Cheese smoking tips

Do you love the taste of smoked cheese? Well, we do. It takes a little effort and you too can turn a “regular” cheese into a dark crusty delicacy. Smoking cheese is not a difficult task but you should follow some basic rules to achieve the best results. So, let us take a closer look at this very enjoyable procedure.

What about the casting? Intestine or commercial casting?

This is probably the first question you should ask yourself. Various commercial castings made of plastic have been used for ages as they are cheap and you can fit the cheese inside easily without grating or cutting. If you use a natural intestine, you need to cut and divide the cheese into small parts or grate it. Grafting is also recommended even if you use commercially produced castings which can accommodate a various shapes… If you use fabric or textile of some kind, you need to pull it over the cheese two or more times to maintain a nice round ball shape.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Temperature is very important

Temperature should never exceed 60 degrees Celsius. Cheese could melt and leak out of the casing and you have done all the work for nothing. Check the temperature in the smokehouse regularly. As for the smoking time – it depends. Around 4 hours is often enough. But if the cheese stays in longer and keeps the shape, you will get stronger smoke taste.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Let the cheese cool down

Yes, it is important to let the cheese cool down sufficiently. It will gradually cool down and as it does so, you will be able to remove the casing or intestine. If you do it too soon the cheese may stick to the casing and you can destroy the shape. It can be ugly. Be patient.

Which cheese is best?

Well, it is really up to you. We like to smoke 30% fat Edam but Emmental or any other hard cheese will do. We have not tried brie yet, but this one is probably better on a grill as prolonged heat would make it leak out…

Preview photo: Radek Štěpán