# Ref; Getting close to try and smoke some cheese



## TomKnollRFV (Aug 17, 2018)

I'm thinking I'll just freeze a few soda bottles with water in them solid and do it at night.

I think that might keep it below 90f <I really hope it would>.

I plan to do some Munester cheese and probably some white cheddar. If I rub the munester with seasoning..such as the bacon one with a coating of black pepper, and a plain one with some garlic and onion; will that flavour actually be imparted?

I plan to use applewood as it seems appropriate to stick to a lighter flavour with cheese..but when I vaccum seal do I do each block seperately, or can I safetly put them all together in one vacc bag?


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## one eyed jack (Aug 17, 2018)

Best luck with the temperature.  I have done that very thing,  (Gallon jug frozen), and it did help.  The jug gets nasty.  Lots of condensation on the outside of the jug, soaking up smoke.

I've never tried rub on cheese,  (Never even thought of it), Let us know how that turns out.  I have doubts that the rub will "soak into" the cheese.

I mix varieties of cheese when I vac bag them and fill the bags with whatever types I have.  I just wrap the re-assembled block of each variety with it's original wrapper so that I can keep track of what is what.

Don't forget Cream cheese.  It is pretty resistant to melting, surprisingly.

What is your ambient temperature forecast to be and how much does your smoke generator raise your smoke chamber temp?


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## TomKnollRFV (Aug 17, 2018)

I was going to just get Piggly Wiggly's own brand because it's fairly inexpensive, but way better then the walmart quality <Not to mention they have some crazy varities. I've seen Ghost pepper pepperjack there.>...

And To be fair, I'm not sure how much it would raise the ambient temp, I'm guessing 10-15f at most? Enough where right now I'd chuck ice in the water pan <and I figured they'd look nasty. But I go through a fair amount of diet ginger ale, enough where I won't lack in 2liter bottles..we also drink alot of milk, so there is that as well>.

I actually thought of at one point getting farmer's cheese <which is basically Muenster> and brining it. I'm not sure if cheese would take on flavour that way either. I just feel bacon munester cheese and black pepper is a good combo. Even if it's less absorbed and more 'caked' on. Because I wanted to try it for making some good ole grilled cheese. 

Smoked Cream cheese...I do like to add cream cheese to mashed taters... I sense possibilities that don't help my waist line ...


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## SonnyE (Aug 17, 2018)

Hi Tom,
I've done a lot of "cold" smoking.
It's not really cold smoking, it's as low an ambient as you can get.
I modified my MES 30 with a "mailbox Mod" and have 8 feet (96") of aluminum drier vent hose between the Box, and the smokers inlet.
To make it even cooler, I've used a fan to move night air over the tube to cool the smoke inside it. It also causes any bitter creosote to condense out of the smoke as it waifs through the tube.
In tests, the difference between the ambient air, and the MES internal temperature, holds within 2°. So no Ice need be used for further cooling.
I mostly do Cheddar and mild American cheeses I buy in 5 pound blocks, then cut into smaller blocks (About 1-2" thick), but will splurge on some Swiss.

I burn my AMNPS in the "mailbox", and set it up in the evening. I do a bit of monitoring until I get tired, then go to sleep with visions of smoked blocks dancing in my head.
They usually come out to my liking. My AMNPS will typically go 11 hours on a full ration of pellets. But each row is just under 3h 45m. I just figure it at 4h per row.
1 row, Light Smoke. 2 rows Medium Smoke. 3 rows Heavy Smoke

Swiss ona bottom, Cheddar Sharp and Mild above.

I let mine set 24 hours before vacuum bagging in individual bags. That way they can't gossip in storage.
And when it comes time for the sacrificial eating, the left ones can't hear the chosen scream as they as cut and consumed.

But I'm not that picky about my smoking cheese.
Now my Asiago... that I like as is. :rolleyes: Tasty!


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## TomKnollRFV (Aug 17, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Hi Tom,
> I've done a lot of "cold" smoking.
> It's not really cold smoking, it's as low an ambient as you can get.
> I modified my MES 30 with a "mailbox Mod" and have 8 feet (96") of aluminum drier vent hose between the Box, and the smokers inlet.
> ...


My father who is normally the taste tester of my experiments, since he's around and all, has referred to more of my experiments as sacrifices to science. Which he benefits by.. we actually wanted to/some day will attempt to make our own cheese. I theorize that is a hobby more likely to get going then my idea of cider making, because cider making is much more work and I can no longer lift the 5 gallon buckets when full :(


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## SonnyE (Aug 17, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> My father who is normally the taste tester of my experiments, since he's around and all, has referred to more of my experiments as sacrifices to science. Which he benefits by.. we actually wanted to/some day will attempt to make our own cheese. I theorize that is a hobby more likely to get going then my idea of cider making, because cider making is much more work and I can no longer lift the 5 gallon buckets when full :(



If he ever needs a second opinion, I'll volunteer. LOL!;)


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## TomKnollRFV (Aug 17, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> If he ever needs a second opinion, I'll volunteer. LOL!;)


Sure just pop over to WI :P


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## TomKnollRFV (Aug 18, 2018)

Holly2015 said:


> Cheese making isn't hard. Some cheeses like mozzarella or Queso can go from milk to table in about an hour while other like cheddar are a little more labor intensive. Cheddar takes about 8 hours to go from milk to press then another 90 to 365+ days to age.
> 
> Here's a step x step I did a while back:
> 
> https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/cheddar-from-scratch.275508/


Thanks Holly! Me and my dad will do very odd food projects once or twice and promptly forget we bought the stuff for it. <Like I rediscovered an electric yogurt maker in the basement..we bought..and never used>


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