# chips vs pellets (Thin Blue Smoke/TBS) and cheese



## saltysandman (Dec 1, 2018)

With my MBS with side attachment, I've noticed big billowing white smoke in the beginning then settles into TBS. Is there a difference between using wood chips vs. wood pellets? do pellets give off more of the billowing white smoke?

related....
I smoked some cheese earlier this year, vacuum sealed it then and waited till now. It has a very distinctive bitter taste. Not what i was expecting. I'm thinking it may have been the smoke quality. Used the cheese for mac & cheese and on burgers. Fine here but too bitter to just have alone. Any ideas?

FYI. i smoke the cheese for 3 hours using pellets. Had to have a tray with a block of ice to keep the temp down.


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## Fgignac (Dec 1, 2018)

I also use the Amazn tray with pellets. I find it gives me a lot more control and consistency over chips. I rarely ever get billowing smoke


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## fivetricks (Dec 1, 2018)

Did you air dry your cheese in your fridge for 24 hours before you vac sealed it?

I've done it with and without the air dry and it's much better if you air-dry them for that day. I read that in here and it made all the difference in the cheese


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## 6GRILLZNTN (Dec 2, 2018)

fivetricks said:


> Did you air dry your cheese in your fridge for 24 hours before you vac sealed it?
> 
> I've done it with and without the air dry and it's much better if you air-dry them for that day. I read that in here and it made all the difference in the cheese



This made all the difference for me as well!


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## SmokinAl (Dec 2, 2018)

If your using the MB smoker attachment then you need to separate it from the smoker with some piping. That will clean the creosote out of the smoke & you won't get that bitter taste.






Hope this helps!
Al


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## zwiller (Dec 2, 2018)

Try some dust.  Much better for cheese IMO.  You basically can eat it right after smoking.  After a week it's prefect.


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## saltysandman (Dec 4, 2018)

fivetricks said:


> Did you air dry your cheese in your fridge for 24 hours before you vac sealed it?
> 
> I've done it with and without the air dry and it's much better if you air-dry them for that day. I read that in here and it made all the difference in the cheese





5GRILLZNTN said:


> This made all the difference for me as well!




I don't remember air drying before vacuum sealing. I will certainly do this next time. Thank you for the tip!


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## saltysandman (Dec 4, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> If your using the MB smoker attachment then you need to separate it from the smoker with some piping. That will clean the creosote out of the smoke & you won't get that bitter taste.
> View attachment 381748
> 
> Hope this helps!
> Al




Thanks al. That's a long pipe!


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## saltysandman (Dec 4, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> If your using the MB smoker attachment then you need to separate it from the smoker with some piping. That will clean the creosote out of the smoke & you won't get that bitter taste.
> View attachment 381748
> 
> Hope this helps!
> Al



Hey Al, i noticed that you elevated the MBS as well. Is this to keep smoke going in a rising direction?


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## SmokinAl (Dec 4, 2018)

saltysandman said:


> Hey Al, i noticed that you elevated the MBS as well. Is this to keep smoke going in a rising direction?



Yes you are correct the smoke will naturally rise & it will get a good draft if there is any wind blowing. As you can see from the pic I have a fan on low blowing air at the smoker attachment to get a better air flow, I also have the ash catcher open about 1/2" to let the air blow thru. You don't want to have stale smoke in the smoker. You want clean smoke in & out quickly, then you can eat the cheese right out of the smoker. No need to let it mellow for a couple of weeks. But it does develop a much better flavor if left vac sealed for a few months, so make a big load & every time you open a new pack, it's better than the last one.
Al


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## saltysandman (Dec 5, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> Yes you are correct the smoke will naturally rise & it will get a good draft if there is any wind blowing. As you can see from the pic I have a fan on low blowing air at the smoker attachment to get a better air flow, I also have the ash catcher open about 1/2" to let the air blow thru. You don't want to have stale smoke in the smoker. You want clean smoke in & out quickly, then you can eat the cheese right out of the smoker. No need to let it mellow for a couple of weeks. But it does develop a much better flavor if left vac sealed for a few months, so make a big load & every time you open a new pack, it's better than the last one.
> Al



Thank you sir!


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## saltysandman (Dec 5, 2018)

Today i made a revelation. My A-Maz-N pellet smoker tray came today. I did a smoke test. I started my MES with cold smoke attachment and let it warm up. I simultaneously lit the amazn pellet tray and LO and BEHOLD, my smoke quality has been the issue. Billowing white smoke from the cold smoke attachment and thin blue smoke from the amazn tray.


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## SmokinAl (Dec 6, 2018)

Yep you just can't beat those Amazen trays or tubes!
My MB smoke attachment broke a couple of years ago & I already had the Amazen tray & tubes, but thought it would be nice to burn chips instead of pellets, so I used the MB attachment for a while. But as you found out the pellets burn much cleaner than the chips, unless you use a lot of pipe or tubing between the MB attachment & the smoker.
Al


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## saltysandman (Dec 6, 2018)

thanks for your suggestions Al. I've got a butt in the smoker now. It's going to turn out great!


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## zwiller (Dec 6, 2018)

When I lurked, I thought everyone here were shills for AMNPS (and MES) but decided to try it anyway and so happy I did.  I used to run without the loader at all and had great results (like in the vid above) but tried the loader in like most describe 1" out or so and got even better results.  

Think you're happy now?  Wait until you do a long smoke say a butt for 12hrs+...  LOL you beat me to it!!!!!!!!!!  

WRT cheese, the smoke dust produces is nearly invisible AND especially for you in FL, basically zero heat.


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## saltysandman (Dec 6, 2018)

zwiller said:


> When I lurked, I thought everyone here were shills for AMNPS (and MES) but decided to try it anyway and so happy I did.  I used to run without the loader at all and had great results (like in the vid above) but tried the loader in like most describe 1" out or so and got even better results.
> 
> Think you're happy now?  Wait until you do a long smoke say a butt for 12hrs+...  LOL you beat me to it!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> WRT cheese, the smoke dust produces is nearly invisible AND especially for you in FL, basically zero heat.



now i just have to wait for some cold weather although my blocks of ice served well last time. a cool 50 degrees today but butts already in.


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