These are recipes that we have tried and have enjoyed. Hope you enjoy them too!
Smoked Cheese
You can smoke cheese in many different units. I use either an old gas grill with an A-Maze-N™ smoke tube or a cold smoke generator (such as a Smokai Cold Smoker) in a wine/bourbon barrel. Either way turns out amazing cheese. If you use an offset smoker, keep your temps low (<100℉) and place it at the farthest point from your heat/smoke source. Best to do this in the cooler temperatures as it will help your cheese from melting!
Get the cheese. You can smoke about any kind of cheese, including colby, swiss, provolone, mild cheddar, monterey jack. Mild cheddar is my favourite.
Purchase the 8 oz or 16 oz. blocks of cheese. This is an easy size to manage and it absorbs smoke well.
Let your cheese adjust to room temperature for at least one hour. This is optional, but putting cold cheese into a warm smoker can attract condensation forming. You'll get better results if your cheese surface stays dry during the smoke.
Place a bowl of ice in your smoker. This helps to keep the cheese from melting during the smoking process.
Place a grate (cake rack) over the bowl of ice. Put your cheese on the grate, spaced at least 1 inch / 2.5 cm apart.
Smoke the cheese, Maintain a steady smoke for 2-3 hours. Keep your smoker under 90℉ so your cheese doesn't melt.
Refrigerate the cheese. Pat it dry to remove excess moisture. Once it's done, vacuum seal each piece individually or place them in freezer bags. Refrigerate the cheese for at least 4 weeks to let the smoke mellow and penetrate the cheese. If you eat it too soon, the cheese may be bitter.