It is make smoked cheese season!
Why now? Temperature. If the temp goes over 90 degrees, it melts all over your grill. That is a mess. Don’t do it. I am well on my way to having a refrigerator full that I will use as holiday gifts, at parties, and for general snacking.
First, you don’t need a smoker. A grill of any kind will work, or a special smoker box. All you need is a smoke tube, wood, and cheese.
I pretty much smoke gouda, swiss, and cheddar cheeses, as these seem to be the most popular with my family and friends. I buy the big chunks at Costco.
I sit them out for an hour or so. That makes it easier to remove the wax on the outside of the cheese. Then, I warm a big knife and cut the chunks into three pieces.
Put them on a wire cooling rack for easy transport and retrieval.
Fill a smoke tube or box with your wood/pellets of choice. I usually use apple pellets.
Light the end of the filled tube with a propane torch until it is flaming. Let it burn for a few minutes. Then blow out the flame. It should start to smoke. I lay it inside my smoker, so the smoke flows across the space and up the chimney. My tube lasts 4-6 hours which is plenty of time.
After an hour, I flip the cheese over. After another hour, I take the cheese out. If you like smoky cheese, keep it smoking longer.
WHEN DONE, DON’T TASTE IT. The oils have come to the surface of the cheese, and it
will taste like crap. It has to cure for at least three days in your refrigerator. Let it set for a few minutes, then vacuum seal it, or wrap it in plastic and a ziplock.
Put it in the refrigerator. I mark the bag with the cheese type and date it.
That’s it.