# Don't have a vaccuum sealer but i'd like to smoke cheese for the first time...Will plastic wrap work



## worktogthr (Nov 20, 2014)

Got a great deal on some cheese and the weather is cold, so i'd like to us my AMNPS  in my MES to smoke some.  I see that after most of you smoke it, you vaccuum seal it for a couple of weeks.  I don't have a vaccuum sealer.  Maybe for Christmas haha? Would wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap work or would there be too much of a chance that air/moisture would get to it, leading to spoilage?  Thanks in advance!


----------



## themule69 (Nov 20, 2014)

For a short storage coat with EVOO and wrap tightly. You can also find some cheese wax to coat it.

Take a look at this thread it will cover everything you could ever want to know about smoking cheese.. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123130/mr-ts-smoked-cheese-from-go-to-show-w-q-view

Happy smoken.

David


----------



## whatamess (Nov 20, 2014)

Plastic wrap will be fine if you plan on eating it within a month or so. It will easily get you through the mellowing stage.  Before I got my vacuum sealer my cheese would start to mold right around the 2 month mark.


----------



## worktogthr (Nov 20, 2014)

themule69 said:


> For a short storage coat with EVOO and wrap tightly. You can also find some cheese wax to coat it.
> Take a look at this thread it will cover everything you could ever want to know about smoking cheese.. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123130/mr-ts-smoked-cheese-from-go-to-show-w-q-view
> Happy smoken.
> David



Thanks Dave!  That link is great! I'm excited to try it out.



whataMESs said:


> Plastic wrap will be fine if you plan on eating it within a month or so. It will easily get you through the mellowing stage.  Before I got my vacuum sealer my cheese would start to mold right around the 2 month mark.



Perfect!  I want to smoke some during thanksgiving weekend so I have some for Christmas.  Thanks!


----------



## squirrel (Nov 20, 2014)

You can also use the "displacement" method. Put the cheese in a ziploc, lower the ziploc in water. The water will force out all the air. This method is used a lot in sous vide cooking. Google it for more info.


----------



## pc farmer (Nov 20, 2014)

Squirrel said:


> You can also use the "displacement" method. Put the cheese in a ziploc, lower the ziploc in water. The water will force out all the air. This method is used a lot in sous vide cooking. Google it for more info.



Interesing.


----------



## worktogthr (Nov 20, 2014)

Squirrel said:


> You can also use the "displacement" method. Put the cheese in a ziploc, lower the ziploc in water. The water will force out all the air. This method is used a lot in sous vide cooking. Google it for more info.



That is incredibly interesting.  I'll look into that.  Thanks!


----------



## themule69 (Nov 20, 2014)

Squirrel said:


> You can also use the "displacement" method. Put the cheese in a ziploc, lower the ziploc in water. The water will force out all the air. This method is used a lot in sous vide cooking. Google it for more info.


Very good info. It won't draw a vacuum but it will work in a pinch.

Happy smoken.

David


----------



## venture (Nov 20, 2014)

Before I got a sealer, I used plastic wrap with good success.

I recommend Stretch-tite, available at Costco and other good stores.

I wrapped my cheese very tightly in Stretch-tite.  Then I placed it in a zip type bag.  Getting all the air out I could.

It kept for months in the fridge that way.

When you are ready, a vac sealer is a blessing for smokers!

Good luck and good smoking.


----------



## crankybuzzard (Nov 20, 2014)

All good ideas!  But, building a bit more on Mule's suggestion about waxing, if you do wax the blocks, be sure to hide one from yourself for at least 6 months, a year is better!  Amazing stuff when aged a bit after smoke!


----------



## pawpaw16 (Jun 2, 2015)

*Ziploc Freezer Bags & "Water Displacement Method*"

While a chambered vacuum sealer is the best way, they are several hundred dollars and overkill for many home kitchens. Many people turn to FoodSaver-type sealers, which can be convenient but they are expensive to buy bags for.

These Ziploc freezer bags are great for sealing your food and they work almost as well as a FoodSaver sealer if you know the trick to removing the air from them. It is called the "Water Displacement Method" or the Archimedes (ark-a-mead-ees) Principle. This trick simply uses the pressure from the water to force all the air out of the bag.

Getting all the air out of Ziploc bags is easy. You just place your food in the bag, including any liquids or marinades, and seal all but one corner of the bag. Place it in a container of water, being sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. As the water pushes down on the bag, air comes out and the result is a surprisingly effective imitation of a vacuum seal. You can see how all of the air is being forced out of the pouch as it descends deeper into the water. Once all of the air is out, then seal the rest of the bag.

Another thing I really like about using Ziploc bags is that they are easy to open and re-seal.

A slightly more advanced version of this is to use Ziploc specially made Ziploc Vacuum pump system. The vacuum bags are more durable and reusable than traditional Ziploc bags and have a valve built into them, but are about twice the price per bag. Instead of using water to force the air out, you can use a handheld Ziploc pump to suck air out of the bag through the valve. An important drawback of this method is any liquid could or can be drawn up into the Ziploc pump, but I did find this to have a tighter seal than Ziploc that just used water displacement. If using oil along with the cheese, you just have to pay a little bit more attention when the oil is getting really close to the Ziploc pump.

*Here is what I do for my cheese, whenever there is a chance of the cheese lasting longer than 1 week:*
Fill a Ziploc bag or other type of re-sealable, with about 100 g (1/2 cup) of olive oil, extra virgin,(the oil prevents the individual portions from sticking together and it helps to cut down on bacteria from attacking the cheese.
*     Note:* The exact amount of oil is not critical, it should be just enough to coat the portions. Over a long period of time, even the Ziploc freezer bags will allow trace amounts of air into the bag that can create some degradation in the flavor and possibly the development of food pathogens.
Then start removing the air using either of the above mentioned ways.

I will make a video showing both methods and post it on YouTube, maybe I can do it tomorrow, but will post link back here and maybe start a new thread as well on *"Water Displacement Method".*


----------



## pawpaw16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Well, I finally got the video made showing the ZipLoc Freezer Bags and how "Water Displacement Methods" works.

Here is the YouTube link:



Enjoy,


----------

