Smoked Cheese

Steve-O · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

I think I'll just turn off the electric unit and put a few briquetts with wood on the bottom. That ought to work fine. Thanks for the tips! Saves me a $10 experiment, but my dog is pissed! She likes my mistakes! Very Happy

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Alien BBQ · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

Well you guys got my taste buds up for some smoked cheese so here goes my attempt. I used only pecan (no charcoal) and started a small fire. After it burnt down to coals I added pecan chunks and got a temperature of 75 degrees in my vertical section. As you can see I had plenty of smoke and I choose two different sizes of Colby / jack to go in. I figured if I liked the smaller one, I could give the larger one to my boss tomorrow for her birthday. I already gave her some art glass last week but did not want to show up empty handed. I will let you know how they came out.

Well here it is…. I just had to try a piece before it went to the fridge. After 3 hrs it tasted a lot like a spicy cheeseburger. The girls in the office oooed and awe’d over it. I think I will make a great gift. Thanks for the idea guy’s.

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RandyRooster · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

Glad it turned out good and you had fun. I like the looks of your smoker too. Just an idea, it would help get smoky flavor all through the cheese if you had it setting on something perforated. I get the disposable small holed grates at Wal-Mart for a buck maybe some change. Like in my pics in the first post, they work great, screen would work to.

I have a silly question, I always use Coal and Wood. What is a good way to get your wood started if you are just going to use wood? If I was going to go out and do it right now I guess I would just use newspaper or starter fuel. Not the biggest fan of fuel, don’t know why, so I use a chimney to start my coal with newspaper.

mding38926 · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

Rooster....I just bought some duraflame fire starters for like $3.50 at the grocery store. I stuck 2 of them in the firebox in the lump charcoal and it started with no issues.
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RandyRooster · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

Think it would work good for starting wood by its self?

mding38926 · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

The directions were actually for starting wood and not charcoal...so my guess is yes.
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RandyRooster · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

aright cool, I will look for some today, smoking some ribs, beans and maybe a pork roast today.

Alien BBQ · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

Most of the time I use charcoal in my chimney starter with just a shaving of a fire starter in the bottom. One large starter gives me about 50 fires. This time I knew that I was going to burn the wood down to coal before I started the cheese so I used lighter fluid and kindling. I wasn’t sure on how soft the cheese would get so I was hesitant to put it on a wire rack. Finally, thank you on the complement on the smoker. It was my summer machine shop project. It is made completely out of heave gauge stainless steel with stainless rivets. I stop counting after 500 rivets. It is a reverse flow design with over 3000 sq. inches of cooking grate.
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mding38926 · Posted: Oct 26 2005 Post subject:

JimH · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

Alien, it looks like your cheese got a little soft! I stick with the 8 oz bricks of cheese because they are close to the dimensions that you would use for "cheese & crackers" whereas the bigger bricks get cut several times so you may have only one smoked surface instead of 4. I use about a third of a chimney of charcoal started by a log lighter attached to a 1 pound propane cylinder which gets it started quickly. Once the bottom brickettes are ashed over I pluck 3 of them out and put them in the pit. I then put a couple of small soaked pecan chips on top of them. My temp gauge did not register a change in temp over the two hours so I'm guessing that it did not get over 60*f in the smoke chamber. My fridge holds it's temp arounf 34*f so I'm guessing that the cheese only got to about 60*f at the end. I'm going to try to smoke some mozzarella for a baked penne pasta dish on Christmas Eve. Randy I'll check out those screens, they would work better than foil.

Alien BBQ · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

Surprisingly, it stayed firm but I get your meaning on keeping the size down. I like the ides of aluminum screen as well but I am pondering using a SS dog screen guard instead. The guard goes on screen doors to protect the screen from dog paws. It is perforated SS. I saw on a TV show the other day that if you boil white vinegar in stainless steel that it makes it non-stick for about two months. Sounds like what I need.
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mding38926 · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

OK.....after watching this thread for a few days I am convinced....I must try this.........
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bigabyte · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

First time I heard the trick about stainless steel and vinegar. Good to know. I'm going crazy reading about all this smoked cheese, and the photos! Shocked

GOTTA SMOKE ME SOME CHEESE!
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Alien BBQ · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

Well my boss just opened her cheesie gift and she loved it. I tried a piece and it had just the right amountof smoke mixed in with the pepper spices. Thanks again guys for the idea.
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RandyRooster · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

I think pepper Jack gets softer then the others. I got ten people to give cheese out to this year, I will get 5 larger bocks and cut them in half. Sam's Club here we come. I will wait till it get closer to Christmas and on a COLD day do it, get nice and bundled up, I would hate to have all that cheese melt on me. LOL I really need to get a remote thermostat.

Got the ribs, Bratwursts, bake beans on right now.. Mmm, Looking to be done at 7:30 Going to grill some pork chops and a potato concoction. I might wrap up a pork roast I smoked the other day with some foil and throw it on the warming rack and serve it too.

JimH · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

Ah ha! Here's the flip side to melting cheese on your pit, queso. Lightly smoked queso & tortilla chips anyone? Very Happy

Topped with sliced jalapenos and such.

RandyRooster · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

allsmokenofire · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

I'm very disappointed in all of ya'....we've gone almost 2 whole pages now on this thread without someone bringin' it up, so here goes...

I don't know too much about smokin' it, but if'n ya' got any questions about cuttin' it....I'm your guy!! Laughing

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Team Enoserv

roxy · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

Hey, who ever smelt it, delt it... Shocked

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RandyRooster · Posted: Oct 27 2005 Post subject:

To tell you the truth I just cut it as I started to read your post. BBQ Baked Beans been kicking my a$$ and everyone else in the house for that matter.