Cheese smoking season

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inkjunkie said:
...has finally arrived. Night time temps are forecast to be in the 20's-low 30's. So if any of my "regular customers" are in need, or wanting some smoked cheese please do let me know. Hell...even if you are an "irregular customer" let me know if I can become your dealer.
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I tried smoking cheese once, but, I had a hard time keeping lit. LOL
 
halfafish said:
Howdy Doug,
How do you smoke your cheese? I have to do mine on the Traeger by putting the cheese on top of toothpicks (for air flow under) inside a disposable bread pan, then put the bread pan inside a larger lasagna pan filled with ice. I go in after an hour, dump out the melted ice, turn the cheese over, add new ice, and then smoke another hour. The mats you linked above look interesting, but I'm wondering if the end result will be a lake of melted cheese inside my smoker?
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Pretty sure that Traeger has a cold smoking attachment...but it only fits one model. I use my XL Big Green Egg. I place one of these trays...
5 X 8 Smoker Maze| A-MAZE-N
in the bottom of the Egg. I put a Weber fire grate in the Egg (it fits perfectly and is much easier to clean then the Egg fire grate). I cover the grate with heavy foil, I leave an inch or so of the grate uncovered. If I don't do this, and I am smoking butter, I have a gigantic mess from the butter melting. I do it when I smoke cheese as well otherwise the stuff on the bottom rack will often melt a bit. I use cookie cooling racks to stack the cheese on. My grates are old and crusty, so I cover them with these...
Q-MATZ - Black - 24 IN Wide Mat
I have the bottom vent on the Egg open about a half inch. I have the exhaust almost shut. Also have to prop the lid open about a half inch, other wise the Egg will get condensation built up.
You can use damn near anything for cold smoking. An old fridge. 2 cardboard boxes.
Real simple way...get an aluminum mail box and some dryer vent & fittings. You use the mail box to put the tray in. Cut a hole in the back of the mail box and connect it to a cardboard box using the dryer vent. Cut a hole in the top of the box for an exhaust.
You can use damn near anything as a smoke chamber. Old fridge, gas grill, food grade 55 gallon drum...Just make sure that the mail box is not galvanized.
You can use this method for cold smoking bacon etc. Last batch of bacon I made I cold smoked for 60 hours. The belly was a dark mahogany color on the outside and had a tint of color almost all the way thru it.
Google "mailbox mod"...you will see how all my above blabbering works. If you call Todd at Amazen Products ask him about using a cardboard box, he wrote an article for a bbq site I was on. I'm sure he will explain it all to you.
 
Thanks for the info! I have since set up a cold smoker as detailed in the link below. Going off your process it looks like I guessed it pretty close to what you're doing. So far I've made two batches of bacon and two batches of cheese. It was a little like Goldilocks - not enough smoke, too much smoke, but I think I'll find a happy medium.

What are you doing to smoke butter? That sounds interesting.

Who does cold smoking?
 
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