Thanks Mike. That was my plan. Just wanted some confirmation that I didn't have to freeze them.
Going to cold smoke the cheeses and then kick up the temp and do some almonds on my WSM. The cheese shouldn't be too hard considering it 30 degrees outside right now. Might play hell getting temps up to 250 to do the almonds. Maybe I'll cold smoke those too and finish in the oven.
Going to do some blue cheese to pair with ribs at the NYE party. Also some parmesean, gouda and a sharp cheddar.
Thinking 2-3 briquettes with a chunk or two of Apple wood should get me where I want to be.
First time trying it so I guess we'll see. Thanks again for the help.
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Russell, I see you said you want to cold smoke some cheese for New Years Eve. I would caution you that you'll probably need to let the smoked cheese sit for a few weeks (food saver sealed) before eating. Otherwise, it's going to taste like licking an ash-tray. I've seen this on a few sites, and actually tried it myself and I've found it to be true. The cheese definitely needs some time to mellow.
Also, when you do smoke cheese, be sure to cut in pieces small enough to give it some exposure. If you're buying the small (8 oz I think) Kraft chunks, you should be good as they are. But if you're buying big bricks, you'll probably want to cut them down smaller before smoking to get a bit more flavor. You also need to keep in mind the density of the cheese. I've found that blue cheese is pretty dense so I cut into somewhat smaller pieces when smoking it. Otherwise, you won't get much smoke flavor. With regard to apple, I think you'll be good to go. The fruit woods work nicely with cheese.
Just wanted to pass on a few things that I've learned through my mistakes and successes smoking cheese. For anyone who hasn't tried it, it's really worthwhile. My wife's family has come to expect smoke cheese when I show up at family gatherings. They especially enjoy smoked cheddar and smoked pepper jack.
Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!