Cheese Wax and Coating: protection for the ripening wheel

Cheese Wax and Coating: the layer that protects the wheel

Between the press and the plate lie weeks or months. In that time the cheese dries out at the surface and stands open to unwanted moulds and bacteria. A closed protective layer is what stops that. We offer two routes for it: cheese wax as the classic dense shell and cheese coating as a thin, breathable film for semi-hard cheese.

Cheese wax: the dense shell

The cheese wax comes as a 1.2 kilo block, which covers a great many wheels because you only ever need a thin layer. Melt it in a water bath, then dip the dry wheel or brush the wax on and repeat until the surface is sealed without gaps. From then on the cheese is shielded from bacteria and mould and loses hardly any moisture. What matters is a genuinely dry, clean wheel: any residual moisture trapped under the wax can grow mould where you cannot see it. Leftover wax can be melted down and used again.

Cheese coating: thin and breathable

The cheese coating for semi-hard cheese works differently. It goes on cold, dries to a thin film and stays breathable. The wheel can therefore carry on giving off moisture and ripening, while still being protected against unwanted growth. Apply it with a brush or with a sponge for cheese coating, usually in two passes, turning the wheel in between so the underside gets sealed as well. Two thin coats hold better than one thick one. For varieties that should keep working during ripening, this is the better choice of the two.

Frequently asked questions

Wax or coating, which should I use?
Wax for long ripening and a fully sealed finish, coating for semi-hard cheese that should keep breathing while it matures.

When do I apply the protective layer?
Only once the wheel has dried off completely at the surface after the brine bath, otherwise you seal moisture in.

Can I reuse the wax?
Yes. Wax you have peeled off can be melted down and used again, as long as no cheese residue or dirt has got into it.