# Best ‘apparatus’ to use?



## Inscrutable (Jul 16, 2020)

So, being here in NC I have several months before I can make my maiden voyage with cold smoking.
As you see in my sig I have an egg, electric cabinet, and 2 gas grills (the Vidalia has a unique design with burners on one side and air intake low there, and an empty ‘pan‘ on the right side for a water bath if desired, and outlet vents, creating natural convection Left to right up, over, and down.)
I think the electric cabinet is probably the unit of choice, but I may bequeath that to daughter when I get a pellet pooper soon, and wondered if many of you use other units successfully?
I‘m not sure what else I will cold smoke and if worth hanging onto the electric.

(and yes, I have an A-Maze-N tray and tube)


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## Winterrider (Jul 16, 2020)

I use my electric all the time for fish and jerky. Can maintain lower temps than my pellet.


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## Inscrutable (Jul 16, 2020)

I would assume (yeah, may make an a$$ of Not u but me anyway) The heat from the pellet tray is sufficient. Perhaps that’s only for cheese(?)
I have a lot to learn about low/cold smoking.


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## TNJAKE (Jul 16, 2020)

*





						Smoked a little bit of cheese
					

Been planning a cheese smoke for a while now but the mild winter has kept me from doing it. Woke up Friday morning to this and decided the time was perfect   We have been buying cheese now for a while for this smoke and managed to gather 30lbs. My mom had 10lbs for me as well but the snow...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				




Heres my last cheese smoke. Did it in pellet smoker using a tube with the smoker turned off*


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## sawhorseray (Jul 16, 2020)

Cold smoking you really want the CC to stay under 90º, and 70º is even better. I use a amaze-n-tube in the firebox of my offset with the lox in the CC, of course not this time on here here in AZ. I don't have a pellet pooper so I'm not all that sure how they work. If the tube could go where the pellets are and get smoke to the CC I guess that'd be ideal. Never mind, listen to Jake! RAY


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## Winterrider (Jul 16, 2020)

For the jerky and smoked fish, I like to be able to get between 160°- 180° temps, which the Rec Tec has a hard time staying down close to the 180°.
Smoked cheese, no heat required, pellet tray is your huckleberry.


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## Inscrutable (Jul 16, 2020)

So I can probably do the cheese in anything ... kamado, Vidalia, electric ... but if I get into fish/jerky and want 160-180, will need the electric ... unless the kamado is so well insulated that If/once I can get it to temp, the pellets will probably maintain (?)

Hell, as hot as it’s been Here lately, I might be able to get to those temps now with just the pellet tray!

I love boating, but with these triple digit heat indexes, one more reason to be ready for fall/winter.


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## TNJAKE (Jul 16, 2020)

Yep can use any vessel for the cheese. Tray or tube will raise smoker temp by as much as 20° I'd hold off until winter


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## TNJAKE (Jul 16, 2020)

Nevermind I see what you did there lol yeah it's hot as hell here too


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## Inscrutable (Jul 16, 2020)

TNJAKE said:


> Yep can use any vessel for the cheese. Tray or tube will raise smoker temp by as much as 20° I'd hold off until winter


Oh yeah ... like I said ... several months to wait  ... unless I run the air conditioner in the garage ... hmmm ...


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## Inscrutable (Jul 16, 2020)

Jake, That was a helluva smoke in that thread you attached!
so did you freeze any of that (worry about texture going to pot), or does it keep well long term after vac sealing?


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## TNJAKE (Jul 16, 2020)

Thanks I just vac sealed and put in fridge. Will stay fresh for well over a year. Gave some away to friends and still have a pretty nice haul. The cheese gets better with age.


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## TNJAKE (Jul 16, 2020)

Make sure to wipe off any moisture before vacsealing


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## Inscrutable (Jul 16, 2020)

Sounds perfect ... now need to bookmark cuz with CRS disease I sure as heck won’t remember in 5 months


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## thirdeye (Jul 16, 2020)

For cold smoking, I think the smoke generator (and how well you can control it) is the key factor.  For delicate things like butter or cheese a sawdust tray generator is my go-to *considering the smokers I have to work with. * But, there are numerous ideas, contraptions, modifications, tips and tricks you need to check out. 

Aside from a traditional smokehouse with a smoke generator feeding smoke through an underground duct system.... I've seen some wonderful ideas.  A soldering iron in a an of chips, the ice chest mod, the mailbox mod, the smoke gun, the bolt-on smoke chamber with a fan.... the list is endless. 

That said, just about any smoker can work, it will take some experimentation  from that point.


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## pops6927 (Jul 16, 2020)

I have smoked tons of cheese!





						Thanksgiving and Christmas Cheese Smoking
					

Once again, I am smoking cheese for the holiday - longhorn cheddar.  However, this is similar to, but not really a "cheddar" cheese as it doesn't go through the cheddaring process (stacking and turning every 10 minutes stacked curds, cut into slabs, until the correct acidity is reached).  It is...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## Inscrutable (Jul 17, 2020)

thirdeye said:


> Aside from a traditional smokehouse with a smoke generator feeding smoke through an underground duct system.... I've seen some wonderful ideas.  A soldering iron in a an of chips, the ice chest mod, the mailbox mod, the smoke gun, the bolt-on smoke chamber with a fan.... the list is endless.


I have had a smoking gun in my amazon cart for a long time (since I saw it used on an Iron Chef episode) but didn’t think I’d have much use for it.  Now that you mention it, this sounds like a very simple and easy way for imparting just a slight flavor to delicate items.


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## gmc2003 (Jul 17, 2020)

For smoking cheese I use my WSM with the AmazN tray. I switched from pellets to sawdust quite a while ago. Dust gives a cooler, cleaner,  liter smoke. Much easier to control the amount of smoke and I can eat the cheese that day.  Anything can be used as long as you have good air flow. Some folks use a cardboard box. 

Chris


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## SmokinAl (Jul 17, 2020)

You can use a big cardboard box and the Amazen tray with dust to smoke cheese. Just put a couple of racks in there & you may need a tray of ice to keep the temps down. I have used my Weber kettle many times to smoke cheese & lox even in the summer here in  Florida. A couple of frozen water bottles or a pan of ice will keep the temps down. Anything is possible!!
Al


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## Bearcarver (Jul 17, 2020)

Here's how I Kept it cool enough for smoking Cheese, in my original Gen #1  MES 30:

Jug 3/4 filled with water, then frozen. Better than loose ice---No Added Humidity!!


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## thirdeye (Jul 17, 2020)

gmc2003 said:


> For smoking cheese I use my WSM with the AmazN tray. I switched from pellets to sawdust quite a while ago. Dust gives a cooler, cleaner,  liter smoke. Much easier to control the amount of smoke and I can eat the cheese that day.  Anything can be used as long as you have good air flow. Some folks use a cardboard box.
> 
> Chris









I use my Mini WSM, this is 4# of cheese, so it's possible to get another pound in there.  I agree with you 100% that the sawdust generator is a great way to go, and I use one stick as the control sample piece too so I can dial in the smokiness.   I generally wait 2 or 3 days before gifting any and it's fine to eat.  I just found 2 blocks of Kerrygold Irish cheddar from January, it mellowed out really nice, but most of mine is gone in about a month.


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## gmc2003 (Jul 17, 2020)

thirdeye said:


> View attachment 454417
> 
> I use my Mini WSM, this is 4# of cheese, so it's possible to get another pound in there.  I agree with you 100% that the sawdust generator is a great way to go, and I use one stick as the control sample piece too so I can dial in the smokiness.   I generally wait 2 or 3 days before gifting any and it's fine to eat.  I just found 2 blocks of Kerrygold Irish cheddar from January, it mellowed out really nice, but most of mine is gone in about a month.



I bet that Kerrygold is gonna be good. I also have one block(usually cheddar) that serves as the sacrificial lamb - so to speak. After two hours I'll try a slice and proceed from there. If it needs more smoke then I'll give it another hour and try another slice. I don't see any need for over-smoking and playing the waiting game. 

Chris

Chris


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