Dec 30 2013
I decided not to cook today, time for a rest and eat leftovers or carry ins. It was only 24 deg.F today. I had a 2 lb. block of some Kerrygold Irish Dubliner cheddar to use up or freeze. I thought it was a perfect time to smoke some cheese.
I let the cheese get to room temp and cut 3 chunks off. I had loaded my Amazen tube smoker with Cookin Pellets 100% hickory and got it lit and smoking then put the cheese in.I had figured on a two hour smoke from past smokes. It took about 10 minutes to get the temp above freezing. After one hour it was still only 36 deg. From the past my smoker seemed to do better with a clothespin under the bottom lip of the lid for more air. I removed it to try and raise the temp.
I was thinking it could be possible to cold smoke cheese at too low of temp. I searched the net and could not find too much on it. After two hours the temp was at 50 deg. I pulled one chunk off. It smelled like smoke. I vacuum packed it. I let the other two go another ½ hour. After vacuuming those two I got the one I did for two hours and there was a definite richer darker color.
My thoughts now are it can be too cold to smoke cheese. I will answer my question in two weeks. For my setup it is probably better to do it when the ambient temp is above 40 deg. I don’t care for cheese that is overly smoked and it covers the taste of the cheese. The first time I smoked some I did it for 3 hours and then cut it back to 2 hours for my taste. I think this is the first time I have tried hickory; I used apple wood before.
I would be glad to hear anyone's comments on being too cold to smoke cheese.
The Cheese
Nice Smoke I got steady 2 1/2 hrs.
The clothespin removed after 1 hour
2 1/2 hours and the tube is only about 1/2 gone
Deeper color on the two I did for 2 1/2 hours
Smokin Don
