Pics of my nasty looking, cracked surface, underpressed swiss

[Sailor Con Queso]

The surface of the cheese is dried at 50° to 55°F for 5 to 10 days... The cheese is then wrapped in plastic film and placed in a box under pressure in a cold room... It is transferred to a warm room maintained at 70° to 76°F... The development of eyes is completed in 3 to 4 weeks. The cheese is then returned to a cold (35° to 40°F) curing room...

Does "wrapped in plastic film" mean vaccum bagging? Please explain "box under pressure". So you actually keep it at room temp for 3 to 4 weeks? What if the cheese starts to sweat? The 35F to 40F is pretty much normal refrigerator temperature. I keep my cave about 55F. Should we age Swiss types in the refrigerator instead of our caves?

Thanks again for your wonderful insight.

10 TONS.......... WOW.

[FRANCOIS]

The description is from the US Dairy Council website, it's not our method.  We make two kinds of swiss, wheels and blocks.  The blocks are vacuum packed and held at high temp for  a few weeks for eye formation (25C).  Sweating is not an issue.  For the wheels we dry after brining, paint them and then give them a few weeks at temp (25C), after that they are vacuum packed and chilled.  It is industry norm to store cheese at either 2 or 7C.  2 just takes longer to age.

Keep in mind these are pretty big volumes and not exactly what most people would consider an artisan cheese.

NZ has some of the largest cheese plants in the world.  Lichfield, a mainly cheddar plant, is the largest in the southern hemisphere.  The mozz plant does 9000 tons per year.

[DeejayDebi]

I may be having a DUH moment but hon what do you "paint" the cheese with?

[FRANCOIS]

PVA cheese coating.  Most places sell it for coating swiss.

[Tea]

Francois what are your thought on this PVC coating.  I have coated a number of cheeses in this and then waxed and have found that it sticks to the cheese.  The wax will peel off, but not the coating.  Personally I have given up using it as it seemed like more hassle than it was worth.

I thought I has a photo showing the coating sticking, but I can't find it. 
Debi here is one showing a cheese half coated.

[linuxboy]

PVA is edible (food-grade PVA). It's not usually removed. Other industries use it, too. For example, sometimes fruit is coated with PVA, or a PVA-alcohol-water solution to prevent dehydration and to improve glossy appearance. Cheese PVA usually has a small amount of Nat and/or sorbate used as a preservative. PVA is gas-permeable so it shouldn't affect affinage or final cheese taste and texture.

[DeejayDebi]

I bought a jar of that from Glengarry awhile back but I haven't tried it. Margaret recommended it for a pre-wax coating. She said she uses it on every cheese before she waxes.

[FRANCOIS]

I'm glad you pointed out that there is preservative in it.  In my experience it's good for about 4-6 weeks before it needs a recoating or over waxing.  Natamycin degrades over that period and the coating becomes susceptible to mold growth. I have used it in the past, personally, but not in a long time.  I have more fun with natural rinds.  We use it commercially at the plant to protect swiss types during high temp eye formation. 

[DeejayDebi]

Does it come off cleanly. That had been my concern and why I haven't tried it yet.

[FRANCOIS]

Nope, it sure doesn't come off.  You have to cut it off.

[linuxboy]

Yeah, PVA is basically glue. I think Elmer's white glue is PVA, or something pretty close.

[Tea]

Yep, it has to be cut off, and personally I don't think it is a good look, all this white stuff sticking to the cheese.  It is supposed to help the waz adhere better to the cheese.
I too am prefering natural rinds, and have been trying different finishes, so I don't have to use the stuff.

[DeejayDebi]

Glad  didn't try it. I would have been very upset if it gunked up my cheese. The teny tiny little flecks from the wax made me crazy enough - yuck! I'll stick to natural rinds and vac paks.