Cold Smoking Cheddar: How Long Should You Smoke It?

Smoking your own cheddar cheese at home is a fun and rewarding process, but how long should you cold smoke it for? The duration of cold smoking cheddar cheese depends on various factors, such as the desired smoke flavour intensity, the type of wood used, and the amount of cheese being smoked.

For a mild smoky flavour, it is recommended to cold smoke cheddar cheese for around 45 minutes to 2 hours. However, if you're looking for a bolder and stronger smoky flavour, you can extend the smoking time to 2 hours or longer. It's important to note that the longer the smoking duration, the smokier the taste will become.

Additionally, the type of wood used for smoking can also impact the smoking time. For example, mild wood varieties like apple, cherry, maple, or pecan are often used to impart a subtle smoky flavour, while stronger woods like hickory can be used for a more intense smoke flavour.

Moreover, the amount of cheese being smoked can also be a factor. If you're smoking a large batch of cheese, you may need to adjust the smoking time accordingly to ensure even smoke penetration.

Overall, the ideal smoking time for cold-smoked cheddar cheese can range from 45 minutes to 2 hours or more, depending on your personal preferences and the specific conditions of your smoking setup.

Cold smoking temperature range

Cold smoking is the process of infusing food with smoke flavour without cooking it. The temperature range for cold smoking is between 68°F and 86°F. It is important to keep the temperature within this range to ensure the cheese does not melt.

Tips for Maintaining the Cold Smoking Temperature Range

• Smoke outside in cooler temperatures, ideally when the outside temperature is below 60°F.
• Place a tray of ice water below the cheese to help keep it cool.
• Ensure the smoker is in the shade as it can get hot in the sun, even if the ambient temperature is cool.
• Do not turn on the grill or light the smoker. Instead, use a smoking device like a smoke tube to generate smoke without heat.

Recommended Smoking Time

The recommended smoking time for cheese is around 2 hours for a mild smoky flavour. For a bolder flavour, smoke the cheese for 2 hours or longer. It is important to monitor the cheese during the smoking process to ensure it does not melt.

Wood pellet types

Wood pellets are small, cylindrical pieces of compressed sawdust and wood shavings, usually under an inch in length and a quarter-inch in diameter. The type of wood used for smoking cheese can significantly impact the end result, with different woods imparting different flavours.

When smoking cheddar cheese, it is best to use fruitier hardwoods such as apple or cherry, or a competition blend. These woods give a mild and sweet flavour to the cheese.

It is important to note that not all wood pellets are suitable for human consumption. Some woods can be toxic or simply not very pleasant to taste. Therefore, it is crucial to use only 100% natural food-grade hardwood pellets with no additives or fillers when smoking cheese.

• Apple: Mild and sweet
• Cherry: Mild and sweet
• Hickory: Strong and hearty
• Mesquite: Intense and earthy
• Maple: Mild and smoky
• Pecan: Mild and smoky

Resting and ageing

Resting the Cheese:

Firstly, after the smoking process, it is important to let the cheese rest and cool down. Leave the cheese on the metal rack at room temperature for about an hour to let the temperature stabilise. This step helps to stop the cheese from continuing to cook internally and prevents it from melting.

Ageing the Cheese:

The ageing process involves storing the cheese to allow the smoke flavour to penetrate and mellow. The cheese will need to be stored in a refrigerator for this process.

Before placing the cheese in the refrigerator, it is recommended to wrap each piece of cheese individually in parchment paper, butcher paper, or wax paper. This step helps to absorb any excess oil and allows the cheese to breathe, softening the cheese as it rests. The cheese should be wrapped and refrigerated for at least 24 hours, and preferably 48 hours.

After the initial wrapping and refrigeration, the cheese should then be vacuum-sealed or placed in zip-top bags. Vacuum sealing is the best option, as it helps to extend the shelf life of the cheese. If using zip-top bags, ensure that as much air as possible is removed from the bags before sealing.

Return the sealed cheese to the refrigerator for the ageing process. The cheese should be left to age for a minimum of one week, but preferably two weeks or more. The longer the cheese ages, the more time the smoke flavour has to distribute and mellow, resulting in a more refined and delicious flavour.

Additional Tips:

• During the ageing process, the refrigerator may take on a smokey scent due to the cheese.
• It is important to label and date the cheese before placing it in the refrigerator, so you know when it is ready to be enjoyed.
• If you are planning to gift the smoked cheese, it is best to plan ahead and allow for the resting and ageing process.
• The ageing process can be extended beyond two weeks, with some people recommending ageing for up to four weeks or even longer for the best results.
• If you find the cheese too smoky after the initial ageing period, you can try letting it rest for a further week or two to mellow out the flavour.

Cheese types

When it comes to cold smoking cheese, the type of cheese you use is important. While you can technically smoke any type of cheese, some cheeses are better suited to the process than others.

Soft cheeses, for example, tend to absorb too much smoke and can be difficult to work with as they melt easily. For this reason, it is recommended to use hard or semi-hard cheeses for cold smoking.

Some of the best cheeses for cold smoking include:

• Cheddar
• Gouda
• Mozzarella
• Pepper Jack
• Gruyere
• Swiss
• Havarti
• Monterey Jack

These cheeses are robust enough to withstand the smoking process without melting and can absorb the smoky flavour well without being dominated by it.

When preparing the cheese for cold smoking, it is recommended to cut it into smaller portions to help the smoke penetrate the entire block. Removing the rind and cutting the cheese into wedges or chunks will expose more surface area to the smoke, reducing the total smoking time.

The actual smoking process usually takes around two hours, but the cheese will then need to be vacuum-sealed and left to rest in the refrigerator for at least two weeks to allow the flavours to develop and mellow.

Smoking time

The length of time you cold smoke cheddar cheese depends on how strong you want the smoke flavour to be. The longer you smoke, the smokier the taste will get.

Louisiana Grills recommends smoking cheese for around 45 minutes to 2 hours for a mild smoky flavour. If you're looking for a bolder, stronger flavour, try smoking the cheese for 2 hours or longer.

Hey Grill, Hey also recommends smoking for 1-2 hours, with 2 hours being their preference for a bolder smoke flavour. They also suggest that if you want a lighter smoke flavour, leave the cheese on the smoker for around 1 hour.

Other sources suggest that 3-4 hours is a good length of time to smoke cheese. One source says that they smoke cheddar for 2 hours, while another says that they smoke for 3 hours.

It's important to note that the smoking time may also depend on the ambient temperature and the type of wood pellets used. For example, if you are using a stronger smoke wood, you may not need to smoke the cheese for as long to achieve the desired flavour.

After smoking, it is recommended to let the cheese rest and age for at least a few days to a few weeks to allow the smoke flavour to mellow and permeate the cheese.

Frequently asked questions