Cheese


 

JayHeyl

TVWBB Pro
It's getting cooler outside, which means cheese smoking season! I was at Costco last week looking for likely candidates. Picked up some medium cheddar, some sharp cheddar, and some Gouda. (That's some Gouda cheese! Ah, that never gets old.) Those are my standbys. Looking for other options I spotted the goat cheese. Goat cheese probably has enough flavor on its own that it doesn't really need to be smoked, but I still wondered. Seems like the soft texture would pick up smoke very quickly. Has anyone tried smoking goat cheese? Did you slice it into medallions or just smoke it whole?

Hmmm... Another thought. Goat cheese instead of cream cheese in Atomic Buffalo Turds? Based on past reactions I've gotten to goat cheese, probably not a huge crowd pleaser, but might be interesting for the more sophisticated palates.
 
Jay, I have a friend who’s wife has an “allergy to cream cheese” so, the goat cheese option sounds great to me! I had no idea cream cheese was so different so as to have its specific allergy. Not casting stones by any means just, interested.
I do a thing with goat cheese stuffed cherry pepper, jarred, peppadew style (cold not roasted or smoked) so, the goat cheese stuffed jalapeño thing doesn’t seem far off track.
I just got a 30 hole pepper rack, I might need to fire that off and compare notes?
And, just like Cheddah, that joke only gets bettah, until it’s too sharp.
OK, I will go stand in the corner now!
 
Allergy to cream cheese sounds odd if there aren't also allergies to other cheeses. Could be like my "allergy" to mayonnaise. I hate the stuff with a passion but it's so ubiquitous most people find that hard to believe, so I sometimes say I'm allergic to it. Everyone accepts that without question.

I just thought of the goat cheese ABTs when composing that message. Goat cheese and prosciutto is a classic, so why not goat cheese and bacon?

Of course, this now brings up the idea of smoked cream cheese. Would seem a natural with lox and bagels. I've got a couple pounds of cream cheese in the refrigerator (thank you, Costco) so some of that may go on the smoker too.
 
My sentiments exactly, an “aversion” is a lot different from an allergy!
I am waiting to see the puddle of creamy cheesy sludge when you spade out the smoker after that one or are you thinking sub zero smoking? Inquiring minds want to know!?
 
I have an A-MAZE-N-SMOKER that produces smoke and almost no heat. I used it early spring the last time I did smoked cheese. No problem keeping the smoker at near ambient temps. Just wait for a cool day, which are in abundance right now, and smoke away.

I'm a bit concerned about the shelf life of smoked goat cheese and smoke cream cheese, but I'll probably give it a try anyway. I'm sure the cream cheese will disappear quickly. I'm the only one that will go near goat cheese so that may be a bit tougher to use before it spoils.
 
Damn that all sounds good. I love goat cheese and smoke goat or cream cheese would be awesome. Keeping temps down is the trick. I usually use my offset and I just drilled a coffee can full of holes. I burn wood chips with maybe two or three lit briquettes. The a-maz-n is probably a much better way to go. I typically have best luck with just cheap store brand blocks.
 
I have one of their expanding tubes too and Rhonda at “A-Maze-N” is really great! The tube does provide pretty near “ambient temperature” smoke! I must have had a rectal cranial inversion and forgotten all about that BRILLIANT piece of the arsenal. Experimental ventures will be taken!
 
I did do this successfully prior to having the A-Maze-N tray. I used a soup can with some holes punched around the bottom. Took a propane torch to a couple briquettes to get them going. Then into the can with a chunk of smoke wood on top. Worked fine. I really just got the A-Maze-N tray as a Christmas gift for somebody to give me. Always nice to buy your own Christmas presents.
 
Jay, that’s a great idea!
I understand the getting your own presents thing but, I do like to be surprised too!
My wife will be cleaning up my wish list on amazon for Christmas which doesn’t bother me but, gee, I could do that myself!
Not a lot of grilling or cooking equipment on there this year, I’ve filled in quite a few holes in the “Needed tools” column this year myself.
Including the rebuilt Genny!
 
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I have got to where I really like mozzarella smoked. It really takes the smoke good and is nice a soft. I buy it at Sams and cut down the width.
 
An unlikely favorite every cheese smoke I have done has been ColbyJack cheese. No explaining it, but it's the favorite of about 75% of those who try a mix...... go figure.
 
An unlikely favorite every cheese smoke I have done has been ColbyJack cheese. No explaining it, but it's the favorite of about 75% of those who try a mix...... go figure.
Makes sense. It's fairly soft so should take smoke well and it's mild so the flavor of the cheese won't fight with the smoke. I should pick up a block before my next cheese smoke. I've got enough cheeses lined up that I'll probably have to use both grates, but I'm sure I can find room for a bit more.
 
Finally had a day that was cool enough for the cheese and not too cold for the person doing the smoking. I did Gouda, sharp cheddar, medium cheddar, two packages of soft goat cheese, and one package of cream cheese, just because I had it on hand.

I used the A-Maze-N tray. I don't know why, but I have a hell of a time keeping the smoke going. I've been using fine chips from Fruita Wood that they said would work fine in this application. Most of the chips are very small. Not quite saw dust, but not what most people would call chips. I've tried packing it tight. I've tried laying it in as loose as possible. Not great luck either way. I filled the tray and lit both ends this time. One burned out in maybe half an hour. The other did continue to smolder and produce smoke so it wasn't a complete failure.

I'm going to let the cheese rest for a week or so and then give it a try.
 
Jay: I've had good luck with pellets: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00C4ZSBFK/tvwb-20

Dustin - slice it thinner! I've vac-bagged lots of cheese, it keeps well and makes great gifts (((((I should get in on some of this for xmas gifts))))).

What kind of chips/pellets did you use? How long, how'd you smoke it? I've seen some people make the same complaint so you're definitely not alone when it comes to smocking cheese.
 
Clint, I used hickory chips. I lit some lump charcoal in the bottom of coffee can with a ton of holes drilled in the bottom and then threw some chips on top of that. I did it in the WSM this time and smoked it for 2 hours. My problem is I think I got too many chips going at once. I may need to drill some holes in the side of the can for more airflow. At one point I had some pretty heavy smoke going on. That said I tried some after 3 days and it had mellowed quite a bit. I intended to wait a week and couldn't pull that off. I've done this method before but not with such heavy smoke so we'll see. I don't taste quite like creosote, but it's a lot.
 

 

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