What Wood type for Cheese Smoking?

[kerbos5]

TJohnson.....I smoked with your hickory for 3.75 hours at:

Outside temp: 68-76 degrees

Relative Humidity: 38-45%

Smoker inside: 60-80degrees, (smoker was in the shade)

I did end up filling it with dust all the way up but not over flowing about and hour in, and about and hour left I lit the middle for a last hurrrrah of smoke :).....there towards the end it got hotter, I think partly because I lit the middle, it stayed in the low 70 on avg. Thanks for making such a great product.

 

[scarbelly]

So where is the qview ???? Also how did you like the fresh mozarella?

 

[kerbos5]

Well I got Qview of it vacuumed and ready for rest my camera died and had to recharge when I was pulling, the mozz sticks are AWESOME, and the fresh Mozz is good to....can't wait to see what the other cheeses taste like. 14 days and counting.

 

[tjohnson]

That's Funny, Dead Camera!

They also make cheddar snack sticks and I'm gonna try some of those next.  It's probably cheaper to cut a block of cheddar an mozzarella into strips.

Next time throw some Kosher Salt or Sea Salt on a paper plate and let it soak in some smoke.  It really adds a nice smell and flavor to food.

Todd

 

[scarbelly]

That's Funny, Dead Camera!

 Ok my borther

They also make cheddar snack sticks and I'm gonna try some of those next.  It's probably cheaper to Ok a block of cheddar an mozzarella into strips.

Next time throw some Kosher Salt or Sea Salt on a paper plate and let it soak in some smoke.  It really adds a nice smell and flavor to food.

Todd

OK Todd

I have treid smoking salt ( I am a salt freak- I have 15 flavors ) and I have tried smoking salt with really poor results - tried using hickory for anywhere from 1 -4 hours and never got a good penetration or lasting flavor

 

[tjohnson]

Scar,

I have no idea what I did right or what you did wrong.....

All I did was throw some salt on a paper plate and let it go for 4 hours or so, just enough to get a the paper plate a to change color.  Only thing I can think is outside temps were in to 40's.

I know salt with Iodine can turn bitter.

TJ

 

[Bearcarver]

I have treid smoking salt ( I am a salt freak- I have 15 flavors ) and I have tried smoking salt with really poor results - tried using hickory for anywhere from 1 -4 hours and never got a good penetration or lasting flavor

I smoked salt twice. The first time I gave it about 1 1/2 hours with light smoke---no heat. I could hardly tell it was smoked--had hardly any yellow tint.

The second time I left it in 4 hours with heat (don't remember how hot). It got dark yellow, damp, and sticky. It tasted unbelievable, and you could smell it from 5 feet away. I don't know if that was too strong for others, but I loved it. That reminds me, I gotta make some more of that stuff!!!

Bear

 

[biaviian]

I let mine (salt) go for 6 hours last night with no heat (temps in the 60s).  I have been eating it all day like candy.  I used the Oak Burbon barrel dust from A-MAZE-N.  There was no air movement last night so my back yard smelled like, well, Burbon.  It is some A-MAZE-N stuff!

 

[kerbos5]

Well mozz sticks are gone, less than 24 hours on those, the first day they had a bite, but mellowed just the right amount over night making them awesome!!.....gonna make some more sticks tomorrow or Monday, and I will throw in some Kosher salt....thinking of using the maple or cherry wood, just to see what the difference in taste is compared to the hickory.

 

[vernski]

Hi all I have been using a Smokepistol with good results, these have the catridge you can get with most flavors of wood. For cheese I like apple or pecan as these are not as strong of smoke flavor as some others.I smoke the 2lb blocks as long as 4hrs with the pecan and 3hrs with apple depends on your pallet. Some like the flavor to jump at you and others don't. I have been letting the cheese sit in the fridge a few days after smoking and that seems to improve the flavor before slicing it at least IMO. I have also smoked eggs hard boiled&peeled witch seemed to work well too....Vernski

 

[ak1]

When I smoke salt I let it go for quite a while(at least 4 hrs) with a lot of smoke. Like Bearcarver, I like my salt nice & smokey.

As for cheese, I prefer cheddar, and like using maple.

 

[flrazorback]

Using a cold smoker that attaches to a Masterbuilt digital electric, I smoked gouda and cheddar with hickory.  Was my first try and smoked for too long....was too strong and a bit bitter on the first bite.  Letting it sit in refrigerator for a few days to see if it mellows.  Next try I'll smoke for about 2 hours.

 

[ak1]

Did you try it right away?  If so, it will be harsh. Give it at least a few weeks to mellow.

 

[steve roberts]

I recently did sharp cheddar and fresh mozzarella with hickory. 3 hours with hickory pellets in AMZN smoker inside my MES. 1 inch chunks. Then wrapped tightly in Saran and put inside gallon baggies, in fridge for 2 weeks. The sharp cheddar was fantastic. Here's the thing about the fresh mozzarella. By itself not impressive. Cooking with it, melting it on pizza or pasta, or grilled cheese Sammy, or omelet, etc., is to die for. That's how it should be used. Also, since it's FRESH cheese, not aged, it will not last long. Imagine smoking milk, then storing it in your fridge. Shelf life is quite short compared to aged cheeses. Today I will smoke some EXTRA sharp cheddar and some Gouda. I buy huge chunks of cheese at Costco. I'm going to also toss in some raw almonds after I roast them. I also like the idea someone posted about tossing in a tray of salt. I love smoked salt. Not much left to the cheese/fish smoking season here in Texas as 4 weeks from now it will start getting too warm for that. Heck, this weekend it supposed to get up in the high 70's and it's just the start of February. Happy smoking everyone!

 

[cdn offroader]

Steve, Not sure what you mean by it won't last. I vacpac it after resting in the fridge overnight and leave it my basement unrefrigerated. The oldest cheese is almost 2 years old and still fine.

 

[ndkoze]

Steve is talking about the fresh soft cheeses in regards to not lasting.

The harder cheese are not a problem if kept in the right conditions.

 

[steve roberts]

Correct NDKoze. The hard cheeses will last a very long time. If kept cool, wrapped tight so no oxygen gets to them and out of the light, they might last years. The aging process,  salt in them and the smoke also acts as preservatives. FRESH cheese that has not been aged, is soft, has very little salt in them, in my experience will go bad rather fast. I cured my fresh mozzy for 2 weeks in the fridge tightly wrapped. I believe after the curing time it started going bad after maybe 6 weeks. So maybe 2 months till expired for soft fresh cheese. Not like mold growing on it, just started to have an off taste and consistency. It was definitely starting to spoil.

 

[mr t 59874]

Not preaching to the choir, rather sharing experiences.  When smoking products such as salt and cheese, regardless of the type generator used, it has been my experience that smoking to a desired color works much better than smoking by a time as there can be so many variables affecting the smoke.  It helps eliminate over and under smoking.

Tom

 

[twissted]

When I smoked some Extra Sharp cheese In my smoker with hickory for 2 hours it came out great. temps stayed below 55 deg. I tried it out on everyone a church and they loved it.

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• Oct 22, 2015

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• Oct 20, 2015
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[smokin' burt]

 
Yup---What TJohnson said.

Although mine weren't too smoky, of all the types of cheese I smoked, The Mozzarella was by far the best.

I also threw a tray of salt in---That was GREAT!

Bearcarver

Hey Bear...

Thanks for reminding me! I'm gonna smoke some cheese tomorrow and I think I'll  smoke some salt along with it. I've been wanting to try that for some time now but I never remember to do it!

SMB