# Smoking Cheese



## arcticsid

Has anyone in here ever smoked cheese?

I have experimnted a couple times but never inhaled! LOL

I had some chicken thighs in the smoker the other day and put a few chunks of mild cheddar in the coolest spot.

I didn't do anything to it but put it on a piece of foil.

It"melted into a pancake looking mass. It as very good.

I have tried cheddar before and it has laways turned out good. Last summer, I tried a chunk of mozzerella, and it to tured out good. I want it to be great.

The info on the internet is vague.

Has anyone in here tried this before?

Shouild I marinate it, stuff it with garlic, encrust it with herbs?

What temperature?

This stuff is really good, I would like to perfect and tweak it a bit. I have had commercial smoked cheese before and it never appeared to "melt" like my tries have.

I am wondering if a hard cheese like parmesan may have a different result.

Any ideas out there?

(SETH, please dont try this, I heard it can be bad for your lungs!!!) LMFAO


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## pwrose

The only person I ever knew that had smoked cheese did it under what he called a cool smoke. I dont know what he meant by cool smoke but might be worth looking up. I know not much help but maybe something.

Don't know if you have ever tried it, but take a small piece of extra sharp cheddar and drop it in the darkest red wine you have and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days, toss the wine but the cheese is awsome, my opinion of course.


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## UglyBhamGuy

i tried to smoke cheese once but i couldn't keep it lit.


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## arcticsid

I may trie the wine idea. You have caught my attention there.

Cool moke means just that. These thighs were probably 150-170F, Way to hot for cheese but it was sill really good. I figured I would need to do it all by itself. I will try the wine and let you know the results.

Thanks for the idea.


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## Wade E

Smoked cheese! What did you run out of weed Troy?


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## arcticsid

Smoked cheese is very very good. Smoked Gouda is one of my all time favorites, I would like to get this down. Smoked cheese at the store is quite expemsive.

I run the smoker qite often so I may as well figure out how to do this the best way.

I forgot, I did try some swiss once and it turned out well, but not good enough.


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## bigabyte

I smoke cheese rather often. The most important thing is keeping the temperature in your smoking chamber below 80 degrees. In fact, if at all possible, I like having it between 40 and 60 degrees. The reason is because many cheeses will start to "sweat" when the temp starts pushing near 80 degrees. You will see little beads of oil starting to come out. Once that happens, there is no recovery of the cheese. It will not taste quite right, the main problem being texture. It will seem kind of leathery, and not as good as it could have been had it not reached the high enough temp to begin sweating.

I have an old cheapy offset smoker (pic below) which I used to use to make smoked cheese during the colder months (here in Kansas). Temps outside would usually be between 0 and 32. I would place just 4 to 8 lit briquettes in the firebox arranged side by side in a grid pattern, and place 2 or 3 small pieces of light flavored wood like apple, cherry or pecan (or all 3) on top of the briquettes. I would add more wood after they burned up. Doing it this way only raised the temperature in the cooker by 20 to 40 degrees, but filled it with smoke.






I have recently received two interesting cold smoke devices, both of which have pros and cons.
The Smoke Daddy...http://www.smokedaddyinc.com/
The Smoke Pistol...http://www.smokepistol.com/

The thing I really like about the smoke daddy is that you get to pick what kind of wood you want, and can just pick up wood chips or pellets at a local store. With the smoke pistol, you are limited to the cartridges they provide. That said however, the Smoke Pistol is easier to manage I think than the Smoke Daddy.

Both of these can be attached to anything. Just drill a hole of the appropriate size into whatever container you want the smoke and your cheese to go into. Then attach using the parts provided.

One thing I find difficult with these two cool devices, or using the smoker I showed above is managing temp precisely enough for smoking fish, so I don't do as much of that as I would like. I've been eyeballing some smaller electric smokers like this to do this however.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

BTW, the main smokers I use for my BBQ do not do cold smoking well, thus why I have all these contraptions. These are my go to smokers, the Weber Smokey Mountain smokers, never settle for the cheaper imitators...


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## arcticsid

Big I have the same exact off set smoker. LOL I appreciate your reply. I will re read it a couple times.

Thanks a bunch.

Do you do anything to your cheese first, marinade, encrust with herbs etc.?

What type of cheese have you had the best luck with?

Do you prefer large chunks or smaller pieces? The chese I mean?

I did assume my temperature has always been to high. I may have better luck at -30F huh? LMAO.

It sure is good stuff. I am looking forward to perfecting it. I smoke alot of stuff. Iof course like salmon, but i makes me cough and giggle incessantly.


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## Leanne

Oh yummy. I love smoked cheeses.


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## Julie

You need to cold smoke, to smoke cheese. Cold smoking is your heat generator sits outside the smoker and pipes the smoke into it.


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## jeepingchick

u know that sounds like a fun thing to TRY! yeah ur gonna have to cold smoke it , wont be to hard just run a hose to a seprate smoking box so the heat is way down or ull have a melty mess on ur hands!!


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## djrockinsteve

Oh Snap, this is all I need, another hobby. My wife and son in law have been telling me recently to make cheese. I'm having a hard time keeping up with the wine.

Hey Troy, I did snort some parmesan once, burned like [email protected]


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## bigabyte

arcticsid said:


> Big I have the same exact off set smoker. LOL I appreciate your reply. I will re read it a couple times.
> 
> Thanks a bunch.
> 
> Do you do anything to your cheese first, marinade, encrust with herbs etc.?
> 
> What type of cheese have you had the best luck with?
> 
> Do you prefer large chunks or smaller pieces? The chese I mean?
> 
> I did assume my temperature has always been to high. I may have better luck at -30F huh? LMAO.
> 
> It sure is good stuff. I am looking forward to perfecting it. I smoke alot of stuff. Iof course like salmon, but i makes me cough and giggle incessantly.


I've always just smoked the cheese, no marinading or seasoning, but now that you mention encrusting it...I could see perhaps somehow getting a nut crust on there being very good, could even season it... You got me thinking now!

I've smoked pretty much every cheese I can get my hands on with the exception of crumbly cheeses like Feta and Blue cheese. My wife and I have a particular fondness for smoked Havarti, so if we picked a favorite it would probably be that. Gouda is wonderful of course, and smoked Mozzerella makes pizza's and lasagna oh so much more interesting! I like younger provolone smoked, but when I did a sharp aged provolone, well, I just wasn't that fond of it but it was used on a pizza with some smoked mozzerella and swiss and it was fantastic. Smoked swiss is so-so in my opinion, not bad, but not something I cherish. Someone once told me about smoked cream cheese, and once I made it, well, it is something to try for sure. Also, just for fun, I smoked some velveeta. It was actually pretty good.:: Any cheddar is good although I find using a younger cheddar works best. I find a cheese that is more creamy makes for a better smoked cheese. The flavors of firmer cheeses can match, but for some reason the goodness of the smoke seems to make the tongue happier with a more creamy cheese, so younger cheddar (and provolone) seem better. Same with Swiss, try baby swiss, a huge difference over an aged one after being smoked (not to say there isn't a huge difference before smoking).

Small chunks are better, the flavor gets in easier. I buy the big 5 pound blocks of cheddar at Sam's Club for example, and cut them up into about 10 pieces. I tried smoking the whole block once, and it just didn't have enough flavor. The smaller pieces solve that problem.

Up there in Alaska, by guess is you might be able to load that sucker up with fuel on a frigid windy day and keep it running at 40 and ust store your cheese in there like it's in the fridge!

When you smoke salmon, do you light the tail end, or the head?::

There was one thing I forgot to mention. I smoke my cheese for about 2 to 3 hours, more towards 3 hours usually. I like my cheese in the medium to strong smokey flavor range, and if you prefer a mild smoke then you may find 1 to 2 hours sufficient. Also, after being around the smoker and smoking the cheese, after you finish it you may find that it does not taste smokey to you. Step away from the smoker, put the cheese in the fridge, and take a shower. The next day, the cheese will taste smokey. I'm not sure if it is the resting time in the fridge, or if it is simply being away from the smoke that does it, or maybe both, but this is a very common thing to notice.


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## arcticsid

i am probably (its on the list) going to modify this smoker. Put a flange on he end and buid another fire box that sits away from the unit and pipe it in from a distance Even with salmn, anything over 100F tends to cook it. It is still very good, but cold smoking will give lots better results I know. .I have the plan in mind for some time, just havent got that far. I've gt all the pieces here to do it. I may need to get the landlord to bring out his tourches and cut me a hole. I am not very good with one, I usually end up starting my hair on fire or something. LMAO.


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## Wade E

I was just kidding Troy, I love smoked cheese. I love the Applewood smoked Gouda the best so far.


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## arcticsid

Oh its great, real expensive in the store. Like I said, I have experimented a few times and it is always good. I know the temp has been to high.

I am now more motivated to do it the right way.

I will smoke and pickle just about anything.

Somehow I know there is an analogy here, but use your own imagination.

As a side note. Last summer I pickled some collard greens, after blanching and cooling them. I added garlic, secret spices etc. They were excellent, tried it with some other greens, but the colards were the best.


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## pwrose

arcticsid said:


> I will smoke and pickle just about anything.
> 
> Somehow I know there is an analogy here, but use your own imagination.



You smoke pickles:<
I thought you a Leanne were getting married or something, does she know about these tendencies?


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## arcticsid

It is almost scary. So far we havent disagreed on anything, personal or otherwise.

We both love the same foods and believe it or not she loves Kim Chee, and she is British, not Korean. Go figure!! LO


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## Wade E

I used to love Kim Chee until she gave me this rash that just wont go away! ::


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## arcticsid

I meant I have smoked my brain and pickled my liver. So there, I said it. LOL

But I am a huge pickle maker. I just may try to toss a pickle on the smoker and see what happens.

Nowadays there is such a thing as deep fried pickles.

No kidding, I was making those when I was like ten years old. Even back then there was o schools of thought, either way, I was nuts or was on to something. But, even then everyone loved them.

A smoked pickle might have something there. And I am not joking, I think I will try it next time I smoke something. Here is a picture of the plastic bee that sits on the exhaust of my smoker It is known around these parts if Troys bee is 'mokin, something good is coming along!!!


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## arcticsid

*Smoke em if you got em.*

This bee used to be mounted to the front of my Toyota. At 35mph, the wings would raise. Nother story nother tim.

LMAO!


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## arcticsid

You ought to see what her sister, Chun Chee gave ME!!!! It darn sure wasn't a partridge in a pear tree!!!!


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## Wade E

You need help, hopefully Leanne will straighten you out!


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## arcticsid

I hope so or she may make me worse, she is just as crazy as me. LMAO!


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## Leanne

LMAO! It's a good thing I love you honey!


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## bigabyte

arcticsid said:


> A smoked pickle might have something there. And I am not joking, I think I will try it next time I smoke something.


I hesitate to bring this up, but there is a smoked pickle creation out there called "Piggles". What you do is take a whole pickle (your choice of type), slice it in half, scoop a little bit of the seeds from the center to make a boat, fill with your choice of cheese and even meat if you like, then wrap it in bacon. Season if desired and smoke until the bacon is crispy. I have not tried it myself but piggles have fans for sure, it's something people either love or hate apparently.

OK, back to the normal fun and games. Everyone else forget I ever said that!


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## Leanne

bigabyte said:


> I hesitate to bring this up, but there is a smoked pickle creation out there called "Piggles". What you do is take a whole pickle (your choice of type), slice it in half, scoop a little bit of the seeds from the center to make a boat, fill with your choice of cheese and even meat if you like, then wrap it in bacon. Season if desired and smoke until the bacon is crispy. I have not tried it myself but piggles have fans for sure, it's something people either love or hate apparently.
> 
> OK, back to the normal fun and games. Everyone else forget I ever said that!



Now that sounds lovely! Yum.


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## arcticsid

I wll be all over that idea big, that does sound good!!!


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## myakkagldwngr

Why is it that every town in the country seems to have a Kim in it??
And they always show up when you're smoking something!

My brother and I made a smoker at his house that looks like an outhouse in his back yard.
When we do sausage, it holds about 150 pounds.
Now and then he throws a couple whole beef brisket on it and smokes them for eight hour. Boy does it turn out good.
I don't know how well it would do with cheese, but would probably work.


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## arcticsid

How come every smoker I have ever seen has had a Chee in itt?

It may be a Korean conspiracy!!


LOL


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## seth8530

So the smoked cheese is your pet project ? so I guess that makes my infamous milk wine ok then? haha I bet smoked wilkwine cheese would be epic lol It would be both smokey and high alcohol.


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## arcticsid

Read closer!!! I said it was on thelist of projects. I smoke, drink alcohol and think about these things. Want dont you build a little smoker, and try the curds that came off your wine?

If I remeber right you tossed them.

Bloody shame!

I heard they were ctually pretty good. At least you could have fed them to your genetically engineered pigs.

Oh yeah, we heard about your experiments on "Coast to Coast

LMFAO ROTF!!


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## seth8530

rofl hahha. I so would make me a smoker if i wasnt beign sent to a housing area that didnt allow open flame or anything or even hotplates lol


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## kegmeister

When I had the chance to tour through Italy a few years ago with the wife I met a local restaurateur who made his own wine, cheese, and cured meats. He gave me a sample of a 5 year old pecorino (sheeps milk cheese) that had been aged wrapped in the skins from a pressing of brunello from the same year the cheese was made. I have tried smoked cheese, cheese rubbed with coffee or laced with black truffles and on and on, this grape cured cheese was hands down the best I have ever tried. Imagine pairing it with the same Brunello the grapes skins came from. If you have a good spot with high relative humidity to store wine, throw a wheel of cheese in there too with some of your pressed skins and see what happens.


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## Buffalobrewer

I saw cheese smoking at an egg demo this summer. The guy placed a tray of ice on the platesetter (for the non eggers it's a ceramic tray that diffuses the direct heat from the charcoal) and only used 2-3 pieces of lump to create the smoke. It kept the temperature down while allowing the smoke to flavor the cheese. It was good stuff.


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