I am now reporting back with the smoking results I got in making my first batch of cold smoked cheeses. Overall the various cheeses (ten different types) taste fine. They are certainly smoky. The surfaces are obviously darker than the interiors in what I will call a light to dark tan surface as opposed to brown, depending on the type of cheese. The interiors have the texture they are supposed to have were the cheeses not smoked, so that pleases me. There was/is a variable rate of surface absorption of smoke across the different cheeses. Pecorino Romano showed the least change at the surface. Gruyere showed the most darkening effect of the smoking. In all cases the flavors were either good or great, which in part depends on which cheeses you like best.
Here are the types of cheeses I smoked all at once to develop an accurate comparison across the cheeses, all smoked for four hours using apple wood chips, with smoker temperatures varying from 50 degrees F to 90 degrees F ==> Gouda, Swiss, Feta, Bleu, Pecorino Romano, Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Gruyere, Mozzarella.
Now, what about the future? I have decided that I did not need to smoke the cheeses for four hours. I believe two hours of smoking will be fine, so that is my recommendation. As you will read further on, the interior temperature of the smoker stayed in a perfect range for the first two hours of smoking (maximum temperature 83 degrees F), but after that I had to resort to actions like opening the vertical electric smoker door to cool the smoker to control the temperature/keep it from going above 90 degrees F. Note that general recipes for cold smoking cheeses strongly advise starting with ambient temperatures no higher than 60 degrees F. I say the ambient temperature should be no higher than 45 degrees F, unless you have means to cool the smoker to be certain the interior temperature does not exceed 85 degrees F. I strongly recommend limiting the interior temperature of the smoker to maximum 85 degrees F to avoid causing the cheeses to sweat or expel oils.
Note that the directions I provide are appropriate for an electric vertical smoker. If you have a different type of smoking setup then you can adapt my directions to your environment (or find a different recipe).
A key instruction in the Internet recipes was not to eat any of the smoked cheese immediately after smoking it, for it will taste bitter. Wait a month or two for the smoked cheeses to age and become mellow. That means allow enough time for the concentrated smoke deposited on the surface of the cheeses to penetrate them. That recommendation is right on target, and waiting for two months might be best, but one month is in general okay.
Another key instruction was not to start to smoke the cheese if the ambient temperature is higher than 60 degrees F. I say, don't even think about cold smoking cheeses if the ambient temperature is above 50 degrees F. You don't want the cheeses to melt during smoking so you want the internal temperature of the smoker during smoking to be a maximum of 85 degrees F, but my personal recommendation is to absolutely limit the maximum interior temperature to 85 degrees F. Having colder ambient temperatures will help assure that the internal smoker temperature will remain at an acceptable value ... ideally no more than about 80 degrees F (yes, that is the best internal temperature goal), but that also depends on the physical characteristics like size and basic materials (metals) and design of the smoker and the smoke tube you use.
Now let's digress and consider what actually happened during the two, two hour periods of smoking the cheeses ...
What I learned was the temperatures I encountered during the first two hours of smoking the cheeses (from 56 degrees F rising to 83 degrees F) made the process look easy, but that was not a valid predictor of what would happen during the second two hours of smoking. The reason is the starting temperature of the smoker, the cheeses and especially the hot smoke tube produced a second period starting temperature of 76 degrees F, even after opening the smoker to allow cool (58 degrees F) air to enter and cool the smoker and contents for five minutes. With the higher starting temperature, and a fairly large (12" long) smoke tube producing lots of smoke plus heat, in short order the temperature inside the smoker during the second two hour period rose to 90 degrees F, and it would have continued rising had I not intervened to stop it. The solution was to partially open the smoker door so the internal temperature dropped and stayed at 88 degrees F for the remainder (1 1/2 hours) of the second two hour smoking period. I wondered if the cheeses would be exposed to enough smoke with the partially opened door, but that turned out to be no problem at all given the large volume of smoke produced by the smoke tube.
Ultimately, the higher temperatures did negatively affect the cheeses, with some of them softening in the direction of melting, but not actually melting, and some becoming oily on the surface from oils expelled from the interior of the cheeses. In short, my original thought of a high temperature of 80 degrees F was the best limit to set, though the 83 degrees F from the first smoking period did not appear to harm the cheeses at all.
What this means is I have to reduce the heat generated by the smoke tube, (or only smoke cheeses when the ambient temperature is 30 degrees F to 45 degrees F) and that can happen by me purchasing and using two shorter (6" long) smoke tubes (which I've now done) for my relatively small vertical smoker (2.8 cubic feet internal volume). The idea is that I remove the first smoke tube after two hours and set it aside. Then, only light a second smoke tube and start using it if I decide I want to have a second two hour smoke period. The heat produced by the smoke tubes is in part a matter of how long they have been smoldering ... and especially how much of the content is smoldering at any one time. Less heat is the objective for using two of the shorter tubes in sequence. So be it for the future. Of course, I look forward to cold weather so the heat problem pretty much goes away, by opening the smoker and cooling it for ten to 15 minutes before starting any second smoking period.
Okay, now let's get on with the recipe ...
The hardest part of smoking the cheeses will be waiting a month for them to mellow in the refrigerator, vacuum sealed, before eating them. And that turned out to be the truth. I simply had to taste one of the cheeses after two weeks, and I learned my lesson. Don't do it.
One way to get a lot of smoke flavor is to have cheese blocks about 1" thick, and 1" or more wide. Think of it as total smoked surface area of the cheese per pound of cheese. Thinner blocks yield more total surface area, and 1" thick seems to be the best thickness for flavor. Note also that the dimensions of the larger blocks or wheels of cheese you buy will determine your best options for cutting the cheese into sections as just described prior to smoking it.
Besides eating the cheese on hors d'ouvres or by itself you can use it in many different ways, for example:
- Crumbled in a salad
- One of the cheeses used in macaroni and cheese
- As a topping for pizza
- Part of a meat and cheese sandwich
- An egg and cheese omelet
- A grilled cheese sandwich
- A cheese sauce like that used with steamed broccoli or cauliflower
Ingredients:
Up to 18 to 24 blocks [For example: 1"x 2"x 4"] of Cheese (use hard cheeses: sharp Cheddar, Gouda, Pepper Jack, Gruyere, Swiss, Bleu, hard Feta, hard Mozzarella, Pecorino Romano)
Equipment:
Smoke Tube (use two 6" long smoke tubes, not the regular ones that are 12" long), and use a disposable type of aluminum foil tray underneath it to collect ashes.
The Smoker ... Note that You Do Not turn on the normal source of heat for the smoker when you are cold smoking cheeses.
Wireless temperature probe system, with a simple, made at home 5/16" hole in a small wood block (1.5"x2.5"x2") to hold the probe (system optional but recommended), or alternatively, an accurate ordinary thermometer, that will require you to open the smoker periodically during smoking to check the temperature.
Rack(s) to hold the pieces of cheese (that will fit on a high smoker shelf/shelves [or you might use only the smoker shelf/shelves]).
Disposable type of aluminum foil tray on a shelf immediately above the smoke tube to use as a heat diffuser.
1 to 2 cups of Wood pellets (Apple, Alder, or other mild smoke wood(s)) to fill the smoke tube. I chose Apple.
Latex Gloves (Avoid transferring bacteria, mold or oils from your hands to the cheese).
Propane Torch (A small propane tank with a small torch attachment [like plumbers use]).
Heat resistant gloves to protect your hands while lighting and setting up the smoke tube (optional ... I did not find the gloves to be needed).
A vacuum sealer and vacuum seal bags.
Directions:
Do not start to cold smoke the cheeses unless the ambient temperature is less than 60 degrees F. My advice? Don't cold smoke cheeses if the ambient temperature is above 50 degrees F. Make sure the ambient temperature will be no more than 60 degrees F by the end of four hours of smoking. That will help keep the cheese temperature inside the smoker from going above 85 degrees F (or more) in the smoker and melting or otherwise harming/denaturing the cheeses.
Put on the latex gloves and cut larger blocks of cheese as necessary to be no more than 1" thick but as wide and long as you choose, as long as they will fit on the rack(s) with 1" or more of space between them. If you happen to have narrow wedges of cheese (about 1" thick at the wide end to 0" at the other end) you can cut them in half lengthwise and put the two halves together to form one block of even 1" thickness.
Arrange the cheese blocks on a rack (or a smoker shelf). Be sure to leave space between them for the smoke to come through. Allow 1" of open space on all sides.
Let the cold cheeses from the refrigerator, that are now on a rack or shelf, to come to room temperature for an hour before smoking them. That allows a pellicle to form on the cheese surfaces, which later will help the smoke particles to stick to the surfaces of the cheeses. A pellicle is a type of tacky surface that will form on cheeses left to warm to room temperature.
Put the aluminum foil tray heat diffuser on a low smoker shelf. The tray size should be about 3" shorter and 3" narrower than the smoker shelf. That provides somewhat more even distribution of smoke rising to the cheeses as well as diffusing the heat from the smoke tube.
Fill the smoke tube with about 1 to 2 cups of Apple or Alder or Maple wood pellets. Avoid the stronger scent/taste smoke from woods like Hickory or Cherry or Mesquite.
Put on the (optional) pair of heat resistant gloves before lighting the wood pellets. (Maybe. I didn't need them. Simply hold the cold end of the smoke tube.)
Light the pellets on the open end of the smoke tube using a propane torch constantly for about two minutes, keeping the tube vertical, and then let them burn for about five minutes until the flame goes out. What actually happens is the smoker tube starts to become red hot and that surely does get the pellets inside the tube actively smoking. They should at that point be smoldering and making smoke, and they should continue to make smoke for around four to five hours for a 12" long smoke tube or two and one half hours for a 6" long smoke tube. If the flame doesn't go out then blow it out.
Put the second aluminum foil tray at the bottom inside of the smoker to catch any ashes, and place the smoking tube on it horizontally, with the hot end under the surface of the heat diffuser tray above, moving the position of the heat diffuser tray if necessary.
Make sure there is a 1/2" to 3/4" diameter hole or other small open area low in the smoker so the pellets have a limited air supply flowing in to allow them to continue to smolder (See Notes below) but not start burning with a flame.
Put the (optional) wireless temperature probe into the wooden probe holder hole and place it on (what will be) the highest smoker shelf. Alternatively, put a conventional, accurate thermometer on the top shelf of the smoker but do not allow it to touch the cheeses or the metal surfaces directly. If needed, place it on a small piece of wood.
Place a rack/shelf of cheese on the highest smoker shelf position. If necessary, also use the second highest smoker shelf position. Close the smoker. Adjust the top air vent to be half way open.
Be sure smoke is being generated by the smoldering wood pellets. The smoke should become quite obvious exiting the air vent. If it is not, then check the smoke tube to make sure the pellets are smoldering. If they aren't, they may have extinguished due to too limited supply of fresh air. If so, enlarge the air supply hole/port to allow more air to enter the smoker and relight the pellets. If instead the pellets are burning with a flame, blow them out and partially cover the air supply hole/port to further limit the amount of air allowed to enter the smoker.
Smoke the cheeses for two hours, then if you want a second two hour smoking period, then turn the pieces of cheese over, keep the smoker door wide open to cool the smoker for five minutes, and then continue smoking the cheeses for the remaining two hours. If you have two racks/shelves of cheeses swap their positions for the second two hour smoking period. Swap the smoke tubes, lighting the second one using the same procedure as described earlier, and placing the first hot smoke tube on a nonflammable surface.
Use the (optional) wireless temperature system to monitor the internal smoker temperature, to alert you if the temperature exceeds 85 degrees F. If the temperature does get above 85 degrees F then open the smoker door completely to let heat escape for a few minutes, then close the smoker door allowing it to remain partially open, perhaps a 1" wide opening. If you don't have a wireless temperature system then use an accurate ordinary thermometer placed on the highest rack/shelf to display the temperature and open the smoker every 15 minutes to check the temperature to make sure it does not rise above 85 degrees F.
Note that a 12" smoke tube will finish smoldering the load of pellets in 4 to 5 hours and a 6" smoke tube in 2 1/2 hours. Let it burn out naturally in the smoker if it is still smoking when you have removed the smoked cheeses.
When the cheeses have smoked for 2 to 4 hours they are finished and they can be brought into the house on the racks/shelves to cool for about an hour. After the cooling period, if you notice any oily surfaces on the cheeses blot them with paper towels to remove most of the oils.
Once the cheeses are at room temperature, put on latex gloves and vacuum seal the cheese blocks individually. Label the vacuum sealed packages.
Put the vacuum sealed cheese blocks into the refrigerator for one or two months to "age" or mellow out.
Remember to clean the smoke tubes after they have cooled (with a long narrow brush) and remove the second one and both of the disposable aluminum foil trays from the smoker. Clean the trays and the smoke tubes with warm water and a mild detergent, then dry them and store them for future use.
Notes:
Make sure the ambient temperature is low (40 degrees F to 50 degrees F is best) before you start smoking the pieces of cheese. You do not want the internal temperature of the smoker to exceed 85 degrees F during the smoking of the cheese, so the cooler the smoker is at the beginning, due to the weather, the less chance you have of developing a too high temperature during smoking.
Make sure the smoker is in the shade (A smoker can get hot in the sun, even if it is cool outside).
If you have a wireless thermometer accessory, use it to monitor the temperature inside the smoker. Put the probe through a hole drilled in a small wood block, do not stick it into a block of cheese. If the smoker temperature exceeds 85 degrees F then fully open the smoker door/lid for a minute to allow hot air to leave and cool air to enter ... then leave the door partially open (1" wide) for the remainder of the smoking period.
Wear latex gloves when handling cheese to prevent oils, mold and bacteria from your hands transferring to the cheese. That will help avoid mold forming on the surface of the cheese and help the cheese to last longer in storage.
Provide a small air supply hole or port in the smoker for the smoke tube pellets, to keep them smoldering/smoking. Example: Slightly open the port that holds the smoker wood shavings box by slightly pulling the smoker box away from the side of the smoker, maybe 1/8th of an inch, or a bit more, from the closed position.
Vacuum seal the blocks of cheese after smoking them and letting them cool, then put them into the refrigerator to age/mellow. Be sure to label the vacuum seal bags if you are smoking multiple types of cheese.
Enjoy!