Mould under wax.

[Ananke]

I've discovered mould growing underneath the wax on my cheddar.  I'm assuming I just need to peel the wax off, clean it and re-wax but as this is my first hard cheese, I thought I should seek some advice before doing anything.

Any advice is much appreciated

[Spoons]

Hi Ananke,

Yes, you do need to clean off the mold and then re-wax it. Are you using paraffin or cream wax? Mold shouldn`t grow underneath cream wax.

[Ananke]

I just bought some "cheese wax"  I'm pretty sure that will be paraffin.  I painted it on with a brush and thought I had covered it really well but now I'm wondering if I missed little bits and maybe that is why I have mould.

[Geodyne]

Rather than missing a bit when waxing, the most likely explanation is that the mould spore was on the cheese when you waxed it. It could have landed when air-drying, for example.

[Digitalsmgital]

Bummer! 

I bought a clear wax for the first coat and a black one for the second coat...how am I gonna see any mold or seepage?

[wharris]

It is for these reasons I have stopped aging my cheese in wax.

I only wax just prior to giving someone a wheel of cheese.  Just for the presentation.

[Geodyne]

DS: Just use the clear, if you're worried about it. If it's any help to you, I've four wheels of cheese in clear wax and I can see what's going on. One has only a tiny bit of mould on one corner, so I'm not sweating it.

[Denise]

When I waxed my first cheeses I used a brush, and it didn't really work. It was messy, there were drips, and the finished result looked far from professional. One problem was that by the time the wax has gone from the pan to the brush to the cheese, it's cooled off a bit so that it doesn't give a smooth finish. Now I dip, it's a lot easier, less messy, fewer drips, and the finished result looks great. The direct heat also seems to kill off any mould critters that might be lurking on the surface of the cheese.

[Digitalsmgital]

DS: Just use the clear, if you're worried about it. If it's any help to you, I've four wheels of cheese in clear wax and I can see what's going on. One has only a tiny bit of mould on one corner, so I'm not sweating it.

Thanks G, I had hoped to really age out those two goudas for over a year. I am hoping that Denise is right, and the spores and other unseen nasties are dismayed when dipped into 220 F wax.