True cold smoker

[qdog1955]

  Decided to take my old cheese cave ( this was my 1st cave when I first started and quickly out grew ) and see how it would work as a true cold smoker-----drilled a hole for my homemade smoker, and a hole for a long stem thermometer. Ambient temp. 85 degrees ----fridge temp at start---42 degrees. Heavy smoke for 2 1/2 hours----temp. never exceeded 52 degrees. Not sure if I will like this "mild blend " of chips, I'm usually a hickory smoker. Just have to wait and see.
  Am real happy with the way this worked-----I won't have to wait until the cold weather to smoke my cheese any more, and it only cost $ 20.00
Unfortunately, I did a gravity check with 5 lbs. of ready to smoke Asiago that day, the gravity was working fine----the Asiago is no longer with us.
R.I.P.
 Included a couple quick pics.
Qdog

[Al Lewis]

Don't know how much you've done this but I started a little while back and found if I smoked the cheese for 3 hours and then waxed it, left it for a month, then washed the outside with wine to remove the smoke residue, it tasted great!!!

[qdog1955]

Al----was mostly just testing how well the old cave would work as a cold smoker-----should work fine when the temps are in the 90's---have been smoking cheese for quite awhile---  even before I started making my own---started out using this guys method, with some refinements 
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123130/mr-ts-smoked-cheese-from-go-to-show-w-q-view -----never tried the wine, have to give it a go.
Qdog

[Al Lewis]

I found that the wine will remove most of the heavy smoke residue the surface picks up.  It is typically bitter.

[qdog1955]

Al----In my experience, bitter smoking for cheese can be attributed to a couple things or a combination of things-----#1 in the smoker for to long for the type of wood, usually hickory, a strong smoker. #2   to heavy of smoke, a fast, hot burn can produce a lot of creosote that can coat your cheese, a fine thin stream of smoke often produces better results. Top and bottom vents in the box that are adjustable can really help, but has the down side of pulling in hot air if the ambient is high---I find that constantly moving smoke helps prevent unwanted bitter deposits on the cheese.  Have had some of these same issues with meats, but they seem to be much more forgiving then the milder flavor of cheese.
Qdog

[John@PC]

Wait, what homemade smoker ?  I've been gone awhile and I'm sure I'll find it down the list of "unread" posts Qdog and can't wait because it looks so, well, "cool" .

[qdog1955]

  John----the homemade smoker was originally posted by HKJ ---I made a version of that and then started to make improved versions ?  On my 6th or 7th-----wanted one that worked in my large meat smoker, my cheese smoker and my gas grill-----I'm pretty close to an all purpose smoker that is easy to use and widely adjustable smoke out put.
Qdog

[John@PC]

I remember HKJ's smoker but you're looked different, kind of like the smoking pipe I was playing with.  I do want to get back to cold smoking because of all the cheeses we took on vacation the smoked ones were the biggest hits.