First run of the dedicated $3 cold smoke generator that's just for cheese :-)

curious aardvark · #1 03-20-2011, 11:54 AM

Picked a couple of blocks of cheese up last time at costco.
Had decent weather yesterday and I was here all day watching the last 3 matches in this years 6 nations rugby tournament. Perfect time to test the new £2/$3 dedicated smoke generator for cheese (I'll give it a short catchy nick-name at some point

)

Filled it with sawdust, lit with tea candle and placed in the outlaw:

While I was waiting for it to get up to speed (about 10 minutes) I cut the cheese blocks into 8's

After an hour it was going strong. Ideal smoke volume for the outlaw and probably most smokers.

Now ordinarily you can smell the smoke in the house. Not yesterday.
You know you live in the country when at the end of your garden you've got a farmer muck spreading :-)

Now as this is well rotted muck - you can tell by the steam - it's pretty pungent. I don't find it unpleasant, but by god you know it's there !

Back to the cheese.
At the 2 hour mark.

Looking good. Nice colour on the cheese.

I figure the smoke generator ran for just over the 3 hour mark. There was still smoke coming out of the outlaw at 3 hours. But when i went to get the cheese at half time, about 15 minutes later, it had just stopped, few embers still glowing at the end of the mini-smokevark (told you I'd give it a name lol).

All done, the cheese has a great colour and even this fresh, tastes fantastic.
I clingfilmed it and it's in the fridge for a week befoe vacpacking :-)

So all in all a complete success !

Now the point of this device was 2 fold.
1) to have a smoke generator that run for exactly the right amount of time to cold smoke cheese. So that if I get detained towards the end of the smoke - the cheese will not get over smoked and ruined. Proper set & Forget.

2) To demonstrate that for about $3 and an hour of your time, anyone can make an effective, long lasting cold smoke generator.

I'd say job done

Anyone who wants to try smoking their cheese.
Go here Build you own mini-smokevark, get some sawdust and have at it !
No excuses :-)

Whisky Fish · #2 03-20-2011, 12:09 PM

SmokinOutBack · #3 03-20-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whisky Fish

X 2

T-bone Tim · #4 03-20-2011, 12:27 PM

great job CA

I like the " sexy legs " on that thar unit

IrishChef · #5 03-20-2011, 12:29 PM

Looks like it worked as designed. You best get a "patent applied for" stamp on it, before somebody steals it and makes a bunch of cash off your hard work.

curious aardvark · #6 03-20-2011, 12:37 PM

lol you mean like the pro-q smoker ?
Now if that had only generated enough smoke I'd probably never have bothered making my own :-)

I guess I could sell people a 'build your own cheese smoker' kit - just add a cardboard box.

Now there's a thought.

Hmm, would need better legs.

Well maybe when i've finally got a unit and proper food business I'll think about it.

All I can envisage at the moment is the fluury of law suits from 'people' who have just stuck them selves with a bit of lethally fine steel wire.

Nope I'm happy to share this particular design with the world in general. I've got copyright simply by posting it. That'll do :-)

chefrob · #7 03-20-2011, 10:05 PM

nice to see the "mini-smokevark" worked well...........

crusty ol salt · #8 03-20-2011, 10:22 PM

CA that is a great idea

as a matter of fact i think i have some

to use

Critterhunter · #9 03-20-2011, 10:36 PM

Glad it worked as planned CA.

curious aardvark · #10 06-02-2012, 06:10 AM

Just been reading through these cold smoke threads. And have just come up with a great idea for the legs.

Get some wood screws and just thread through the bottom of the mesh, so the head is on the inside of the mesh at the bottom of the 'basket'. Stick a couple either side by the wire 'ribs' so it's that bit stronger. Should only take a couple of minutes, look better, be quicker and be easier than farting around with bendy wire :-)