[JaySyn]

Been insanely busy lately, so I haven't had much of a chance to chime in here.  I haven't shot out a message to your brother yet, Steve.  I am still working on getting some things in order.  It does sound like I need to stop by where you work.  What kind of deals on meats do you get in there??  I got suckered in to the buy 1 get 2 free on racks of ribs at Fry's the other night. 

[skou]

A similar rack would have been $2.69 a pound, close to what Fry's charges.

You do need to come in and see what we have.  Since we do not order, and get what we get, the stock varies.

Oh, Tillamook Sharp, is $2.99 a 2 LB brick, until they're gone.  (Fry's, $10.99, brick.)  Yes, it's out of code (Dec 2012) but it is still GREAT cheese.  Cheese, in the sealed packages, will "last" for years.  (But, mild cheese will progress to medium.  Medium will become sharp.  Sharp will turn into REAL sharp.)  I've got a 2 pound block of last year's medium.  It's now sharp, in a medium wrapper.

My brother doesn't know it yet, but we're smoking a case of cheese, this Sunday.

steve

[skou]

I was in the SE Valley and finally went to Steve Skouson's store...American Discount Foods. (I wanted to introduce myself to you, Steve, but you weren't in yet.) What a wacky experience! The place is huge and stocked with all kinds of commercial foodstuffs at ultra cheap closeout prices. A lot of stuff is fading fast, but if you are judicious in your shopping you can pick up some real finds. Example: they have 2 lb. loaves of Tillamook sharp cheddar for $3.99. That's just a couple bucks a pound for some high quality cheese. Such a deal!

Mark, I took the week off you decided to show up.  SORRY!

Thanks for the advert on the store!

(Last year, Wally-World at Falcon Field had a sign by the front door, said "we do NOT price-match American Discount Foods.  Can't pay for advertising like that!)

steve

[JaySyn]

In that case, I guess I over spent on the ribs.  They were marked at $7.99 a pound.  I just had some cheese that AZjohnnyC had smoked for a Super Bowl party, and I have to say it was like crack.  I may be stopping in soon for some cheese.  I just need to get over to BBQ Island for a few things before I can attempt cold smoking.  Any suggestions for good woods for some cheddar?

[Mark]

Somthing mild like apple would likely work best. Apple & cheddar does have a nice ring to it!

[skou]

Mark, (Deadly) Sterling and I did some cheese smoking last year, and used
oak sawdust that he had laying around.  Turned out GREAT!  (Sterling, and I
are amateur woodworkers, as well as slightly more experienced smokers.)

Guys, Jay is a friend of mine, from a computer Forum, and I know him as DeadlySyn
there.

If I had a choice, I'd use something mild.  Since I'm out of apple,
cherry or pecan (mild hickory) would work.  Not using mesquite!

Wild hickory is hickory.  Domesticated hickory is pecan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickory

steve

[JaySyn]

I have some apple wood chunks, but I am thinking about picking up some pellets and an A-Maze-N Tube Smoker.  I think that is what AZjohnnyC used to do his cheddar.  He said he filled it up with some pellets (I think they may have been mesquite), lit one end of it, then put it in the bottom of his ProQ, with the cheese at the top.

I was thinking there might be a couple of ways that I could do something similar.  I could either just pick up some pellets and throw them in the cast iron smoker box I have for my gas grill, lighting them and letting them cool to a smolder, then put the cheese in the grill with a frozen water filled milk jug (to keep temperature down).  Another option would be getting the A-Maze-N Tube, and filling it up, and doing the same thing on either the gas or charcoal grill, which might be the better route depending on how long I would need to do the cold smoking for.  The cast iron box I have isn't very big, so it would probably require at least one refill.  I am also looking at getting some pepperjack, mozzarella, and maybe even some colby jack for smoking.  I am also looking at some options using a single charcoal briquette and a chunk of apple wood.  Looks like there are quite a few ways to do it, so I just need to experiment to find out what works best for me.

[skou]

Jay, you want some height (distance) from the smoke,
because of the heat the smoke generator develops.  
The ProQ has enough height to work, in this instance.
A UDS would work as well.

Remember, you're not cooking, just imparting flavor.

The wood is important here, but not critical.  (Any decent smoking
wood will give good quality cheese.)

Oh, after the cheese is smoked, vacuum pack it, then
let it sit for a few weeks (or months).

Jay, I'm at the store from 4 (well 3:30) until we close
at 8:00, every day.  I'd REALLY like to meet you.

steve

[Brian (B&C BBQ Crew)]

A good way to get moderate mesquite flavor is to use mesquite lump charcoal instead of unburnt mesquite wood. You can get bags of it at any hispanic market or in 40-lb. sacks at Smart & Final.

I have a membership at Resturant Depot, get those bags for $11 each