New to smoking cheese!

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Leonard114

Fire Starter
Original poster
Nov 4, 2017
65
7
Harpers ferry wv
so got some questions for you guys as I'm new to smoking cheese and smoking in general! I want to smoke some tomorrow but I'm not real sure where to get it like do I just go to the wal mart deli and ask them to cut me off a big hunk But either way I'm thinking about doing some cheddar some Colby and some Gouda maybe but yeah and tips tricks and advice are always appreciated too! Thanks guys!
 
Go to wally world in the cheese section of the cooler isle and pick out any semi hard cheeses you like. Cheddar, sharp cheddar, Havarti, Swiss, Colby, Monterey Jack etc. Its something like $1.88 per block. Get 4 or 6 blocks and when you get home open them and let them sit on a wire rack on the counter to get to room temperature for an hour or 3.

Then set up for some cold smoking keeping temps well under 90*. I prefer to smoke for 3 hours under heavy apple wood smoke then vac pack for a bare minimum of 2 weeks or the longer you wait the more mild and developed the flavor gets.

If you like smoked cheese (and who doesn't) I suggest you do this quantity every week for the next couple of weeks. Just like wine making you need to make more than you'll eat and/or give away so you can let it properly rest. I've done something like 70 blocks since August and have about 40 resting. The rest got eaten or shared with family and friends.

If you wait and let the cheese mellow and develop your $1.88 a block cheese will taste like $10.00 a block cheese.
 
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Cut it into sticks about the size of a stick of butter and smoke at less than 70F. 2 hrs minimum. After smoking, let it rest covered in a fridge overnight to “air out” a little and then vac seal with a coat of olive oil.
I keep mine in a wine cooler at 49F. (I have some over a year old. The olive oil keeps the mold at bay).
Don’t even think about eating before it’s sat for at least a month..
I’m partial to Mozzarella and Gouda.
Good Luck!
 
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I have an SV24 and can't keep my temp low enough even with the ice so I'm keeping my door cracked open am I making a mistake by doing this??
 
yea.. that's not gonna work.. when doing cheese you don't want to use your burner... that's why they call it "cold smoking"... You'll need some sort of cold smoke generator.. when I first started cold smoking I used the "tin can/soldering iron (new) in a cardboard box" method.. It actually worked pretty well... then I upgraded to the A-MAZ-N pellet smoker...
 
right... that's what happens... you want to keep below 70`.. that usually means at or below ambient temps... so no heat at all... to get your smoker (assuming your using electric ?) to create smoke the smoker would be WAY to hot... that's where the "cold smoker" comes into play ... I can't find the thread of a member that tried using his electric smoker to create smoke.. but it was a mess.. all the cheese melted down through the grates and covered the bottom of the smoker.. started ooozing out the door ...
 
yea.. t hat's what your gonna need for cheese... If you do.. get the tray that burns ether sawdust or pellets... I use sawdust as I find the pellets actually puts out to much heat as well ...
 
Well I just pulled the cheese out a few minutes ago and it smells nice and smokey I guess we'll find out in a couple weeks lol
 
5734CB8E-98F0-4F29-84FB-78CE0F453796.jpeg You’re going to have to get something to make smoke without heat (like an Amazn product) I use a tube with pellets and a “mailbox setup”. You’ll have to cut a hole in your smoker.
 
Cut it into sticks about the size of a stick of butter and smoke at less than 70F. 2 hrs minimum. After smoking, let it rest covered in a fridge overnight to “air out” a little and then vac seal with a coat of olive oil.
I keep mine in a wine cooler at 49F. (I have some over a year old. The olive oil keeps the mold at bay).
Don’t even think about eating before it’s sat for at least a month..
I’m partial to Mozzarella and Gouda.
Good Luck!


No need to coat with olive oil if you are vac packing or wax sealing. I have vac packed smoked cheese from 4 years ago & wax coated from 2 years ago. All perfectly fine.
 
No need to coat with olive oil if you are vac packing or wax sealing. I have vac packed smoked cheese from 4 years ago & wax coated from 2 years ago. All perfectly fine.
I’m sure you’re right, but I’ll continue to do it because it’s easy and does no harm. I’ve been looking into waxing equipment, but I know the Mrs will blow a gasket LOL!
 
I’m sure you’re right, but I’ll continue to do it because it’s easy and does no harm. I’ve been looking into waxing equipment, but I know the Mrs will blow a gasket LOL!

All you need for waxing cheese is a cheap pan and a stove or hot plate. You do need to buy cheese wax.

I have a dollar store pan. I leave the wax in it and reheat it. Just add more when I need to.
 
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