Saucy Rossy BBQ
Snacks & Sides

Applewood Cold Smoked Cheddar

Blocks of cheddar cold smoked with applewood in an unlit gas grill, then rested, dried, and vacuum sealed so the smoke mellows into smooth, balanced flavour.

Time90 min smoke + rest Prep10 min YieldMakes 2–3 blocks CategorySnacks & Sides Watch5:11
Applewood Cold Smoked Cheddar — watch on YouTube

Watch the full cook on YouTube

Method

  1. 1Fill a smoke tube with Traeger apple pellets, light it, and place it directly inside the gas grill — leave the gas off for a true cold smoke.Burners off is the entire point. Cold smoking means smoke without heat, and cheese starts sweating fat above about 90°F — a smoke tube produces smoke from a smouldering pellet bed without heating the chamber.
  2. 2Place the blocks of cheddar on the grates, close the lid, and cold smoke for 1 hour and 30 minutes, letting the applewood smoke slowly fill the chamber.An hour and a half is plenty. Cheese takes smoke readily through its surface, and over-smoking is far more common than under-smoking.
  3. 3Remove the cheese and rest it at room temperature for 1 hour to let the smoke mellow before refrigeration.The hour at room temperature lets the harshest volatile compounds off-gas. Straight from the smoker, cheese tastes acrid — that is normal and it passes.
  4. 4Refrigerate the cheese unwrapped for 6 hours so the surface dries and the smoke settles.Unwrapped in the fridge for six hours dries the surface, which stops condensation forming inside the vacuum bag later.
  5. 5Vacuum seal the cheddar and rest it in the fridge for 1–2 weeks so the smoke flavour normalizes and balances throughout — the key to smooth, not bitter, smoked cheddar.One to two weeks sealed is the step nobody wants to do and everybody should. The smoke compounds migrate from the surface into the body of the cheese, and harsh becomes smooth.

Watch it on YouTube

What each ingredient is doing

Block cheddar
Blocks rather than slices or shreds — you want surface area limited so the smoke penetrates gradually rather than saturating everything. A firm aged cheddar handles smoke better than a young soft one.
Apple pellets
Mild and slightly sweet. Cheese takes smoke very readily, so a gentle fruit wood is far easier to get right than hickory or mesquite.
A smoke tube
The key piece of equipment. It smoulders a bed of pellets to produce smoke without meaningfully heating the chamber, which is exactly what cold smoking requires.
A vacuum sealer
Not just for storage. Sealing the cheese is what lets the smoke compounds migrate inward and equalise over one to two weeks, which is the difference between harsh and smooth.

Temperature guide

StageTempWhat it means
Chamber temperatureBelow 90°F / 32°CBurners off. Above this, cheese sweats fat and softens.
Smoke time1 hour 30 minutesCheese takes smoke readily. Over-smoking is the common mistake.
Room temperature rest1 hourHarsh volatile compounds off-gas.
Fridge, unwrapped6 hoursSurface dries, preventing condensation in the bag.
Sealed rest1–2 weeksThe essential step. Smoke migrates inward and mellows.

Pitmaster tips

  • Burners off. Cold smoking means smoke without heat, and cheese starts sweating fat above about 90°F.
  • Cold smoke on a cool day. In summer, ambient temperature alone can push a closed grill past where cheese holds together — early morning or a cold month is easier.
  • Ninety minutes is plenty. Cheese takes smoke readily and over-smoking is far more common than under-smoking.
  • Use a mild fruit wood. Apple or cherry suits cheese; hickory and mesquite will overwhelm it in the same time.
  • Rest it at room temperature for an hour first. The harshest volatile compounds off-gas, and cheese straight from the smoker tastes acrid.
  • Six hours unwrapped in the fridge dries the surface, which stops condensation forming inside the vacuum bag.
  • The one-to-two-week sealed rest is the step nobody wants to do and everybody should. It is what turns harsh into smooth.
  • Use block cheddar rather than slices. Limited surface area means the smoke penetrates gradually rather than saturating everything.
  • A firm aged cheddar handles smoke better than a young soft one, which can go greasy.
  • Do a big batch. It takes exactly the same effort and the resting time is the same whether you smoke one block or six.

If it goes wrong

The cheese sweated and went greasy
The chamber got too warm. Cold smoke on a cool day, burners off, and add a tray of ice if needed.
It tastes acrid and bitter
Not rested long enough. One to two weeks vacuum sealed is what mellows it — this is almost always the answer.
It is still harsh after two weeks
Over-smoked. Ninety minutes is plenty; longer sessions need months to mellow.
There is condensation in the bag
Sealed before the surface dried. Six hours unwrapped in the fridge first.
The smoke did not penetrate
The tube went out. Smoke tubes need airflow — crack a vent, and check it partway through.
It went mouldy in the bag
Moisture on the surface at sealing, or a bad seal. Dry it properly and check the seal is intact.

Ways to change it up

Different cheeses
Gouda, mozzarella and Monterey Jack all cold smoke well. Softer cheeses need cooler conditions.
Different wood
Cherry for colour, pecan for a nuttier note. Avoid mesquite — it is far too aggressive for cheese.
Ice tray method
A pan of ice in the chamber if the ambient temperature is borderline.
Longer smoke
Two to three hours for a heavier result, but expect to rest it for a month rather than two weeks.
Smoked cheese sauce
The finished cheddar melted into a beer cheese or mac and cheese is outstanding.

What to serve it with

  • Sliced on a board with crackers.
  • Melted into burgers or grilled cheese.
  • Grated over mac and cheese.
  • In a beer cheese dip.
  • With cured meats and pickles.

Storage & reheating

Vacuum sealed and refrigerated, smoked cheddar keeps 4–6 months and genuinely improves for the first month or two as the smoke continues to equalise through the block.

Without a vacuum sealer, wrap it tightly in parchment then plastic and use within a month — but the resting step works far less well, and the whole point of this process is that rest.

It freezes for six months, though the texture becomes crumbly on thawing, which makes it better for melting and grating than for a cheese board. Thaw in the fridge. Given how long it keeps sealed, freezing is rarely necessary.

FAQ

What is cold smoking?

Applying smoke without meaningful heat — below about 90°F for cheese. A smoke tube smoulders a bed of pellets to produce smoke while the grill's burners stay off, so the cheese takes on flavour without softening or sweating out its fat.

Why does smoked cheese need to rest for weeks?

Straight from the smoker it tastes harsh and acrid, because the smoke compounds are concentrated on the surface. Vacuum sealed for one to two weeks, those compounds migrate into the body of the cheese and equalise. It is the single most important step and the one most often skipped.

How long should I cold smoke cheese?

About 90 minutes with a mild fruit wood. Cheese absorbs smoke through its surface very readily, so over-smoking is a much more common mistake than under-smoking — and an over-smoked block needs months rather than weeks to become pleasant.

Can I cold smoke cheese in summer?

It is difficult. Ambient temperature alone can push a closed grill past 90°F, at which point the cheese sweats fat and softens. Early morning helps, a pan of ice in the chamber helps more, and a cold day is easiest of all.

Why refrigerate the cheese unwrapped before sealing?

To dry the surface. A block sealed while still slightly damp traps that moisture in the bag, which encourages mould over the weeks of resting. Six hours uncovered in the fridge is enough.

What wood is best for smoking cheese?

Mild fruit woods — apple, as here, or cherry. Cheese takes smoke fast, so hickory and especially mesquite will make it unpleasantly bitter in the same 90 minutes that apple gets right.

Know your cook

More information, cause recipe back stories are stupid

No 500-word life story — just the good-to-know stuff on what’s actually in this cook. Here’s the rundown on every real ingredient, health and nutrition wise.

Cheese
Cheese is a good source of protein and calcium and pairs naturally with smoke, but it's also high in saturated fat and sodium — a little delivers big flavour, so treat it as a rich accent.
Apple
Apples add natural sweetness, fibre, and vitamin C. In a brine or alongside pork they balance salt and smoke; on their own they're a low-calorie, gut-friendly fruit.

General nutrition info only, not medical or dietary advice — portions, brands and add-ons change the numbers.

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