cheese smoke

[eman]

Got 20 lbs of various cheeses ready to come out the smoker.
Xtra sharp cheddar , Sharp cheddar, Pepper jack, Swiss, Muenster, Provalone and Havarti w/ dill.
Lots of 4 oz blocks.

[bigl3456]

What temp did you smoke at and how long? Any pics?

[eman]

Don't have a camera. You cold smoke cheese, no temp .Just use AMNPS or tin can .
i smoke hard cheese for 2.5 hrs and soft cheese for 2 hrs. It MUST rest a minimum of 2 weeks in fridge before eating.

[mcjaredsandwich]

I bet that's a LONG two weeks!

[eman]

YES IT IS!!!! That is why i smoke 20 lbs at a time. I have a few blocks that have aged over a year . Great stuff. BTW You need a vacuum sealer to keep the cheese from molding if you plan on keeping it a while.

[Bluechip]

Originally Posted by mcjaredsandwich

I bet that's a LONG two weeks!

It is..... I usually cheat on one block after 10 days or so.

[eman]

I am bringing a few lbs to our little grand isle get together.
That's why i needed to get it done today. 1 month age will be good.

[Hey Ted]

How do you age it? In a zip lok, vac sealed , just in a container?

[Andy C]

Can you just freeze it for the two weeks vac sealed. Or just leave it in the ice box?

[Bluechip]

Vac seal....

[casmurf]

Vac sealed and in Icebox.

[eman]

I would not recommend freezing Hard cheese. The texture changes ,especially the more expensive aged cheese. It gets crumbly.
I Vac seal a couple hours after smoking and just put it in vegetable drawer in fridge. Have had some in there for over a year and it's still fine.