Author Topic: Mould under wax... what to do?  (Read 2202 times)

The_blue

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Mould under wax... what to do?
« on: March 05, 2010, 09:55:53 AM »
Hi, I've got 4 2lbs Derbys maturing. The 2 from the middle dates are showing blue mould.

I've had a close look and the wax has small holes in it (brushed on) I'm picking up a cheap pan big enough to dip the cheese in.

What are my options baring in mind no one else in the house eats blue but me..

Can i de wax and clean the mould off?

Should i trim or wash in vinegar?

I dried the cheese then wiped with vinegar before waxing... :(

Alex

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2010, 11:10:12 AM »
Remove the wax. If the blue has some depth into the cheese, cut it out. Othervise, make a mud like mixture from vinegar + coarse salt and brush the cheese thoroughly. Let it dry, cool it in your fridge for a couple of hours and start dipping in wax. That should help.

The_blue

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2010, 11:17:21 AM »
Thanks.

The 1st hard cheese i made was about 10 oz and fitted in the old pan i had..

The new larger cheeses sit on the edge :)

MarkShelton

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2010, 04:01:49 PM »
I use a round cake pan for waxing my cheeses. It fits a pound of wax nicely. I heat it up on the stove and dip the flat ends of the cheese first, then roll the sides through the wax. Its not ideal, but I get much better coverage than if i brush. After I'm done, I just let the wax cool in the pan and I store it just like that (upside down to keep the dust out).
I've heard of people using small electric skillets like this also. That would be nice to set the heat where you want it and not have to worry about the temperature controls on the stove, but my kitchen is small enough without having to store that also.

The_blue

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2010, 08:47:15 AM »
For temperature control i use the oven. Most pans even with plastic handels will stand the 100c I heat my wax to.

I just put the pan on the oven shelf.


Alex

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2010, 12:10:22 PM »
I don't even measure temp, When the wax liquifies I start dipping. It cools, heat it again.

MarkShelton

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2010, 01:10:10 PM »
I was under the impression that wax--the first coat at least--should be applied when the wax temp is upwards of 225 F / 107 C. the high temperature will sterilize the surface of the cheese. That would help prevent your mold problem.
I like to heat to about 250 F and turn off the heat. That way the first coat is applied at a sufficient temperature. As the first coat cools, so does the wax pot, and I can apply a thicker coat as the wax becomes more viscous.

Alex

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2010, 01:36:35 PM »
All cheeses I've waxed until now, it looks that I've been lucky, never grew mold under the wax. The more viscous is your wax, the more uneven the coating will be. Apply more and thiner layers.

caciocavallo

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2010, 01:56:54 AM »
I just submerge them in oil or now vacuum pack them. Mold sometimes does form under the vacuum pack, but I never worry about it. When ready to open and eat I just remove it. You could even say that the  mold covering the cheese is actually protecting it. I had a caciocavallo hanging in my cold room which I forgot about. Almost 1 year later I noticed it and it was completely covered in mold. Once I removed the mold there was a golden cheese which was amazing. Anyhow I used to get worried when I would see mold, now it doesn't bother me at all.

Cacio

The_blue

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2010, 06:50:06 AM »
All done!

Once i got the wax off i could see dry spots where the wax hadn't covered. Serves me right for using clear wax!

I trimmed/washed both cheeses and added 3- 4 thin layers.





One last question (for this post ;))...

I used bog standard malt vinegar to wash with but what is the best option? I'm thinking the malt stinks a bit much. :)

Alex

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2010, 07:06:40 AM »
I don't know that vinegar, use standard natural vinegar 5%.

MarkShelton

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2010, 01:17:36 PM »
Yeah, I'm with Alex. Plain white supermarket vinegar would be the best. No natural or artificial colors, flavors, or anything that would possibly taint a cheese. I would be especially suspicious of malt, red wine, cider, basalmic, etc. vinegars that may have microorganisms from a fermentation or having been aged in oak or anything like that. Seems like it is asking for trouble...

The_blue

  • Guest
Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2010, 07:21:08 AM »
5 days and no sign of fresh mould growth.

Thanks for the help folk!  O0

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Mould under wax... what to do?
« Reply #13 on: March 13, 2010, 04:02:47 AM »
Bog malt is great on chips but not so great on cheese. Looks like it didn't hurt anything though. Good luck!