# Stocked on Cheese



## xray (Mar 21, 2018)

I got the chance to smoke a lot of cheese during the looonnggg winter. 30lbs to be exact.

Here’s hoping the winter is over and the cheese lasts through Spring and Summer.

I smoked multiple varieties over the course of 4 smoke seesions.

Some pics:






















So do I have a beer fridge or a cheese fridge? It’s hard to say. I tell my wife it’s my “hobby fridge.”

The cheese was smoked for 4 hours. I have the 12” A-maze-n tube smoker, so I just fill with pellets and that gets me 4hrs.  I used Pitmaster’s choice, Pecan and a mix of Pecan/Maple. I try to keep a variety of cheese/smoke combinations on hand.

Thanks for Looking.


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## tropics (Mar 21, 2018)

Joe you have enough Cheese for a while but only a days supply of Beer LOL
Looks good I didn't get to much cheese done this winter.
Getting hit with another storm now Snowing hard here
Richie


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## xray (Mar 21, 2018)

Lol thanks! I had to drink the beer to make room for the cheese. But don’t worry, I have a 12 pack sitting outside waiting it’s turn.

Yeah, hopefully this is the last storm of the year.  We’re in the 4-8” range (I get the higher amount due to my elevation)...If we get another storm, I may have to do another batch.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Mar 21, 2018)

Your cheese looks awesome! Great color! What kind is your favorite? I've got 20 blocks in my beer fridge right now but looking like I need to do some more before it gets warm and would like to try some different kinds.

And I agree with tropics you better start eating some of that up so you can make room for more beer!


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## tropics (Mar 21, 2018)

I am in the process of taking down my old tin shed,to put up a newer plastic one.Smokers are blocked in I hope I can get the new shed up before next week.
Richie


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## xray (Mar 21, 2018)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> Your cheese looks awesome! Great color! What kind is your favorite? I've got 20 blocks in my beer fridge right now but looking like I need to do some more before it gets warm and would like to try some different kinds.
> 
> And I agree with tropics you better start eating some of that up so you can make room for more beer!



Our favorite is definitely the Extra Sharp White Cheddar.

 I usually try to include a block or two of that for each time I smoke a batch. I sampled both of the first two batches I made in January. The Pitmaster’s choice pellets and the Pecan were very good!

I smoked a 5lb block of Copper Sharp for the first time using Pecan. That came out awesome! I’m thinking of using some for homemade mac n cheese.


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## xray (Mar 21, 2018)

tropics said:


> I am in the process of taking down my old tin shed,to put up a newer plastic one.Smokers are blocked in I hope I can get the new shed up before next week.
> Richie



You mean the first 3 nor’easters didn’t take that old tin shed down for you!?

Hopefully you get the new shed up and the smokers up and running soon. I’m hearing it might be in the 50s next week.


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## tropics (Mar 21, 2018)

xray said:


> You mean the first 3 nor’easters didn’t take that old tin shed down for you!?
> 
> Hopefully you get the new shed up and the smokers up and running soon. I’m hearing it might be in the 50s next week.


Going to need that I have a Ham Curing & it has to get smoked
Richie


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## gmc2003 (Mar 21, 2018)

Nice looking stash of cheese. Good color also. Still a little chilly here to do any cheese so I'm still living off my past smokes. The Nor-easter is suppose to miss us this time around. 

Chris


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## Geebs (Mar 21, 2018)

Thats a fridge I would like to come home to every night!


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## SmokinAl (Mar 21, 2018)

Looks like you have plenty of cheese to get you thru the summer!
Al


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## xray (Mar 21, 2018)

gmc2003 said:


> Nice looking stash of cheese. Good color also. Still a little chilly here to do any cheese so I'm still living off my past smokes. The Nor-easter is suppose to miss us this time around.
> 
> Chris



Thanks Chris. I usually try to smoke my cheese around 30-40 outside temperature without rain or snow. The pellet tube adds around 20 extra degrees to my smoker.


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## xray (Mar 21, 2018)

Geebs said:


> Thats a fridge I would like to come home to every night!



You should of seen when I had it full of venison snack sticks! I spent more time with the fridge than I did upstairs lol


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## xray (Mar 21, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> Looks like you have plenty of cheese to get you thru the summer!
> Al



Thanks Al! You know summer is a long ways away (at least up here) and this stuff disappears quick.


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## Geebs (Mar 21, 2018)

xray said:


> You should of seen when I had it full of venison snack sticks! I spent more time with the fridge than I did upstairs lol
> View attachment 358080



Wow those look so good! Been awhile since I have had Venison Jerky/Sticks!


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## SmokinVOLfan (Mar 23, 2018)

Not sure if you guys have Publix there or if the sale is the same but they have Cabot cheese blocks buy one get one free right now so comes out to $2.14 a block. I picked up about 10 blocks of the hot habanero yesterday and going back today to stock up on some others!


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## gmc2003 (Mar 23, 2018)

I thinks it Price Chopper here that advertised Cabot cheese 1.99 a block starting Sunday over my way.

Chris


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## xray (Mar 23, 2018)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> Not sure if you guys have Publix there or if the sale is the same but they have Cabot cheese blocks buy one get one free right now so comes out to $2.14 a block. I picked up about 10 blocks of the hot habanero yesterday and going back today to stock up on some others!





gmc2003 said:


> I thinks it Price Chopper here that advertised Cabot cheese 1.99 a block starting Sunday over my way.
> 
> Chris



Cabot is usually on sale for $1.99 for an 8 oz block in my area.

I usually buy the 2lb blocks from Wegmans  for $5.99. I cut them into quarters (8oz. each)...that works out to $1.50 each.  They have all your basic cheeses. When I want to smoke something fancy, I head over to their cheese shop.

I did smoke 1 lb of Cabot’s horseradish cheddar!


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## link (Mar 23, 2018)

Nice looking cheese!! It reminds me I need to smoke some cheese while I still have cool (cold) temps.

link


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## SmokinVOLfan (Mar 23, 2018)

xray said:


> Cabot is usually on sale for $1.99 for an 8 oz block in my area.
> 
> I usually buy the 2lb blocks from Wegmans  for $5.99. I cut them into quarters (8oz. each)...that works out to $1.50 each.  They have all your basic cheeses. When I want to smoke something fancy, I head over to their cheese shop.
> 
> I did smoke 1 lb of Cabot’s horseradish cheddar!



We don't have a Wegman's here. And Cabot is usually $3-4 a block. I guess being in the south Cabot is a specialty thing haha.  I am doing another cheese smoke this weekend might head over to costco and see what they got in bulk.

And I've heard nothing but great things about the horseradish cheddar going to try to get some!


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## Geebs (Mar 23, 2018)

How long can you leave the cheese in the vacuum seal?


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## gmc2003 (Mar 23, 2018)

Geebs said:


> How long can you leave the cheese in the vacuum seal?



Personally my stash has only lasted about 8 months, but I've read some go a year or more.

Chris


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## chopsaw (Mar 23, 2018)

I just opened some from January 2017 . Over a year old .


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## xray (Mar 23, 2018)

Geebs said:


> How long can you leave the cheese in the vacuum seal?



They could go over 2 years, longer if the cheese is waxed. My stash rarely lasts 2 years though. 

I had a block of Muenster that I just finished that was over 2 years old.  Also with hard cheeses, if there is any visible mold, you can just cut it off.


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## Bearcarver (Mar 23, 2018)

Wow!!
That's a lot of Good Looking Cheese, Xray!!:)

Those Sticks look mighty Tasty, Too!!!

I "Like" them Both!!

Bear


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