[azcharlie]

I want try my hand at cold smoking some cheese. I have heard that sawdust works very well for this. The problem is I don't know were to find any. I have tried some hardwood suppliers but their stuff is all mixed together. Some of it I can't even pronounce the name.

My question. Is there anyone who has smoked cheese with any success and does anyone know were I can find apple or cheery sawdust?

Oh I did check with BBQ Island and BBQ Galore they don't have it.

[brandon]

Try here. http://www.amazenproducts.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=21

[jmcrig]

I get mine from Butchers and Packers;

www.butcher-packer.com/

$5.25 for 5lbs of hickory.

[Rob Albach]

If your comin to the Lake Havasu comp or someone you know is coming to Havasu..I'll give you a bag of pecan sawdust...I had to cut to length  1/2 cord of it so the logs would fit in my firebox...I saved the dust...it's just sittin in my garage. I've used pecan chunks to smoke cheese and it is delicious.

[Mark]

Wal-mart used to carry bags of alder sawdust to be used in Little Chief smokers. But any smoker chips work as well. Small fire + damp chips = lots of smoke and little heat.

[chefrob]

what device are you planning to use for the smoke generator? that might determine how coarse or how fine the dust needs to be.

[PAT YOUNG]

BASHA'S just started carrying small foil containers of APPLE, HICKORY, AND MESQUITE. i use them in my stovetop smoker instead of the sawdust that came with the smoker!! It works great!

[richoso12]

I have done a lot of cold smoking cheese,cheddar, monterey jack, Oaxaca, Manchego, and Asadero. I use fuitwood sawdust along with the AMNS cold smoker in my Weber grill. Just two rows gives me plenty of smoke for 2 hours +. I suggest you leave the cheese unwrapped/uncovered in the fridge for several hours befor smoking. When I used to put the cheese on the grill right after opening the package, it would have an oily substance on it, And it would dry out much sooner. If you can store it in a sealed bag for about two weeks after smoking, the flavor is much better. it's all good my friend.

[azcharlie]

Thanks for all the help guys.

 I think for this first try I will pickup some containers from Basha's. I really want to give it a try this weekend while it's cool out. I can get the temp down to around 80/100 deg. in the smoker that I made (old refer) just have a little trouble maintaining the smoke at those temps. But I think I have that worked out.

Wish me luck and Thanks again

[PAT YOUNG]

AZCHARLIE, just a fyi, when i got home from work this am i checked the wood chip/sawdust product. Though it is made in the USA, It is packaged in KOREA ! Don't know if that matters to you or not.

[Crash]

AZCHARLIE, just a fyi, when i got home from work this am i checked the wood chip/sawdust product. Though it is made in the USA, It is packaged in KOREA ! Don't know if that matters to you or not.

North or South? 

In all seriousness, it would matter to me regardless of which Korea it came from.

[PAT YOUNG]

DITTO CRASH!!

[azcharlie]

The first test run is complete. I picked up two of the packages of saw dust from Bash's and two small blocks of cheese for the test.

I started out with one package of sawdust to see how much smoke I would get. Witch was not very much so I added the second package. That seemed to do the trick. With no other heat source I was able to hold the temp at 79/81 deg. for the entire smoke. (3 hours)

I will now let it set in the refer for the nest 3 weeks. If it comes out like I hope then I will buy some sawdust in bulk and start smoking some other cheeses.

I was impressed with the burn time of the sawdust over 4 hours on each package. Pat I saw what you are talking about it being made in Korea. As this was a test run I will give it a taste and then discard it this time.

Thanks again for the help guys