Cold-Smoking Cheese Before Aging?

[innerspacesuit]

Hi,

I have a 3 lb wheel of gouda in the ripening phase.  I'd like to smoke it, but my last 2 goudas didn't turn out as I expected.  I'm using hickory grill kickers ( http://www.grillkicker.com/ ) using this method: http://www.smokepistol.co.uk/Smoked%20Cheese.pdf but instead using an empty, covered grill instead of a cardboard box.

The first time, I smoked it for about 30 minutes.  I think it got a little warmer than it should have because it started dripping fat.  After that I put it in the fridge to firm up and then waxed it.  After aging for about 3 months, the taste was okay (although a bit more "cheddary" than I was hoping for) and the smokiness just about right, however the texture was kind of dry.  Overall, a bit disappointing.

The second time I smoked it for the same amount of time, but it was colder outside and it didn't precipitate as much fat.  However, because #1 made my entire fridge and leftover wax smell like smoke, I decided to vacuum seal this cheese instead of waxing.  After about 3 months, it tasted extremely bitter, but the texture was right on!

Anyway, to make a long story short, what's the best way to smoke a cheese?  The reason I try smoking before I age is because I want the entire cheese to have a smoke flavor and not just the rind.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[DeejayDebi]

Cheese takes on smoke very quickly! I would never smoke for more than 30 minutes to an hour. Keep your temperature well below 100F degrees or you'll melt it.

If you don't have a smoker I'd suggest a coffee can with holes poked in it the can maybe the bottom opened up a bit on two sides for air flow.

Add a few coals to the bottom then a few wood chips and a few hot coals and then throw a few wood chips on top. They should just smolder. Once this gets going good put it on you grill and add the cheese. Close the top and your golden.

Another method that works well is to put wood chips in a coffee can and put a soldering iron on the wood to burn it.

You don't want heavy thick white smoke it should be thin and blue barely visable. Good luck. If you can smell it the cheese will too.

Bitter smoked cheese is a sign of billowy white or black smoke. To much smoke at a time makes things bitter. Keep it thin and blue.