Is a pellet tube sufficient for cold-smoking cheese?

[Michael_in_TX]

I just spent the last little bit reading quite of a few of the threads on smoking cheese. Certainly got me excited to try it!

I do not have a pellet tube as of yet. It looks like the typical smoking time is 2-4 hours. Have you found the tube sufficient for this or would it be better to buy something larger like one of those trays that snake around?

The tube, if it is fine, would let me keep the heat as far away from the cheese as possible. I plan on using my Chimp (off). I could have the tube on the grate closest to the hopper and the cheese on the opposite side on the upper shelf closest to the pellet grill's "exhaust." As a "safety factor" I also plan on putting a copious amount of ice cubes in a pan directly under the cheese.

I think I'll start with sharp cheddar, Swiss, and Monterrey Jack cheeses.

This should be fun....been wanting to do this for awhile.

(And I've read all of the advice on getting the cheese to room temp prior to smoking and getting it to room temp again after smoking, then vac-sealing and letting it rest for 2-4 weeks, if not longer.)

Can't wait for it to get below 50 F around here! (It will get to below 50....right.....lol)

[jerrybell]

I think the pellet tube works fine. I had mixed results mostly because it was sometimes a struggle to keep the pellets lit. I didn't have much airflow in my set up originally. I also think the first time or two I tried it, my pellets were crappy and didn't burn well. I have had success with it. I believe my most effective set up was using a Weber kettle, placing the pellet tube on the charcoal rack and the cheese on a rack that was resting directly on a pan filled with ice.

[RlsRls]

I've had goodluck with my smoking tube and cheese. filled it with apple pellets and apple chips. light it, let it burn a few minutes before blowing out. place it in my PK360 with cheese blocks. just cracked the top vent to maximize smoke. 1.5 to 2 hrs later take cheese out and vacumn seal in fridge for 2 to 3 weeks for curing. easy!

[Michael_in_TX]

Smoker_Boy I may go a similar, but less invasive route. I was thinking of rigging up a large computer fan powered by an external battery to get some airflow in there.

[Smoker_Boy]

Michael_in_TX That'll work!!

[captainlee]

I use a tube to cold smoke cheese, it works well. First when you light it let it burn for about ten minutes before blowing it out. I use my Yoder and occasionally turn the fan on to give it a kick.

[captainlee]

I also cold smoke 32 degrees and under.

[LA Pork Butt]

I have done it a few times, but I never brought the cheese up to room temp. I put it on cold because according to Dr Blonder cold attracts smoke. I had successes the 1st couple of times, but the last time I messed up the set up and the cheese melted. I used a snake tray on a Big Green Egg. One of the secrets to keeping the pellets burning is drying them in a microwave. That could prove to be a problem for you on the gulf coast as opposed to here in Dallas.

[mrteddyprincess]

I have a spiral cold smoke generator I got last Xmas. It looks like a snail shell and burns sawdust. I borrow Traeger pellets from my buddy, bring them home, and blend them in the kitchen blender. I fill the snail shaped generator, light it, and I can get 24 hours of cold smoke heaven out of that thing. Cheese is a much shorter smoke at 2-4 hrs. I cold smoke salmon 24 hrs. Delicious food. The 48 in Lang is my smoking chamber. When I tried to burn whole pellets in the rig, the fire kept going out on me. I really needed to blend the pellets and turn them back into dust to keep the smoke going.

B

[texastweeter]

Short answer...yes.

[Michael_in_TX]

Thanks all, looks like I will pick up a smoker tube. (Also kinda interested in experimenting with it to augment my pellet grill's normal smoke on some things.)

I did notice this: All of the tubes seem to be made by the same company in China. They're all 304 stainless, 12" long and 2" wide. The prices vary considerably on Amazon and there are a slew of people selling them. Prices are anywhere from $9.99 to $26.99 for what appears to be the exact same tube.

Probably will give this a go in mid-January, which is when we usually get our first deep cold front.

[Smoker_Boy]

Michael_in_TX The "Amazin" brand is good stuff.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

yes and no... depends on your airflow, cheese type, outside temp, and pellet flavor. When I was only using a smoke tube on my gasser I found it best to smoke for 3-4 hours. Put in baggies, freezer for an hour or 2 and repeat. When I got my pellet grill with a warming box, I used the pellet grill and put ice under and around the cheese and just went for a 4-6 hour run and results were better than smoke tube. Now with my cold smoking box I wrap some icepacks in foil and run pellets only and time based on cheese type.

I prefer the flavor of the pellets running through my grill as intended, sometimes the pellet tube smoked cheese would be like having dirty smoke and require a very long mellowing period. With my current method I can eat the cheese within a few days instead of a few weeks and haven't ever had a batch that tasted like dirty smoke.

[Michael_in_TX]

The challenge I have with my particular pellet grill is that the lowest it can go is 180 F, which might be a bit high for the cheeses?

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Michael_in_TX check your grate temp you might be lower than 180 if so a foil hotel pan full of ice might make it doable

[RustyHaines]

Tube works great for me in my kettle. I agree it can be hard to get the pellets burning good. The colder outsider the better. Here in Wisconsinn my cheese smoking season is about to get started.

[WayneT]

HotSun , this op is right up your alley.

[HotSun]

Thanks for looping me in, WayneT .

Michael_in_TX , yes, pellet tube is sufficient. I prefer my pellet maze mainly because it fits better in my device (kamado-style). Pellet tube will give you plenty of smoke. If it goes out too soon, then just add more pellets and smoke some more. The main thing is to get it burning with a flame for a while (5-10 minutes), before blowing it out. I had some stalls when I rushed the process.

texastweeter advised smoking cheese when the ambient temperature was below 40F, if I recall.

Here is my post on smoking cheese with a pellet tube, which may be helpful:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/recipes-technique-food-cooking/cheese/1310770-my-first-attempt-at-smoking-cheese

I'll be smoking cheese Sunday if the weather holds, so I'll be posting that somewhere. Good luck and let us know if you have more questions.

[Michael_in_TX]

Yes, your thread and @texastweeters answers have been extremely helpful!

[Michael_in_TX]

Smoke tube arrives Tuesday.

This is something I didn't fully pick up on. So, one fills the tube with pellets (probably pushing them in a bit to ensure they all make good contact), light it with a kitchen torch, wait ten minutes, and then blow them out?

How long does it take to get the initial lighting going? I assume that there'll be a nice flame after ten minutes, hence the need to blow it out and then let them smolder for the cook.

[WayneT]

I would think that would be a piece of required lab equipment. 😉

[Dadof3Illinois]

I’ve used a tube and the tray…both work well. Make sure you get good airflow, crack the lid if you have too.
if you have an aluminum pie plate, good hardwood sawdust and either a hot plate or soldering iron those will also work. I saw this on TV somewhere and tried it….times of smoke.