# smoking cheese in mes



## mvincent42

Got some nice sharp white cheddar Cabot im going to try tomorrow. Plan to fill the water tray with ice and turn the thermostat down to 100. From the research I've done it seems you need to let it sit in the fridge for 2 months or so before consumption. Is this true? I don't have a vacuum system so will zipper bags do? Should I freeze the cheese before I start? Should I freeze it afterwards? Should I not bother since I don't have a vacuum sealer?


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## chef jimmyj

Your plan will work IF your smoker will generate smoke at that low a temp. Most of us MES owners can't get much smoke generation until the MES hit 180*F, way too hot for cheese. You will find that 100*F will Melt your Cheddar or just about any Cheese for that matter if the smoker ever gets that high. Keep it as cool as possible. Ice in the water pan may not be enough and will require a lot of replacement. Quart Milk Cartons filling the lowest and highest shelves are a good choice as are 1Liter Soda Bottles filled with Water and frozen but takes planning. If you want to Cold Smoke the cheese with no headaches, a great choice is an AMNPS or AMNS which use Pellets or Saw Dust to generate Smoke without adding more than 10-25*F to you Smoker. http://www.amazenproducts.com   There is also Wood Chips or Saw Dust in a Soup or vegetable can Can with a Soldering Iron stuck in through a hole in the side of the can. Only hassle is you may need to Burn out any plastic or other coating lining the interior of the can.

Most guys smoke their Cheese 2-4 hours with a variety of Woods. Even the mildest of woods will give the cheese a bitter taste straight out of the smoker but simply wrapped in Plastic Wrap and bagged with a 2 week rest will allow the cheese to mellow and let the smokey goodness penetrate the cheese. 2 Weeks is good but there are guys that do large volumes and let them rest in the refer for Months! It just gets better the longer you wait. It is not necessary to Vac Seal and neither is freezing before or after. Good luck and have patience your Taste Buds will be rewarded...JJ


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## mvincent42

Cool. Thanks for the heads up on 2 liter bottles have 3 or 4 in the freezer at all times for camping, parties, etc. If I put those on the lowest and highest shelves it wont melt the bottles if the smoker is set at 100?  My mes says it smokes from 100 to 275 and was specifically why I bought it so I will try it and let you know. Should I put the cheese right on the rack or on foil or cardboard or something?  Been reading a lot about the amnps and amns for the past few days since I joined the forum but don't think its something im going to get right away. Seems cool though.


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## so ms smoker

If you plan to smoke cheese regularly or do other cold smokes, you really should invest in the AMNPS. It makes smoking much simpler. Good luck on your sharp white cheddar

 Mike


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## chef jimmyj

mvincent42 said:


> Cool. Thanks for the heads up on 2 liter bottles have 3 or 4 in the freezer at all times for camping, parties, etc. If I put those on the lowest and highest shelves it wont melt the bottles if the smoker is set at 100? My mes says it smokes from 100 to 275 and was specifically why I bought it so I will try it and let you know. Should I put the cheese right on the rack or on foil or cardboard or something? Been reading a lot about the amnps and amns for the past few days since I joined the forum but don't think its something im going to get right away. Seems cool though.


I hate to say this but there are hundreds of MES owners here and the biggest complaint is generating consistent smoke below 150-180*F. Even though the MES can be SET to 100*F the Heating coil will not be on long enough to get the chips going and once it gets up to temp the insulation will hold the temp well enough that it does not cycle frequently enough to keep the chips burning. You have some things in your favor...Loading up with ICE and the temps outside are so Cold. This will keep the coil coming on more frequently and hopefully you will get some smoke going, but it is going to take some attention and possibly having to raise the set temp to get the chips going then lower the temp back to 100*F so the Cheese doesn't melt. Place the Cheese right on the rack so smoke gets to the whole deal.

Get the AMNPS. It can burn Pellets or Saw Dust and overcomes both of the MES problems of generating smoke at low temps and having to load more chips every thirty minutes. With the pellets the MES will Cold smoke so you can leave the MES off for Cheese or Bacon and it will burn consistently for up to 10 Hours so you can get some sleep during a 12-20 hour Brisket or big Butt Smoke overnight. Have fun with the Cheese...JJ


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## mvincent42

Good notes...I will post more after.


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## mvincent42

Ok so I couldn't sleep I was so excited to try this.  Am a half hour in and am holding steady at an internal temp of 51 on the cheese and 97 on the smoker.  Have my water bin full of ice and 3- 2 liter bottles on the shelf under the cheese.  We have smoke!













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__ mvincent42
__ Nov 8, 2012






I just flipped my cheese over because I noticed how high in the cheese I had my probe.













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__ mvincent42
__ Nov 8, 2012






Seems everything is going well....knock on wood chips!


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## chef jimmyj

Well there you go! Like I said it can be done but may take some messing around. Since you're Pumped full of Adrenaline and Anticipation...Keep an eye on Temps and how much smoke is flowing and you should be fine...JJ 

BTW...Good Luck with the Oneida Thermometer. Mine took a crap after 6 months of light use and the Probe fell apart. Be gentle the probe and don't get it wet. The unfortunate thing is the Lifetime Warranty is worthless since the Website they give to setup a return for repair does not exist and mailing it back to the address provided comes back, " No such Address "


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## mvincent42

1 hour in.  Holding about 70* and good smoke flow.  Cheese is sweating but not melting.  Hope this is normal.  Seems all is well  Will flip cheese again in about 30 minutes.  This is pretty exciting stuff!

Got some beef marinading in the meantime for jerky tomorrow...going to go post over there.


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## chef jimmyj

Sweating is normal. You can blot it off before wrapping...JJ


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## mvincent42

About an hour and a half in. Have changed out ice cubes in water tray once. 2 liter bottles are holding nicely. Smoker heated up to 109 and internal temp of cheese is almost 90. Going to try to hold on for another half hour. Will post pics once I pull it out. The excitement level is not going down. Not sure how much im going to sleep for the next 2 weeks....


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## mvincent42

Let it go for 2 hours...yea! Got soft but no meltage.  Turned white cheddar yellow which I'm assuming means it took the smoke.  












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__ mvincent42
__ Nov 8, 2012





Wrapped in plastic wrap then put in zipper bag in fridge.  I need a time machine for 2 weeks so I can try it. 












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__ mvincent42
__ Nov 8, 2012






Will post follow up when I taste it.  Antici-freaking-pation!

Tomorrow...Jerky!


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## chef jimmyj

Looks good. You did fine...JJ


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## roadkill cafe

Looks good! Put it to the back of the fridge so you don't see it every time you open the door. I'm going to try to do some today.


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## mike johnson

you might want to try 1 bricket with some dry wood chips. I think this might work.


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## smokinhusker

Looking good!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






"[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Smoker heated up to 109 and internal temp of cheese is almost 90." caused the bit of softening you had. [/color]


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## mvincent42

By the way jj thanks for the heads up on the thermometer. Got gift cards to bed bath beyond as wedding present so while the wife was picking out towels and picture frames I found a probe thermometer that looked decent for what she allowed me to spend of the gift cards (about $16 after 20% off coupon) it did kill a lot of time looking between the thermometers though... I will probably go to restaurant depot and see what they have for industrial if this one craps out. By the way restaurant depot is a wonderful store. Not sure if you have them there, but I got the brisket for my wedding for $2.25/lb. They have pork loin for around $2/lb. Great place to shop if you work at a restaurant and can use their tax id number as no membership fee.


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## rabbithutch

So you can see how well you did, this is the mess I made the first time I tried to smoke cheese.  I used the inexpensive cheeses from the supermarket (thankfully)













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__ rabbithutch
__ Nov 8, 2012






After it cooled, I shredded it all together and used it on tacos and pizzas; so it wasn't a total loss.


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## mvincent42

Wow, rabbithutch, that's exactly what I was afraid of...thankfully I had lots of help from the guys on this thread!


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## tjohnson

rabbithutch said:


> So you can see how well you did, this is the mess I made the first time I tried to smoke cheese. I used the inexpensive cheeses from the supermarket (thankfully)
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Now, THAT'S FUNNY!


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## jarhead

I'm glad that I ain't the only one that has done that.

Only, I didn't take pics, so it didn't happen...


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## driedstick

X2 Todd that was funny brings back memories LOL


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## roller

Its just so easy to do it with a AMAZNPS from Todd...I have got to smoke up enough this winter to last me until next winter...

Your cheese looks good now for the hard part...The dreaded wait..I really like the white cheddar smoked...The bad part is  you can`t stop eating it if you are a cheese head like me...


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## mvincent42

Yeah so it has been 2 weeks and I cracked into the extra sharp white cheddar. Oh my god. Ate about 1/2 a pound before I even knew what was happening. Wow!  I need to head to the store and get some more cheese because this batch isn't going to last. Thanks again for all the advice, I've definitely got my technique down now. I would make the melted cheese pics my avatar if I had done that. Awesome stuff.


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## backyard bbq

guys you see smoked cheese all the time in gift baskets at the store.  How do they do this and not have to keep the cheese in the Refrigerator?  Same thing with Baloney?  Thinking of doing baskets for Christmas...


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## mvincent42

Good question. I think its because of the shrink wrapping process they use. I will do some more research and if I come up with any good info for you I will let you know.


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## mvincent42

Try this link:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/713464

Not sure how reliable it is but its what popped up.


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## mvincent42

I also emailed hickory farms to see if they could offer any advice. I will let you know if I hear anything back.


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## smoke happens

rabbithutch said:


> So you can see how well you did, this is the mess I made the first time I tried to smoke cheese. I used the inexpensive cheeses from the supermarket (thankfully)
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WOW!!! I've done 1 smoke so far on cheese, purchased the AMNPS just for it and after looking at that mess am glad I did.

Smart move on shredding it and using it up though 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





, I think I would have been so mad I would have tossed it.


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## cfoxtrot

Wow, Great information here! I was just playing with my new MES at 100 degrees with no smoke. 
I will definitely try the ice/ice bottle trick!

Thanks for the pics!


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## mvincent42

Yeah the ice bottles work amazingly. I don't have an amnps and for a 2 1/2 smoke with ice above and below I don't think I need one (blasphemy! I know!)

Please pm if you have more questions. I am no expert but I have done 2 batches of delicious cheese in my mes. The worst part is waiting the 2 weeks after smoking. 

I have another post I will find that has a picture of my final setup. Ice above and below.


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## mvincent42

Here is the link to my second time smoking cheese:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/131355/second-round-of-cheese-first-batch-awesome#post_892974

Next time I do a batch I will do a definitive qview. For all of us out there with just regular old cabinet smokers. The guys here gave me great advice that made it id-10-t proof for me and I think it would help everyone to have it laid out step by step. It is so easy and so delicious.


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## treesinaspen

Just got a masterbuilt for b'day.  How do I smoke cheese in this thing. How do I get the chips hot enough to smoke yet stay cool enough to not melt?  Thanks


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## mvincent42

Ok so here is what I do.

I get a 2lb chunk of Cabot super sharp white cheddar and cut it in quarters so each piece is about 1/2 lb. I fill my water pan with ice. I put my top rack in my mes with 4 frozen 1 liter bottles. The next shelf down I put my cheese. I usually put my probe thermometer in the chunk on the back right because that is where my mes gets the hottest. I run the wire out my smoke vent hole which I keep wide open. On the shelf below the cheese I put 3 frozen 2 liter bottles. I turn my smoker on 100* for 2 1/2 hours and wait. I monitor the internal temp because if it gets up to 95 or 100 it starts sweating pretty bad and the cheese gets squishy. Last time after 2 1/2 hours my internal temp was about 80* .  You  can empty the water pan and add more ice if it melts, but I didn't have to last time I did it. Then take it out and wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in a gallon ziplock bag. Let it sit for at least 2 weeks in the fridge and enjoy!  I have some pics on the link on the post above your post. If that link doesn't work just do a search for my second time post. Good luck and feel free to private message if you have questions. Welcome to the forum!


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## smoke happens

treesinaspen said:


> Just got a masterbuilt for b'day. How do I smoke cheese in this thing. How do I get the chips hot enough to smoke yet stay cool enough to not melt? Thanks


AMNPS.....  best smoker tool investment I have made to date.

No messing with frozen bottles, ice or temp probes (although kudos for working it that way). No worries about melting or softening. Don't tell your wife it's that easy though, still need the excuse to go "monitor" the smoker for a few hours with your favorite beverage.


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## mvincent42

It is kind of a pain but it makes my wife think I really work hard to smoke cheese...


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## smoke happens

She never has to know you don't.............


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## mvincent42

Plus it make for great pics!


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## flareman

I'm new to smoking cheeses, anyone have advise on which type of cheese to start with and what type of wood pellets to use for smoke? Thanks a lot!


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## mvincent42

Pick a cheese you like. I prefer extra sharp cheddar. I use hickory because that's what I have. I would bet apple would be good.  What kind of smoker do you have and do you have a cold smoking attachment for it? I have a great method for my mes 30 with no cold smoking attachment.


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## mr t 59874

Maybe the following will help.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/newestpost/123130

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/newestpost/123840


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## flareman

I have an MES 40 and I was planning on using an A-MAZ-EN pellet smoker. Any thoughts?


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## smoking b

FlareMan said:


> I have an MES 40 and I was planning on using an A-MAZ-EN pellet smoker. Any thoughts?


AMNPS will work fine in your MES. Is this gonna be your first time smoking cheese?


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## flareman

first time, very excited!


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## smoking b

Here is a good thread for you to check out  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/130115/several-questions-on-smoking-cheese

& here's some I did in my MES with AMNPS  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/132361/smoking-some-apple-cheese

Any other questions just ask - lots of people on here willing to help...


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## flareman

Thanks for the info everyone! Can't wait to get started!


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## smoker21

I just finished my first cheese using some Gouda and some Vermont sharp chedder,  a AMNPS with pitmasters pellets for about 2.5 hours.  It was just starting to change color when I brought it in and vac bagged it.  I'll taste and let you all know in a couple 3 weeks :)

JD













Cheese @ 2 hours.JPG



__ smoker21
__ Jan 19, 2013


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## mvincent42

Looks good to me man!


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## smokeone

Thanks to all the folks on this thread my first cheese was a breeze!

New Gen MES 40"

AMNPS

ET-732

SMF folks!

High temp during process 72° would drop into the high 50's and would fire up the MES element until temp ticked up a degree and shut down MES (2-3min).













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__ smokeone
__ Jan 25, 2013


















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__ smokeone
__ Jan 25, 2013






Hatch Jalapeno Cheddar

Gouda Jalapeno

Monterrey Jack Jalapeno

I like my peppers! Now the long wait!


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## mvincent42

Dude looks awesome! The wait is tough but totally worth it!


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## mr t 59874

SmokeOne,

Good job of keeping the smoker temp below 75° as consistency will change above 80°.  It looks like you have two blocks of cheddar.  If so, try keeping one in the refrigerator and the other at a temperature of  50-70°, a cool place in the house would be fine.  The closer to 70°, the faster it will age.  Serve at room temperature. Eventually, try waxing as it will age even better in wax.

Enjoy


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## smokeone

Oh wow did not know you could wax the cheese will look into that. I plan on giving out Cheese as Christmas gifts next year so want to get it down. I will try the Cheddar at room temp trick thanks for for the great tips.


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## smokeone

I don't have a food saver yet just wrapped in parchment paper, saran wrap, and placed in a zip lock. I sucked the air out of the zip lock with a straw. Poor mans food saver.... Can I still store the cheddar at room temperature with this wrapping process?

Thanks again

SmokeOne!


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## mr t 59874

SmokeOne said:


> Oh wow did not know you could wax the cheese will look into that. I plan on giving out Cheese as Christmas gifts next year so want to get it down. I will try the Cheddar at room temp trick thanks for for the great tips.


This will help you get started with waxing cheese.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123130/smoked-cheese-from-go-to-show-w-q-view


SmokeOne said:


> I don't have a food saver yet just wrapped in parchment paper, saran wrap, and placed in a zip lock. I sucked the air out of the zip lock with a straw. Poor mans food saver.... Can I still store the cheddar at room temperature with this wrapping process?
> 
> Thanks again
> 
> SmokeOne!


I thought you were vacuum sealing.  Forget the parchment paper,  wrap tightly in cling wrap and if you want place in your zip bag. You can also coat the cheese with vegetable oil and place in a container.  Re-oil every two weeks. If using, re-oil.  If mold appears, just remove and re-oil.

Enjoy


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## mvincent42

Yeah I just wrap in plastic wrap and put in ziplock bag for 2 weeks and it ages perfectly. I have some in my fridge from dec 1 right now and no mold.


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## smoker21

Today I opened my cheddar and my Gouda after 15 days of waiting.  And let me tell you they were both REALLY GOOD!!!

For a first time smokin cheese I am really happy!

JD


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## smoke happens

Congrats! Cheese gets real addicting real fast, you've been warned!


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## smoker21

Smoked cheddar Mac & Cheese.  Mmmmmmm good!!!!!


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## flareman

If no one has tried parmesean cheese in the smoker, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is fantastic by itself and on spaghetti!


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