a half-filled 12" tube lit in the first place. The full 12" tube stays smoking for about 4 hours, which for my small protein quantities is too much.
I'm hoping my 6" tube gives me just 2 hours (heh, I should be so lucky) and I'll cut it down from there, just using time, if necessary.

Will also try the Cap'n's recommendation and let it rest in a sealed container for a week before wrapping and freezing.

I use a maze but allow only a few hours of smoke, I think. I think the time I had overdone it, I had let it run for four or five.

xfire_ATX · May 11

I smoke mine for an hour or so in a charcoal empty egg with the 6" Amazn tube full and sitting on the floor of the XLBGE and the grate at the felt line. I also smoke when the temp outside is below 50 degrees so its a fall/ winter thing. I use a blow torch to get it started.

I pull all the cheese and vac seal them and wait 4-6 weeks minimum. Always comes out perfect.

MaskedMarvel · May 11

I’ve done cheeses a few times when I went crazy at the Costco lol

i used the maze (the OG maze) and different pellets here or there. All kinds. Keeps it interesting.

Lighting a smoke tube/maze is a colossal pain, so I light both side of the maze to give it a fighting chance of staying lit. I use the green tank flame thrower to get it going, and they do have to burn with flame for at least 5-10 minutes to establish.

And vacuum sealing helped a lot with the fridge being smoked out, mellowing, and general preservation. Time is the only thing that mellows that harshness - and it’s a while, but very worth it.

Cold smoking is fun.

I’ve done all kinds of cheeses, nuts, ketchup, and salts. Out of everything, people loved the salts the most ha

RLS · May 11

I've found that letting the cheese rest in the refrigerator overnight, loosely covered, then vac sealing next day with a 4-5 week wait time before consumption works well. Smoke time is about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. One other thing I've noticed the quality of the cheese seems to make a difference in the amount of smoke it takes. This may be just in my mind but it seems the cheaper cheese with a weaker taste profile is easier to over smoke.

Botch · May 11

xfire_ATX said:

....I pull all the cheese and vac seal them and wait 4-6 weeks minimum. Always comes out perfect.

That 4-6 weeks, is the cheese in the fridge, or the freezer?

xfire_ATX · May 11

Botch said:

xfire_ATX said:

....I pull all the cheese and vac seal them and wait 4-6 weeks minimum. Always comes out perfect.

That 4-6 weeks, is the cheese in the fridge, or the freezer?

4-6 weeks minimum vac sealed in the fridge.

I do use the English Cheddar at Costco mostly.

MaskedMarvel · June 4

Found a few pics of the cheese smoke…

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/dg/ooa8q5fd9smf.jpeg

bluebird66 · June 5

MaskedMarvel said:

Found a few pics of the cheese smoke…

You have me drooling right now!

YukonRon · June 5

I smoked some Gorgonzola for a recipe years ago. It was a very low tech low budget operation.

I cobbled together a tin can with holes in it, a soldering iron, wood chunks, trays of ice, and very cold weather.

It worked, for a wild recipe of gator cheesecake, I made for a liver stretching reception upon returning from France, 16 years ago following our wedding. It was my brother in law’s idea, to add to the shrimp boil we had for 70+ guests.

The ice was served in Bloody Marys, along with gulf shrimp, pickled vegetables of some sort, bacon salt rims. We floated a couple of kegs early that weekend.

If you are into doing it the Virgo and various other savory bleu cheeses, were pretty darn good when smoked. I would definitely try it again.

adoring · June 5

My success with the cheese has been three hours with apple pellets in an amazing tube. Two hours were not enough. Four hours too much. I put a tray of ice between the cheese and tube. It is best to do it in cooler weather and out of direct sunlight to keep the temp down. Then I wrap in Saran Wrap for 30 days. I have friends that vacuum seal, but I never did. Good luck.

Smoking cheese - The Resting Period

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