Cold Smoking cheese is not rocket science, how do you cold smoke cheese at 80° ambient temp, and not melt the cheese?
I used the standard pan of Ice, but also took care to prep my cheese and smoker a little different than usual
Cheese was placed in the freezer for about 2 hours.
While it was cold, it was not frozen solid
I kept my smoker in the garage overnight, and it's currently under cover, in the shade
At 8:30 this morning, it was 80° outside, but the inside of the smoker was 73°
I started one of my A-MAZE-N-TUBE-SMOKERS and placed it int eh very bottom of my Traeger Texas(Clone) Pellet Smoker
A disposable pan was placed above the burning smoker
Inside the pan, I placed a couple frozen jugs of ice
If you fill the pan with ice, the pan will sweat as the ice melts, and drip on the smoldering pellets below
The grill grate was reinstalled, and I placed a cooling rack on top. This keeps the cheese at a higher level in the smoke, inside your smoker.
Cheese was set on the cooling rack
I inserted a probe into one of the blocks of slightly frozen cheese and the other is measuring the grate temps
The mass of the smoker is still radiating cooler temperature from sitting in the garage overnight
Thanks for Looking!!
Todd
Starting the A-MAZE-N-TUBE-SMOKER
Flame Burning For 10 Minutes, and Then Blow It Out
Smoking Pellets
Placed Disposable Aluminum Pan Directly Above the Smoldering Tube Smoker
Ice Jugs are Placed In the Pan
Ice Cubes will Melt, and Cause the Pan to Sweat. This Will Drip on Your Pellets
Notice the Nice Smoke Coming From Under the Pan
Grill is Reassembled, Cooling Rack Set Up, Cheese is on the Racks, ans Probe is inserted in one of the Blocks
Cheese Starting Temp was 35°
Ambient Temp Around My Pellet Smoker is 80°
Smoker is in the Shade
After 1 Hour, Smoker Temp is 79°, and closer to Ambient Temp of 80°
Smoker was in the Garage Overnight and is Currently Sitting in the Shade
Ice is Helping to Keep Smoker Temps Down For Now......
The Mass of the Smoker is Still Radiating Cooler Temps From Sitting in the Garage Overnight
Placing the Smoker in the Direct Sun Would Surely Increase the Temps!!
Cheese is at 50° After an hour in the smoker....WOW!
1 1/2 Hours Into My Cheese Smoke
Smoker Temp Jumped to 93°
Cheese Temp at 61°
After 2 1/2 hours
Ambient Temp = 87.8°
Smoker Temp = 93°
Cheese Internal Temp = 77°
Pulled the Cheese at 3 hours. This is a little longer than I usually smoke cheese, But After All, This Was a Test
Ambient Temp = 88.7°
Smoker Temp = 95°
Cheese Internal Temp = 82°
Final Pics of Cheese In Smoker
Just Starting to Sweat, But DID NOT Lose it's Shape or Begin To Melt
Great Color Compared to the Other 1/2 of the Cheese Blocks
CONCLUSION(S):
1. Keeping the smoker in a cool place and in the shade makes a difference in smoker temps.
2. A pan of ice directly above the smoldering pellets helped to reduce the heat produced by the pellets.
3. Placing the cheese into the freezer, and dropping the temp to 35° kept the cheese from heating up too quickly
4. Keeping the cheese out of the direct heat/smoke stream helped to keep the cheese temp down
So, now it's possible to smoke cheese at higher ambient temps!
Enjoy!
Todd
I used the standard pan of Ice, but also took care to prep my cheese and smoker a little different than usual
Cheese was placed in the freezer for about 2 hours.
While it was cold, it was not frozen solid
I kept my smoker in the garage overnight, and it's currently under cover, in the shade
At 8:30 this morning, it was 80° outside, but the inside of the smoker was 73°
I started one of my A-MAZE-N-TUBE-SMOKERS and placed it int eh very bottom of my Traeger Texas(Clone) Pellet Smoker
A disposable pan was placed above the burning smoker
Inside the pan, I placed a couple frozen jugs of ice
If you fill the pan with ice, the pan will sweat as the ice melts, and drip on the smoldering pellets below
The grill grate was reinstalled, and I placed a cooling rack on top. This keeps the cheese at a higher level in the smoke, inside your smoker.
Cheese was set on the cooling rack
I inserted a probe into one of the blocks of slightly frozen cheese and the other is measuring the grate temps
The mass of the smoker is still radiating cooler temperature from sitting in the garage overnight
Thanks for Looking!!
Todd
Starting the A-MAZE-N-TUBE-SMOKER
Flame Burning For 10 Minutes, and Then Blow It Out
Smoking Pellets
Placed Disposable Aluminum Pan Directly Above the Smoldering Tube Smoker
Ice Jugs are Placed In the Pan
Ice Cubes will Melt, and Cause the Pan to Sweat. This Will Drip on Your Pellets
Notice the Nice Smoke Coming From Under the Pan
Grill is Reassembled, Cooling Rack Set Up, Cheese is on the Racks, ans Probe is inserted in one of the Blocks
Cheese Starting Temp was 35°
Ambient Temp Around My Pellet Smoker is 80°
Smoker is in the Shade
After 1 Hour, Smoker Temp is 79°, and closer to Ambient Temp of 80°
Smoker was in the Garage Overnight and is Currently Sitting in the Shade
Ice is Helping to Keep Smoker Temps Down For Now......
The Mass of the Smoker is Still Radiating Cooler Temps From Sitting in the Garage Overnight
Placing the Smoker in the Direct Sun Would Surely Increase the Temps!!
Cheese is at 50° After an hour in the smoker....WOW!
1 1/2 Hours Into My Cheese Smoke
Smoker Temp Jumped to 93°
Cheese Temp at 61°
After 2 1/2 hours
Ambient Temp = 87.8°
Smoker Temp = 93°
Cheese Internal Temp = 77°
Pulled the Cheese at 3 hours. This is a little longer than I usually smoke cheese, But After All, This Was a Test
Ambient Temp = 88.7°
Smoker Temp = 95°
Cheese Internal Temp = 82°
Final Pics of Cheese In Smoker
Just Starting to Sweat, But DID NOT Lose it's Shape or Begin To Melt
Great Color Compared to the Other 1/2 of the Cheese Blocks
CONCLUSION(S):
1. Keeping the smoker in a cool place and in the shade makes a difference in smoker temps.
2. A pan of ice directly above the smoldering pellets helped to reduce the heat produced by the pellets.
3. Placing the cheese into the freezer, and dropping the temp to 35° kept the cheese from heating up too quickly
4. Keeping the cheese out of the direct heat/smoke stream helped to keep the cheese temp down
So, now it's possible to smoke cheese at higher ambient temps!
Enjoy!
Todd
Last edited: