I have to admit I have been strictly a meat smoker, mostly ribs & pork butt and a few other meats, however we decided to smoke cheese and give it away to neighbors and that small token gift you give visitors and friend.
I did a bunch of reading, and the most prevalent problem was too much smoke leads to strong unpleasant tastes. Further warnings about temp and cheese melting or sweating too much thus losing natural flavor.
I decided I would try some saw dust that I purchased, it was specifically for the Big Chief smoker, not really saw dust, more like wood splinters, hickory. After lighting the first thing I noticed there was not really much of a smell, very neutral, which may have been good provided I could keep the thing lit. But it wouldn't stay lit after 3 attempts I gave up.
Note the MES is a 40, heat element OFF, just the AMNPS smoking.
Next I tried wood chips, I had a unopened bag and tried those. They stayed lit but this time the smell was too acidic, not a creosote smell but simply too harsh.
Finally I loaded the AMNPS with trusty ol Hickory pellets and the smell was the best.
So after making sure I had a good hot end cherry, put on the AMNPS custom cover
Put in Sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, and smoked for 2 hours. The smoke was the normal smoke I use for ribs and pork, each time I opened the door the MES was full of smoke, have to wait a few seconds to clear to even see what is inside.
The cheese removed to the kitchen really permeated the house with smoke, my wife even got out of bed and thought something was on fire.
From the reading, it said it is best to let the cheese rest sealed in the fridge a few days. I finished that cheese yesterday and was wrapping some for our daughter to take as a token gift, and tasted all 4 cheeses, the only one that was tasty was the Monterey, the rest the smoke flavor was just too overwhelming. I'm not sure that 3 or 4 days or two weeks this cheese is going to taste any better. I can only wait and see.
My wife described the smell as the same after a camp fire has burned out and you smell the ash the next morning which is NOT a pleasant smell.
Will have to see what it taste like in 2 then 4 then 7 days.
I did a bunch of reading, and the most prevalent problem was too much smoke leads to strong unpleasant tastes. Further warnings about temp and cheese melting or sweating too much thus losing natural flavor.
I decided I would try some saw dust that I purchased, it was specifically for the Big Chief smoker, not really saw dust, more like wood splinters, hickory. After lighting the first thing I noticed there was not really much of a smell, very neutral, which may have been good provided I could keep the thing lit. But it wouldn't stay lit after 3 attempts I gave up.
Note the MES is a 40, heat element OFF, just the AMNPS smoking.
Next I tried wood chips, I had a unopened bag and tried those. They stayed lit but this time the smell was too acidic, not a creosote smell but simply too harsh.
Finally I loaded the AMNPS with trusty ol Hickory pellets and the smell was the best.
So after making sure I had a good hot end cherry, put on the AMNPS custom cover
Put in Sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, and smoked for 2 hours. The smoke was the normal smoke I use for ribs and pork, each time I opened the door the MES was full of smoke, have to wait a few seconds to clear to even see what is inside.
The cheese removed to the kitchen really permeated the house with smoke, my wife even got out of bed and thought something was on fire.
From the reading, it said it is best to let the cheese rest sealed in the fridge a few days. I finished that cheese yesterday and was wrapping some for our daughter to take as a token gift, and tasted all 4 cheeses, the only one that was tasty was the Monterey, the rest the smoke flavor was just too overwhelming. I'm not sure that 3 or 4 days or two weeks this cheese is going to taste any better. I can only wait and see.
My wife described the smell as the same after a camp fire has burned out and you smell the ash the next morning which is NOT a pleasant smell.
Will have to see what it taste like in 2 then 4 then 7 days.
