# First smoked cheese question !



## roller (Sep 20, 2012)

Doing my first smoked cheese tonight and my question is ...How long do I let it rest after the smoke before I vacum seal it...Thanks !


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## scarbelly (Sep 20, 2012)

I just let mine sit for a bit to cool down and I wipe down any condensation and seal it.


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## roller (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks Gary ! I will post a qview when done..


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## venture (Sep 20, 2012)

Now for the wait!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## oldschoolbbq (Sep 20, 2012)

Same here , Roller. Cool and Seal. However,I can't get mine to the aging stage , the wife keeps ripping them open and snacking on the goodies. I agree it taste good fresh, but a week or so makes it soooo much better (hid one from her and opened it after two weeks - here, more is better).

A darn good Cheese to smoke is Jarlsberg , nice smooth Swiss flavor. Tried Cheddar , but the weather hot like it's been here , soft Cheeses drip through the grates.LOL

Good luck and ...


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## venture (Sep 20, 2012)

The beauty of Fall!  It reaches some of us sooner that others.

Smoked cheese?  Winter squash?

It seems that every season gives us some bounty from our Father to enjoy!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## roller (Sep 25, 2012)

I will have to find me some Jarlsberg and give it a try...I guess that I am going to have to learn how to make crackers because I am making everything else wine, beer, smoke cheese and sausage...


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## tjohnson (Sep 25, 2012)

All them years of smoking and you're just smoking cheese now?

Late Bloomer?

TJ


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## jarhead (Sep 25, 2012)

Roller said:


> I will have to find me some Jarlsberg and give it a try...I guess that *I am going to have to learn how to make crackers* because I am making everything else wine, beer, smoke cheese and sausage...


Homemade Crackers

I've made these and they are great.

*Homemade Wheat Thins*
from King Arthur Flour

1 1/4 cups (5 oz) whole wheat flour _(I used white whole wheat)_
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for topping
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add the flour, sugar, salt and paprika to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the bowl.  Then, using a pastry blender, mix the butter into the dry ingredients thoroughly.  Combine the water and vanilla in a small measuring cup.  Add to the butter/flour mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms.  _(My dough was still pretty dry so I added slightly more water before it came together.)_

Divide the dough into 4 pieces.  Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others covered with a towel so they don't dry out.  Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll the dough into a large rectangle.  Lift the dough and turn it as you roll to ensure it's not sticking.  You want to roll the dough as thin as possible, try to make sure it's 1/16-inch thick at most.  If you want all of your crackers to be perfect, trim the edges of the dough so you have a rectangle with even sides.  Use a pizza cutter to cut the rectangle into squares about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. 

Transfer the dough squares to the prepared baking sheets.  You don't need to leave much space in between the crackers - they don't spread at all in the oven.  Sprinkle the squares lightly with salt.  Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.  Save all of your scraps under the towel; reroll them all at once to create a final batch of crackers.  _(I covered the baking sheets with towels while I rolled the rest of the dough so the cut crackers wouldn't dry out.)_

Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, until crisp and browned, about 5-10 minutes.  Check the crackers at 5 minutes, and if some of the thinner ones are browning too quickly, remove them to a plate and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking.  The crackers can burn quickly so you want to keep a close eye on them.  Once brown and crisp, transfer to a plate to cool.  Store the crackers in an airtight container.


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## roller (Sep 25, 2012)

Venture said:


> The beauty of Fall!  It reaches some of us sooner that others.
> 
> Smoked cheese?  Winter squash?
> 
> ...


AMEN to that !


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## roller (Sep 25, 2012)

TJohnson said:


> All them years of smoking and you're just smoking cheese now?
> 
> Late Bloomer?
> 
> TJ


Never and I do not know why as much cheese as I eat..But what I eat is mostly Cheddar and Coby. I am on a roll now just bought 5 new types today to smoke very soon..


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## roller (Sep 25, 2012)

Jarhead said:


> Homemade Crackers
> 
> I've made these and they are great.
> 
> ...


Thanks Jarhead I will have to give these a try !!!!


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## savupoika (Dec 6, 2012)

Is the vacuum the only way to go or can i just wrap the cheese to a clingfilm if im letting it rest about 2 weeks ?


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## mike johnson (Dec 6, 2012)

Vacume sealing will make it last for months. If it lasts that long.not sure about wraping. If youre going to wrap Id suggest not a huge batch so it wont go bad.

Oh Yeah!  What happened to that Q-View Roller?


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## savupoika (Dec 6, 2012)

I would offcourse prefer vacuum, but the quality vacuum machines cost like 600-700$ here in Finland. You can buy cheap vacuum machine for a 30$, but i think

that those are not good enough...? Really would like to hear about the use of clingfilm, i think 5-10 layers it should be pretty airtight.


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## mike johnson (Dec 6, 2012)

i have a hundred dollar macine that I bought about 10 years ago. It still works great but im going to upgrade to a nicer one soon. As long as you get the air out it should be fine.


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## savupoika (Dec 6, 2012)

Do you have any experience of using alder to gouda cheese ? Here in Finland they use alder on a cheese, fish and allso for bacon.


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## rabbithutch (Dec 6, 2012)

Howdy, Savupoika!

:welcome1: to SMF !

The first time I smoked cheese I wrapped it in clear plastic cling wrap then put it inside of a ziplock bag then inside another one.  I wasn't planning for it to do much more than age a couple of weeks and it worked very well.  If you are planning to keep it longer, you might run into problems with mold and bacteria forming on the outer portion.  We don't have to pay as much for a serviceable vacuum sealer as you do.  I have one that does a great job that cost about $100.


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## venture (Dec 6, 2012)

Before I vacu sealed, I did the cling wrap and it worked well.  Use a quality plastic wrap like StretchTite which is available at Costco here in the U.S.  Wrap as tightly as you can. Then place in a ziploc bag and remove all the air you can.  It will last well in the fridge.

My cheapie FoodSaver was less than $100 USD.

Last week, I pulled some vacu sealed cheese out of the fridge that was about 9 months old.  After that long rest in the back of the fridge?  The best smoked cheese I have had yet!

Now, temps are down here and time to smoke cheese.  Unfortunately, the price of cheese is up 10 to 15% over last year.  No inflation going on in the U.S. according to our government?

Time to bite the bullet and smoke some cheese!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Good luck and good smoking.


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## toby bryant (Dec 6, 2012)

Venture said:


> Before I vacu sealed, I did the cling wrap and it worked well.  Use a quality plastic wrap like Stretch. te which is available at Costco here in the U.S.  Wrap as tightly as you can. Then place in a ziploc bag and remove all the air you can.  It will last well in the fridge.
> 
> My cheapie FoodSaver was less than $100 USD.
> 
> ...


If you have an Aldi grocery store in you area they have 8oz blocks of cheddar, mozzarellea, colby jack, provolone, and pepper jack for $1.49  and swiss for $1.79


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## roller (Dec 6, 2012)

Mike Johnson said:


> Vacume sealing will make it last for months. If it lasts that long.not sure about wraping. If youre going to wrap Id suggest not a huge batch so it wont go bad.
> 
> Oh Yeah!  What happened to that Q-View Roller?


Go to some of my Cheese threads I have Q-View every where of my Smoked Cheese...


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## savupoika (Dec 7, 2012)

rabbithutch said:


> Howdy, Savupoika!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the back up! Couple of weeks resting time is on my mind so it might be ready for christmas. Right now im going to get some cheese from the grocery store


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## savupoika (Dec 8, 2012)

Smoked some edam, emmental and gouda yesterday, took about 2-3 hours of alder smoke. Wrapped them tight on a cling film, now going to sit back and let the time to its work.













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__ savupoika
__ Dec 8, 2012


















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__ savupoika
__ Dec 8, 2012


















bowie 004.jpg



__ savupoika
__ Dec 8, 2012


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## roadkill cafe (Dec 8, 2012)

Looks good and good choices of cheese!! Waiting is the hardest part with cheese.


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## walnuts (Dec 8, 2012)

I Just wrap the cheese in Cling film a bit about 2ft square so that it is about two layers thick if you ensure the ends are well folded over and held (I use a self adhesive lable for this, so I can write the date on it) it keeps in a cold fridge (1 -4 degrees) for months, the longer you keep it the rounder the flavour!


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## savupoika (Dec 9, 2012)

Im having little mixed feelings of the concervation...

I was just reading that normal cheese would last only up to 13-60 days in vacuum ? This is taken from a vacuum machine retailers website in Finland. Does the smoking make it last so much longer ?

Amazed that you guys are storing it for months in cling film hmmmm


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## venture (Dec 9, 2012)

Odd to me?

My smoked cheese from the vacu sealer at 9 months was to die for?

I seriously think you need to do some experimenting and decide for yourself?

Good luck and good smoking


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## savupoika (Dec 18, 2012)

Just tastet one of the edam cheeses and it was pretty good, no ashtray taste or smell, about 9 days on a cling film.













juustopatonki 004.jpg



__ savupoika
__ Dec 18, 2012






Added some sliced pickels, onion and sauces.













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__ savupoika
__ Dec 18, 2012






Ready to take a bite!













juustopatonki 008.jpg



__ savupoika
__ Dec 18, 2012


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## savupoika (Jan 6, 2013)

About one month now on a cling film and still going strong, it is lasting way longer than i tought it will. Taste is allso getting little bit better everytime i take a slice.


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## walnuts (Jan 8, 2013)

It is very easy to forget thet smoking is one of the oldest ways known to Man (and Woman) of preserving food, so it necessarily follows that it will keep, I have a friend in France who smokes his cheese then wraps it in Wax, not candle grease but proper cheese wax that he gets from Holland (where I don't know) this is then stored on a cold shelf till required - upto three years!


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## savupoika (Feb 16, 2013)

Walnuts said:


> It is very easy to forget thet smoking is one of the oldest ways known to Man (and Woman) of preserving food, so it necessarily follows that it will keep, I have a friend in France who smokes his cheese then wraps it in Wax, not candle grease but proper cheese wax that he gets from Holland (where I don't know) this is then stored on a cold shelf till required - *upto three years!*


Wow thats some grazy stuff there. I still have half of the patch in clingfilm and they seem to be allright. This is just for experimenting so i will age the one half of the patch longer.


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## walnuts (Feb 17, 2013)

I've tried wrapping in greasproof cooking paper, withoout success, the chees sweats then moulds, For long storage | Cling film wrap then Vac-pack and keep in the frodge or on a cold shelf. Good Luck


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## minotbob (Sep 15, 2013)

What wood do you use to smoke cheese? I tried some using hickory and it seemed pretty strong.


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## eman (Sep 15, 2013)

smoke no longer than 2 hrs w/ light smoke. i vac seal mine and toss in veggie tray in fridge and forget about it. do 10 - 20 lbs at a time and you will be amazed at what 1 year old smoked cheese taste like.


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## minotbob (Sep 15, 2013)

I think I smoked it a little heavy. What I was wondering is, are there better woods to use to flavor cheese? Perhaps apple might not be as strong as hickory, or what ever.


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## roadkill cafe (Sep 16, 2013)

Apple is good. I use Peach the most. I find Hickory too strong also. Have to let it rest to mellow out though. I vac seal it and let sit for a minimum of a month. Most of last winter's stash is gone except 1 pkg. of sharp provolone done last November. Next time you cold smoke some cheese try putting in a pie tin of kosher salt and one of peppercorns. Adds a good flavor to stuff.

Steve


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## putcz (Sep 16, 2013)

I wrap mine in paper towel until cool and that absorbs the grease as well, then to the vacuum sealer. The overall favorite of mine as well as my guests is Black Diamond Chedder and I have smoked many different kinds. Try it with a glass of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked on the rocks. It doesn't get better then this.


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## mr t 59874 (Sep 16, 2013)

Minotbob said:


> I think I smoked it a little heavy. What I was wondering is, are there better woods to use to flavor cheese? Perhaps apple might not be as strong as hickory, or what ever.


If the smoke was a heavy, simply cut back on the smoking time.  Note the color of the cheese and you will soon be smoking to a desired color rather than time.

You can use a variety of woods, experiment with small batches of cheese and enjoy.

If your cheese has moisture on it when removed from smoker, place on a rack to air dry.  It may take a day to dry, there is a lot of flavor in the moisture that we want to keep with the cheese rather than remove.  After drying vac seal or wax for storage.

Maybe the following will help. "Smoked Cheese From Go To Show" w/ Q- View

Tom


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## walnuts (Sep 16, 2013)

Please remember that smoking (along with preserving in salt) are two of the oldest forms of food preparation known to man, so it makes sence that smoked cheese will keep longer than ordinary cheese.


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## savupoika (Feb 23, 2014)

I still have one chunk of cheese i smoked before xmas 2013
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 Good stuff i should smoke some more!


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## madman mike (Feb 23, 2014)

Mike Johnson said:


> Vacume sealing will make it last for months. If it lasts that long.not sure about wraping. If youre going to wrap Id suggest not a huge batch so it wont go bad.
> 
> Oh Yeah!  What happened to that Q-View Roller?


vacuumed packed the cheese will last years as long as it is an unripened variety. so anything other than blue cheese, brie style cheese or wash rind cheese.

Even wrapped a piece of smoked cheddar will not go bad for a very long time. The smoke inhibits bacterial growth on the outside so it shouldn't go moldy. If it does get a spot or two of mold on it just cut or wash it off and keep eating.

heres a short list of excellent cheeses for smoking, any cheddar (the older the better, 2-5yr is my fav) emmentaler types (swiss, jarelsburg), gruyere, gouda, Monterey jack, asiago, English Blue Stilton (one of the best smoked!!!) provolone, mozza,

heres a picture of my smokehouse full of cheese for smoking. This is in my cheese and butcher shop.

View media item 291344


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## wade (Feb 23, 2014)

madman mike said:


> vacuumed packed the cheese will last years as long as it is an unripened variety. so anything other than blue cheese, brie style cheese or wash rind cheese.
> 
> Even wrapped a piece of smoked cheddar will not go bad for a very long time. The smoke inhibits bacterial growth on the outside so it shouldn't go moldy. If it does get a spot or two of mold on it just cut or wash it off and keep eating.


I am sorry Mike but I have to disagree

Not all vacuum packed cheeses will last for years. It will depend on what is on the cheese surface when it is vac packed. Even some supermarket mature Cheddars that have been vac packed will begin to get undesirable mold after a few weeks/months.

It is also a myth that smoking will effectively inhibit bacterial growth. Smoke may have a short term antiseptic effect however normal smoked cheese will mold almost as quickly as normal un-smoked cheese when packed. It will all depend on the type cheese and what is on the surface at the time of packing.

The way we use smoke with cheese is really only as a flavouring agent. The preservative effect of smoking on any food is predominantly the dehydration of that food during the smoking process - and we do not smoke cheese in this way.

Your cheese cabinet looks great by the way.


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## madman mike (Feb 23, 2014)

Wade said:


> I am sorry Mike but I have to disagree
> 
> Not all vacuum packed cheeses will last for years. It will depend on what is on the cheese surface when it is vac packed. Even some supermarket mature Cheddars that have been vac packed will begin to get undesirable mold after a few weeks/months.
> 
> ...





My experience and knowledge is accurate and gained as a cheese monger for 20 yrs and a speciality butcher in same store for 10yrs+. My family and i have owned and operated the business for 25 years.

I mentioned I can be more specific if interested because there are many nuances to cheese that would take many paragraphs to explain.  

Also mention that not all can be held in cov packaging and gave a list of the 'families' of cheese that should never be vacuum packed.  

I've had cheddar arrive in my store that had been aged 5 years in 40lb blocks prior to vac-packing then store for 2+yrs after sealing.  Not an issue.  Just keeps ageing and getting better. 

Mold is caused by cross contamination when handling thorugh dirty hands, knives, cutting surface, or over diluted sanitizing solutions.  I know from years of experience that the smoked surface of a smoked cheddar will take much longer to begin to show signs of contamination me than its un-smoked counterpart, even when exposed to certain levels contamination. Properly handled smoked cheddar will begin to shows signs of contamination on a freshly cut surface. 

Smoke is antimicrobial and an antioxidant. In preserves the exterior but is unable to penetrate the interior of the food, which is why cures and brines are used to preserve meats.  

When you smoke food the chemicals in the smoke adhere to the surface, that's what gives it the colour and flavour, and these chemicals impart the antibacterial and antioxidant properties onto the surface of the food being smoked. this is not a myth.

These antioxidant properties help when smoking oily fish by slowing the breakdown of the oils preventing them from going rancid in a short period of time. This is not a myth either.

We've cold smoked un-cured foods tested through a food sciences lab and the results show this is true. These tests were at the request of our local Health Department to ensure food safety to the public.  

cheddar type cheeses that start to show signs of mold in a grocery store have cross contamination, if they are a vac packed cheese and there is mold in the package then there are 2 problems, the 1st being contamination and the 2nd is that the vacuum package has a leak somewhere in the package allowing enough air in to grow bacteria. 

if anyone requires more detailed info on buying, handling, packaging, storing or smoking cheese let me know. More than happy to share my 20+ years of hands on knowledge and experience on the subject

Cheers, \Mike

P.S

Heres a Pic of a whole aged AAA un-cured cold smoked then dry aged for 48 hr. Another of the specialities our cheese and meat shop.  Best steaks ever!! .
View media item 291343


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## wade (Feb 23, 2014)

Hi Mike. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. It is always good to hear of successful family run businesses.


madman mike said:


> vacuumed packed the cheese will last years as long as it is an unripened variety.


I am not surprised that the 40lb block of matured fared well when it was eventually vac packed as during its 5 year maturation prior to packing it would probably have lost a great deal of its moisture content. Unfortunately most of the cheese that people on here buy to smoke are younger mass produced supermarket cheese with a higher moisture content. I have frequently bought vacuum packed supermarket cheddar cheese that unopened has shown significant mold growth soon after its package "best before" date. You are right, it is probably down to the handling however the fact that it has been vacuum packed in itself does not mean that it will last years. I am sure that we could both cite personal experience examples of both exceedingly long and exceedingly short packaged shelf lives.

Yes smoke does have mild antibacterial and antioxidant properties however in the amounts that are usually found on the surface of cheese after the relatively short periods that it is smoked the effects are not long lasting. I too sell cheese - maybe not in the same quantities as you - and I too have had to go through government lab testing.

Most meat products on the other hand are usually smoked for much longer and often at higher temperatures than cheese. Without knowing what was in your cold smoked uncured meat product and how it was smoked it would be impossible for me to comment on the cause of its preservation


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## wade (Feb 23, 2014)

Hi Mike - I see you edited your post whilst I was replying.

The steak looks great. I bet you sell a lot of those


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## aussiesmoker (Nov 7, 2014)

Good thread.. Just answered all my questions in one.. thanks again people of SMF


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