# 1st cold smoke cheese



## deerman13-2 (Sep 3, 2013)

I cold smoked some muenster, Vermont cheddar, pepper jack, and Monterey Jack tonight in the masterbuilt electric smoker. 
Left the smoker off and lit some charcoal in a chimney and put a fully grey coal in the wood box with some hickory chips. Put cheese on the top rack and a pan of ice above the burner box. Ambient temp stayed around 85 to 91 degrees cheese temp only got up to 78 degrees. There was heavy smoke for the 2.5 hours I had it on. The cheese softened a little and had a slight color change. Otherwise smelled great. Dabbed dry with a paper towel vacuum sealed and in the fridge for a couple of weeks. I will let you know how it turned out.












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__ deerman13-2
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__ deerman13-2
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__ deerman13-2
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__ deerman13-2
__ Sep 4, 2013


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## smoking b (Sep 3, 2013)

I'll hang around - I love smoked cheese  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






   I have an MES 30 & try not to use ice in it as it always made condensation on my cheese. I use an AMNPS & the mailbox mod & cold smoking is a breeze now.  I like how the smoke really brings out the flavor in pepper cheeses  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   You're in for some great cheese in a bit


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## dirtsailor2003 (Sep 3, 2013)

As soon as fall sets we'll begin the the process if smoking cheese for the holiday gifts. Such a terrible job but someone has to do it! We've started stalking up for ourselves too during that time and let it age like Mr T does. It's hard to do, but the aged smoked cheese is the best!!!


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## webowabo (Sep 3, 2013)

Wish I had some popcorn to eat for the next few weeks waiting for the cheese to age .. ill manage. :sausage:
I agree.. there is something about your own smoked cheese.. specially the muester. .YUM... I WISH I could hit the lotto.. firdt thing I would buy would be a huge fridge/freezer... then meat and cheese to smoke.. then pay off my debt from past meat and cheese'.. 

:biggrin:


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## deerman13-2 (Sep 4, 2013)

I have ordered and A-Maz-N smoker but I dont have it quite yet so I decided to see if there was a way to do it without it. It worked surprisingly well with my charcoal method. I will compare it to the amazed smoked cheese once I smoke a batch with it. But the cheese took on good color and very little shape changing. All in all i was pleased.


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## humdinger (Sep 4, 2013)

webowabo said:


> Wish I had some popcorn to eat for the next few weeks waiting for the cheese to age .. ill manage.
> 
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> 
> ...



I'm finishing up a block of smoked meunster now. I smoked it last february and it has mellowed nicely. Next up this fall is some tillamook and swiss. I'll do gouda gain too. That smoked up real nice!


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## deerman13-2 (Sep 5, 2013)

SO how long do you guys age your cheeses? Its vacuum sealed and in the fridge. Is there a general guideline yall go by?


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## pc farmer (Sep 5, 2013)

At least two weeks.  I found 1 month seems the best.


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## daveomak (Sep 5, 2013)

I've got about 10# from last October...   It's sooooo good...   I ration it... 













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__ daveomak
__ Oct 5, 2012


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## deerman13-2 (Sep 5, 2013)

Dave, you just keep it refrigerated right?


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## humdinger (Sep 5, 2013)

Yeah just keep it in the fridge. Some of the harder cheeses that are vacuum sealed just need to be kept below 70 degrees, but I still keep them in the fridge.


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## smokinhusker (Sep 5, 2013)

Looks great and the method you used seems to have worked very well! I can't keep smoked cheese in the house long at all - always giving it away!


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## wiredig (Sep 8, 2013)

Looks great! I have my second batch in the MES right now! Cheddar and Gouda today! My first batch should be ready here in about a week.


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## knucklehead (Sep 13, 2013)

I have.a Masterbuilt Electric. I am going to try the smoked cheese. Did you have to replenish the charcoal during the 2.5 hrs of smoking?


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## driedstick (Sep 14, 2013)

Looks great will be doing some in the next few weeks just waiting for temps to go down some 96 here today aaaarrrgggg!!!!!!!


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## deerman13-2 (Sep 17, 2013)

I added maybe three lit coals throughout the smoke. It smoked pretty good one one lit coal


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