Patrick Oconnell
Smoking cheese is a great way to add depth to its flavour. The key to smoking cheese is to keep the temperature low, as cheese will melt at high temperatures. The ideal temperature range for cold smoking is between 65°F and 85°F, and it is recommended to not exceed 90°F. Cool outdoor temperatures are ideal for smoking cheese, with some sources recommending 60°F or below, and others recommending 40°F-60°F. The cooler the temperature, the less you will need to worry about the cheese melting.
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What You'll Learn
Cool the cheese in the freezer for an hour
To prepare your cheese for smoking, place the block(s) in the freezer for an hour. This will cool the cheese to the optimum temperature for smoking, which is between -5 and -10 degrees Celsius. The cheese won't freeze in this time, but its outside skin will dry out, which is ideal.
After an hour, remove the cheese from the freezer. You can now brush the cheese lightly with maple syrup, using a silicone basting brush. Be careful not to soak the cheese with the syrup—just skim the surface lightly.
Now, arrange the cheese on racks. Load a couple of hours of apple pucks into the smoker and start it up. Fill the puck catch bowl with ice cubes. Load the racks as high in the smoker as possible, and open the vents halfway. If the temperature is above -5 degrees Celsius, open the vents a little more. If it's colder than -10 degrees Celsius, close them a little more.
Your smoker is now ready to start smoking your cheese.
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Choose the right grill
Smoking cheese is a great way to add flavour and elevate your recipes. It is recommended to use a hard or semi-hard cheese, such as cheddar, gouda, or pepper jack, as soft cheeses may melt and create a mess. If you want to use a soft cheese, it will need less time to smoke.
When it comes to choosing the right grill, you can use a standard outdoor grill, a gas grill, or a pellet grill. If you are using a gas grill, it is recommended to use a smoker box, which will help you control the temperature and prevent the cheese from melting.
If you want to create cold-smoked cheese, which does not cook the food but infuses it with smoke flavour, you will need to keep the temperature of your grill below 90°F (32°C). Some sources recommend keeping the temperature even lower, between 68°F and 86°F (26°C). To achieve this, you can use a smoke tube, which generates smoke without heat, or a cold smoke generator.
If your grill does not have a cold smoke cabinet extension, you can place a pan of ice water or ice below the rack holding your cheese to keep it cool. You can also use disposable aluminium pans to create a buffer between the cheese and the heat source, which will help prevent melting.
It is important to ensure good ventilation and airflow during the smoking process. Keep the vents of your grill wide open, and make sure there is space between the wedges of cheese to allow airflow.
Overall, while you can use a variety of grills to smoke cheese, the key is to monitor the temperature and ensure it stays low enough to cold smoke the cheese without melting it.
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Light the tube smoker
To light the tube smoker, first, fill the tube with wood pellets of your choice. You can use a snail-shaped tube smoker, which burns sawdust, or fill the tube with pellets and push them down to ensure good contact. You can also use a tin can with wood chips or dust. Place the smoker tube vertically on a solid fireproof surface.
Next, light the smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. You can use a lighter or a kitchen torch to ignite the pellets, chips, or dust at the top of the tube. Keep the flame on until the smoker is burning well. Let it burn for about 3 to 4 minutes to ensure it is adequately lit.
Once the smoker tube is lit, carefully extinguish the flame and place the tube horizontally on your smoker or wire rack. Make sure the smoke is rolling before you put the cheese on the grill. Place the cheese on the grill grates, ensuring they are not touching and that there is airflow around each piece.
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Smoke the cheese for 1-2 hours
When you are ready to smoke the cheese, make sure the flame in your tube smoker is extinguished and smoke is rolling. Place the cheese on the grill grates, ensuring that the pieces are not touching and that there is airflow around each piece. Close the lid and smoke the cheese for 1-2 hours. The longer you smoke the cheese, the stronger the flavour will be. For a lighter smoke flavour, leave the cheese on the smoker for around 1 hour. For a bolder smoke flavour, leave it for 2 hours.
During the smoking process, open the door briefly every 30 minutes to rotate the cheese a quarter turn. This will ensure the cheese is evenly smoked and will help keep temperatures in check. It will also allow any humidity to escape the smoker box. Don't worry if you lose some smoke when you open the door, as it will recover quickly.
After 1-2 hours, open the door and leave the cheese in the smoker for 15 minutes to chill. Then, bring the cheese inside and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Insert the wrapped cheese into a Ziploc bag and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of two weeks. The longer you can leave it, the better it will taste.
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Wrap and refrigerate the cheese
Once the cheese is done smoking, it is important to wrap it up well to preserve its flavour and texture. Wrapping the cheese in plastic wrap will help to protect it from bacteria and prevent it from drying out. The plastic wrap should be tightly closed, and changed regularly if storing the cheese for a longer period.
After wrapping the cheese in plastic, it should be wrapped again in parchment paper or untreated butcher paper. This second layer will ensure the cheese is well protected and sealed. The wrapped cheese can then be placed into a zip-top bag, with the air removed, or a vacuum-sealed bag.
The sealed cheese should then be placed in the refrigerator, ideally at a temperature below 95°F, and definitely below 98.6°F, which is the melting point of butterfat. The cheese should be stored in the refrigerator for at least three days, and up to two weeks, to allow the smoke flavour to mellow and develop. The longer the cheese is left, the more the flavours will penetrate. The cheese will keep for several months in the refrigerator.
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Frequently asked questions
The ideal temperature for smoking cheese is between 65°F and 85°F. This ensures that the cheese is smoked without being cooked. The temperature should not exceed 90°F, as this will cause the cheese to melt.
First, ensure that the smoker is in a cool, shaded area. Then, light a tube smoker inside the grill, following the manufacturer's instructions. Make sure that the flame is extinguished and that there is a steady stream of smoke. Place the cheese on the grill grates, ensuring that the pieces do not touch and that there is proper airflow.
Use a grill with good ventilation and one that allows you to easily track the temperature inside. Alternatively, you can place a heatproof thermometer inside the smoker to monitor the temperature.
