Cured Meats & Food Preservation > COLD SMOKING!

Smoked Cheese

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skidog:
Thanks Mike. Yeah the smoke on the Colby seemed strong to me. However it didnt bother me with the pepperjack.

TentHunteR:

--- Quote from: skidog on February 06, 2017, 12:11:43 PM ---If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears, as this will only be my second time smoking cheese.

--- End quote ---

I never just take cheese out of the package and stick it in a smoker. I let it sit out for an hour or so on a rack to dry on the outside just a bit. This  helps control smoke absorption and more importantly can help keep the cheese from sweating.

Ambient temperature makes all the difference in the world as far as how long to smoke cheese.  The warmer it is, the quicker cheese will absorb smoke.  In warmer weather you may only need 30 - 45 minutes.  In colder weather it may need a couple hours.

Monitor your pit temp and try to keep it at or below 80° F.  Cheese can handle up to about 90°, but starts to sweat and THAT can ruin your cheese.  If your cheese sweats, then you will need to eat it sooner rather than later as it can develop a grainy texture.  I avoid smoking cheese if it's much above about 70°.

The #1 piece of advice I can give for smoking cheese USE YOUR NOSE to check to see if it's smokey enough for your taste.   Take a piece off and away from the smoker and give it a smell.

Letting the cheese age/ripen after smoking for at least a few weeks allows the smoke flavor to disperse throughout the cheese and mellow. BUT do NOT be afraid to break into the cheese sooner if you want.  The smoke will be more concentrated on the outside. There are no rules. 


My favorite woods are Apple & Hickory.  As Mike mentioned, Apple is definitely a heavier, perfumier smoke than hickory and needs less smoking time.

I like coating Gouda and Cheddar with paprika before smoking it. It just adds a little something something more to it.

I also like to coat Swiss cheese with caraway seeds before smoking. The cheese needs to be room temp so you can push the seeds in, then chill it back down before smoking.

teesquare:
In keeping with Tent's suggestions...I have used cracked black pepper, red pepper flake, and a few other things. With eh right cheese...maybe you can try some mixed Italian herbs, Cajun seasoning ( the no slat variety would be my choice ) or others that you like.

skidog:
Thanks Tent and Tee. I did let them sit out for about an hour before I put them on to smoke. I only have apple, mesquite and Pitmasters choice the Cherry, Hickory, Maple blend for pellets. Thinking I'm going to try the Pitmasters Choice.

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