# Cheese experiment with 30" MES



## whittlinsam (Jun 12, 2012)

Wanted to see at what temperature I could get smoke from the MES.    Started at 125 with no luck, then tried 150, still not much, went to 175 and had plenty of smoke.    Cut back to 165 and had good smoke from the cherry chips.   Did 2 lbs of pepper jack.     I know it is really too hot for cheese, but is better than the wood/charcoal smoker.    Will keep trying new things.    Next will be to get smoke at a higher temp, then cool it before putting in the cheese, thinking the smoldering chips will continue.   At some point, want to pick up an Amazin slow smoker.


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## scarbelly (Jun 12, 2012)

One thing you can do is put pans of ice in the smoker until you can get an AMNPS. The other is to use a NEW soldering iron in a can with some chips and not use any heat from your smoker at all 

Good luck


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## sound1 (Jun 12, 2012)

Scarbelly said:


> One thing you can do is put pans of ice in the smoker until you can get an AMNPS. The other is to use a NEW soldering iron in a can with some chips and not use any heat from your smoker at all
> 
> Good luck


X2, but even using the low heat methods, keep the unit out of the sun. Tis summer ya know. Mine will hit 175 easily by solar heat alone. Most cheeses only need about 4Hrs of cool TBS, so early morning/evening smokes may be in your future and even, then ice might be a good idea.


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## smokinhusker (Jun 12, 2012)

Just as Sound1 said "but even using the low heat methods, keep the unit out of the sun. Tis summer ya know. Mine will hit 175 easily by solar heat alone." I've got a load of cheese on now, but I don't turn on the smoker (MES 40). It's cooler here this week than last, so I thought I'd better take advantage of that early this morning. I have a home built chip pan that I insert a soldering iron in to obtain the smoke for cold smoking or I put a hot charcoal briquette on the chips, but the AMNS or AMNPS works even better.


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## whittlinsam (Jun 12, 2012)

Thank you for your advice.   I do think an AMNS or an AMNPS is in the future.    Saw some good prices on them today.    Actually, the cheese turned out the best of any I have done.    But did it on the charcoal smoker as the coals were burning out after smoking something else.     

I started it when it was about 80 degrees outside under the awning but the sun hits for a couple hours on its way up.    But it was about 100 this afternoon.    I did learn one thing, the MES does make smoke at 165, I was curious to find out.


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