How long should you need to rest cheese after smoking ? The correct answer

Last Updated on: 19th December 2022, 02:32 pm

Smoking cheese can look like using a magic faucet because it enhances the flavor of cheese considerably.

But there are several confusions related to smoking cheese.

One of them is how long you should let cheese rest after smoking it.

As a general rule, you should consider letting the cheese rest for at least 1-2 weeks before serving it.

The reason is that when the cheese is removed from the smoker, it will have a strong smoked flavor on the outer side while less on the internal side.

cheese is usually smoked in electric smoker because smoking it in charcoal smoker can melt it. electric smokers have a controlled temperature and are go to choice for smoking cheese.

Resting it will allow the flavor to sink in .

Unlike smoking other things like cheese or chicken, smoking cheese requires more patience.

You will have to wait for weeks before having a bite.

But according to my experience, it will only get better in flavor over time.

How long should you need to rest cheese after smoking?

It is really important to rest the smoked cheese after taking it out of the smoker.

During smoking, the smoke will stick to the surface of the cheese throughout the process.

If the cheese is eaten immediately after smoking, it will have a bitter flavor.

You need to rest the cheese for at least a couple of weeks before serving it.

During the resting period, the flavor present on the surface of the cheese will sink deeper into the cheese.

It will help us to get a unique flavor throughout the texture of the cheese.

In the case of resting meat, you need to be really careful because resting for too long can result in the meat cooling down or overcooking.

But in the case of cheese, the flavor will only get better day by day due to the distribution of smokey flavor.

You don’t need any equipment to rest the cheese.

Although it may seem complicated, it is actually a really simple process.

You just need to put your cheese into a zip-lock bag and then put it into the refrigerator.

After 1-2 weeks, it will get better for serving.

Why do we rest cheese after smoking?

Smoked cheese has a bitter flavor when taken out of the smoker.

The reason is that the smoke keeps sticking to the surface of the cheese during the smoking process.

Due to this, the surface of the cheese will have a higher amount of smokey flavor while the deeper side will have less.

Resting is an important step for normalizing the flavor of the cheese.

During resting, the smoked flavor present on the surface of the cheese sinks deeper into the cheese.

It helps enhance the flavor of the cheese.

Flavor enhancement is one of the most important benefits of resting cheese.

If the cheese is served right after taking it out of the smoker, then it will have a bitter flavor.

While storing cheese, the only thing you need to be careful about is the moisture.

Because the cheese is usually left to rest for at least 1-2 weeks, you really need to be careful about moisture.

because it can make the cheese messy or soggy.

So you will have to remove the air completely from the zip lock bag before storing it.

What does “carryover cooking” mean while resting cheese?

Carryover cooking means a continuous increase in the temperature of cheese after it has been removed from the smoker.

Carryover cooking usually occurs in the resting phase.

The temperature of the cheese can increase from 5° to 15° depending on the size and texture of the cheese.

So it is really important to keep in mind that the cooking of cheese will not stop after you have removed the cheese from the smoker.

A good way is to remove the cheese 5–10°F before it reaches the target temperature .

For example, if you are aiming to cook cheese at 180°F , then it is a good idea to remove the cheese at 170°F and place it for resting.

Otherwise, carryover cooking will result in an increase in temperature and overcooking of cheese.

You should be really careful about carryover cooking if you are heating your cheese too much.

Because if the temperature of the cheese continues to rise after it has been removed from the smoker, it may become soft or moist.

But in the case of cheese, you don’t really care about the increase in temperature because you need to rest it for 1-2 weeks anyway.

Carryover cooking usually affects the meats because you need to serve them within a few hours after smoking.

Is there a difference between resting and holding while smoking cheese?

Usually, resting and holding cheese are confused with each other and used interchangeably.

You can even see pro pitmasters using these terms alternatively because there is no information available on such topics.

The difference between holding and resting cheese lies in the internal temperature of the cheese.

In resting, we cool down cheese and store it for weeks to allow the flavor to sink in , while in holding, you need to maintain the internal temperature of cheese for a longer time.

While resting cheese, we tend to place the cheese in the refrigerator for weeks to allow the smoked flavor present on the surface of the cheese to sink back into the cheese.

Moreover, we also need to be careful about moisture to avoid cheese getting messy.

While in the case of holding, we are more focused on maintaining the temperature of the cheese to make sure the cheese is served fresh.

That is, we are more concerned with retaining our freshness than with resting.

In short, resting can be done at room temperature to allow the smoked flavor to be absorbed back. smokey flavor is the reason for smoking cheese.

it applies to both cheese and meat equally because they stop absorbing smoke after sometime and you need to retain the absorbed flavor.

While holding, it should be done by faux cambro or by oven to make sure the internal temperature of the cheese remains constant.

Conclusion

For cheese, it usually needs to be placed in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 weeks for resting.

This resting period will ensure that the cheese has a uniform flavor throughout its texture.

The smokey flavor will sink deeper into the cheese and enhance its flavor over time.