Cold smoked cheese on WSM - worked great!


 
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Keri C

TVWBB Wizard
I experimented with cold-smoking some chunks of cheddar and swiss Friday night, with some excellent results. No additional chambers or tubing, either. Just 3 briquettes and a small handful of hickory chips kept me in smoke for 3 1/2 hours. I'm hooked...

Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time
 
Hi Keri,
I've had good sucess smoking cheese, both on my old ECB and now my WSM.
I use a small fire (I use lump), some fruitwood for smoke. I fill the waterpan with ice, and a 9x9 cakepan filled with ice, covered with foil on the top grill.
I place the cheese chunks on the foil, and rotate 90 degrees every 15 minutes. After an hour or so, I've got some great smoked cheese, the chunks hold their shape, with minimal melting.
Tasty, tasty stuff. I've done swiss, white cheddar, gouda, and havarti. I wasn't too thrilled with the cheddar, the swiss was very nice, smoked havarti is a wonderful thing. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif The gouda was just off the map.
Happy smoking,
Jim
 
Hi, Jim,

We had done the ice-in-the-water-pan approach, but I had not thought of laying the cheese over an ice-filled pan on the rack. Excellent idea! What I HAD planned to do on my next cheese cook was to get some non-galvanized window screen, spray it with a bit of oil, and make a framework for the cheese to sit on - something that would support it nicely but still allow smoke to get to the bottom as well as sides and top. But, then, as smoky as these first ones turned out, I don't think we're missing much by not smoking the bottom as well.

I will definitely switch from hickory chips to a milder fruit wood next time though.

Thanks for the hints. I'm still amazed at getting 3 1/2 hours of smoke out of 3 briquettes and a small handful of hickory chips.

Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time
 
At restaurant supply stores like Smart & Final or Cash & Carry, you can buy something called a pizza screen. It's a round frame with an aluminum screen insert. They come in several sizes that will fit inside the WSM and cost less than $5 each. And of course, they're reusable.

Here's an example of a pizza screen.

Regards,
Chris
 
Eureka! That's it! Whatta man, whatta man, whatta a mighty fine man (to quote an old song from my college days, lo these many years ago...)

Exactly what I had in mind! Thanks, Chris.

I'm thinkin' I need to make a run to Curtis Restaurant Supply over my lunch hour in the next day or so. <big grin>

Thanks much!

Keri
 
Try a few dry corn cobs Keri ... I know it sounds ridiculous but they have a wonderful mild smoke flavor... I have never used them on cheese but I love the flavor they give to smoked fish and I think it would be ideal for cheese...

Cheers!!!

bugg /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
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