Author Topic: Question About “Waxy” consistency  (Read 745 times)

ryanmonahan

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Question About “Waxy” consistency
« on: January 09, 2018, 10:14:07 PM »
Hey folks... I’ve made a few cheddars now. I’ve aged them ranging from 9 to 2 months. My older ones that I’ve started eating now have a rather “waxy” consistency. This is the best way I can think to describe it.  Are any more experienced cheesemakers familiar with this and able to provide any input on where along the process this is caused? One comment is that my cheese cave humidity is a tad low… So they did shrink considerably losing between 50 and 60 percent in weight. My youngest cheddar that I vacuum sealed immediately after drying, and opened and tried it after two months, did not have them  waxy consistency and taste great albeit a little young.     

Ptucker

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Re: Question About “Waxy” consistency
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2018, 07:19:51 PM »
You should always remove the wax from the cheese before eating. Ha Ha just kidding

Over time, the enzymes and microbes that were introduced with the curdling agent continue to be active in the wheel of cheese. Microbes and enzymes have two targets within any wheel of cheese milk fat molecules and casein. Casein is a protein that is found in milk. As the casein and milk fat are broken down, they are reformed into fatty acids, amines and amino acids. The proportions of those elements can alter the texture of the cheese as it ages.

Younger cheddars have a texture that is very pliable. The surface will be very smooth and the taste will be very mild. A young Cheddar cheese is usually one that has been aging for between three and six months.

Sharp Cheddar cheeses have been aged for one and two years. They have a stronger flavor and a texture that is crumblier than a younger cheese because of the breakdown of casein and milk proteins.

You may want to walk through your make sheets and check your temperature/ PH targets. When you reach the point of aging the cheese, it’s weight loss should be over and it will lose minimal liquid if made correctly. if your cheese lost 50 and 60 percent in weight during aging then you did not stir long enough and/or the cook temp was to low so the cheese retained to much whey.  This also could contribute to the texture of the cheese.

If you post the make sheets and recipe it would be easier to determine what’s going on.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2018, 08:02:23 PM by Devon »

ryanmonahan

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Re: Question About “Waxy” consistency
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2018, 01:02:13 AM »
Thanks a lot Devin, much appreciated! I didn’t take very diligent notes on some of those early wheels... I followed a recipe pretty closely. But I think you’re right about the temperature. Definitely keeping better notes now and will post in the future.