Been thinking about trying to smoke some cheese for awhile. Smoked lot different things over years never tried cheese. Knew I needed to run cold smoke so thought I best do it now while weather still colder. Was out to the Amish store the other day. Grab piece of Colby, Swiss and some Pepper Jack. They were out of Godda.. Also stopped got 4 dozen eggs with plans to hard boil pickle them.
This morning early am I got after it all. Found out right away smoker wasn't going to run 100 degrees or less. So I improvised set rack on top the smoker put chaffing pan over it. Smoke from top vents coming up under chaffing pan heat never got above 68 degrees plenty smoke.. Perfect I figured. Except first check at 30 minutes in I found that I had couple pieces of my cheese right over vent holes Oups! Quick shuffle and all was good.
Did I mention I had two dozen them hard boiled eggs in the actual smoker box? Figured I do two batches pickled eggs. Two dozen in sweet pickle mix I like. Then smoke two dozen and pickle with same mix I do some of my fish in.
Ran the smoker for 4 hours think it went pretty well with exception of the first vent hole issue. So my cheese was smoked 4 hours at between 55 and 68 degrees. The eggs also went 4 hours some where between 120 -140 degrees I would guess. Wasn't worried enough to put a temperature probe in with them knowing how it's run in past. Took few pictures along way.

Chaffing pan improvised smoker box


Cheese on smoking rack


Eggs in the smoker


Cheese after 4 hour run dang vent hole spots make look funny. Flip side looks perfect.


Eggs after 4 hours running. Look like brown hen or duck eggs.


I let the cheese cool wapped it up tight in saran wrap. Internet specialist cheese smoker guy say let it rest at least one week in refrigerator two weeks is better.. Will do week for sure just because.
The eggs I need to get in pickling bath. Might just do another post with eggs. Is plenty other posts about gas stuff right now LOL..

Mac

Looks awesome Mac! I love me some smoked cheese.

i love smoked string cheese, bet it's going to be good

Looks Great

Looking good.Never heard of smoked eggs.

I would definitely like to see your post on pickling eggs. I would like to know how long they need to sit before you can have a good pickled egg.

They make really good deviled eggs I've made them for family Christmas. Always a hit done that way for gatherings. I got this bunch soaking in pickling spice. I've made them up that way before too.. Of course ate them with just S&P too. I don't typically put eggs in salad at home. But I'm guessing be great on salads.

Don't want steal Cathryn's pickled egg post. So I post them here.
Top jar is plain hard boiled eggs in a refrigerator pickle recipe my grandma used to make
I use it on cucumbers and love it so started doing eggs too.
Second jar is the smoked eggs in pickle recipe I use for my fish. Just don't have to do same steps to do eggs. Their more like the eggs used to remember getting at some of old taverns. Except I used smoked this time.





Mac

That’s a cool contraption can you boil sap on top?

Mac, To keep the temp down use ice.

Wrap ice in towel. Set it on your rack. Lay the cheese on top. I usually wrap mine in cheese cloth. The main problem with this method it you need to constantly check both the cheese and ice. I usually rotate the ice every half hour.

The eggs look and probably taste awesome, but cheese is cheese. I am not a fan of adding to or adulterating cheese. unless its made outside of Wisconsin.

Mad
The contraption in picture is just my home built lp fired smoker,, It doesn't get hot enough to cook sap on. I do use the big chaffing / actually steam table pan, I have over the cheese in my sap cooker. I haven't cooked any sap since 2019 and those cookers are setting by the shed at my place north. This is how my home built wood fired set up looks when I'm cooking sap.

I set up my wood fired cookers in yard like this


Two steam table pans in this cooker


One big wearever pan in the other cooker.


Cookers are lot piddling to tend and are Not pretty but they do what I need them to do.



elkaholic
Thanks for letting me know you have actually done the ice thing. I read that on the net too when was checking out how to keep the smoker temp down. It would have been the next thing I done if the pan over vents hadn't worked. Only thing I misses was starting with the cheese right over vent holes. Once I caught that and moved things was fine. I probably will have to do the ice thing in summer even if I try going back on top.

Mac

You sugaring this year?I made 3 1/2 gallons 10 years ago and by the time it was gone I didn’t like the taste of maple syrup anymore.Trying to cut the carbs for a few years now to dang old to drag the extra weight around.

I was in Poland twice for their Christmas market seasons. They had a local smoked sheep cheese that they would serve warm. Usually with several types of slices sausage, chutney and hot mead. Good memories.