Thanksgiving and Christmas Cheese Smoking

pops6927 It all looks great!! When I smoke cheese three to four hours it gets similar color. You go for much longer. Is it just because I am using the same generator in a smaller smoker? (MES30) I am a science dummy...so pardon what may be a dumb question haha.

dirtsailor2003 said:

That is paraffin wax which can be used. However it will tend to crack and not hold up as well as cheese wax.

Cheese wax is best. Cheese wax should have microcrystalline in it. The best method is to heat the wax to 224°-230° and dip the cheese into the wax. 2-3 coats is plenty. This high temp dip will kill any mold spores . The alternate method is to heat wax over a water bath and brush the wax on. This method will not kill mold spores so you need to make sure that the surface of the cheese is free of mold and clean. A good method for cleaning cheese is to use a brine wash. Mix 1 teaspoon salt with 1 cup cold water. wipe with a cloth soaked in solution. dry and wax.

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Wow! That's interesting.. I'm going to have to use that wax method now.. it looks cool with round cheese but.. lol. Nice

pops6927 said:

I've kept it in the fridge for several months just in zip loc bags before it gets moldy.

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Ok.. nice. This winter I will try a few batches.. thanks!

I have a question.

Potassium Sorbate is a common (and organic) food additive and mold inhibitor. It's commonly used in wine (pretty much all wines) and can be sprayed onto snack sticks & jerky in a mild solution. You spray or dip the sticks/jerky and allow it to air dry on a rack before vacuum packing. Ratio I was given was 3 1/4 ounces to a gallon of water to make the spray/dip. For spraying I make a pint (16oz) of solution. That works out to 11.5 grams for a pint (3.25 ounces per gallon and 8 pints per gallon = 3.25 ounce to grams or 92.14 grams per gallon, so 92.14 divided by 8 = 11.5 grams per pint).

So would this not also work on cheese?

Ah-ha... I found my answer in Wikipedia. It lists potassium sorbate as:

Potassium sorbate is used to inhibit molds and yeasts in many foods, such as cheese, wine, yogurt, dried meats, apple cider, soft drinks and fruit drinks, and baked goods. It is used in the preparation of items such as hotcake syrup and milkshakes served by fast-food restaurants such as McDonald's. It can also be found in the ingredients list of many dried fruit products. In addition, herbal dietary supplement products generally contain potassium sorbate, which acts to prevent mold and microbes and to increase shelf life.

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Butcher & Packer has potassium sorbate in 1 pound powder bags for $6.25. I've been using it on sticks and jerky so I may have to try it on cheese this year. They recommend a 2.5% solution for sticks.

I found another FAQ page about potassium sorbate that listed the common % for various food products

Items %
Cheese and its products 0.2 - 0.3
Beverage (Syrups) 0.1
Margarine (Unsalted) 0.1
Wine 0.02 - 0.04
Dried Fruits 0.02 - 0.05
Vegetable Salads (prepared) 0.02 - 0.1
Cider 0.05 - 0.1
Confections 0.05 - 0.1
Pie fillings 0.05 - 0.1
Pet food (semi-moist) 0.1 - 0.3

Uses of Potassium Sorbate

# In wine making, as mentioned, 0.02 - 0.04 % of potassium sorbate is mixed in the wine, before it gets bottled.

# For preserving food items such as cheese, 0.2 - 0.3 % of the product is sprayed on natural cheese, and for processed cheese, it is applied directly.

# Fish products are usual dipped in the solution of potassium sorbate, before getting smoked or dried.

# When it comes to preserving bakery products, the preservative is used in low dosages, as such products are leavening ones thus, require yeast. So even when potassium sorbate is used in lower amounts, it is enough for inhibiting mold, yeast and bacterial growth.

# When used in cured meats, potassium sorbate can avoid mold invasion for up to a month. Also, meats dipped in the preservative solution attain double shell life.