Vacuum sealing

[INGrandad]

Okay, once again I"ll start out by saying what a noob I am. But I was reading in a thread or two about vacuum sealing. Does this take the place of waxing? One or two threads it sounded like folks were sealing their freash made cheese. Can that be correct? I did a search on it, but nothing I've found is definitive. Anyone have a good link to some reading on this topic?

[wharris]

I use vacuum sealing in some cases. 
This is an artificial rind used in place of wax or other rinds..

Never for fresh cheese.

I have only used it for some cheddars and goudas.
Others may use it for a other cheeses.

My Grana's use only a natural rind.

[DeejayDebi]

It's a personal choice. I like it for most of my cheeses but you still need to air dry first and give it some cave time to develope.

[BethGi]

I've only been at this about a year, but came across several mentions of vacuum sealing on the forum about six months ago. Since then,  I have become a complete convert...it seems to function as well as waxing, and certainly is a lot cleaner! I have also had less problem with mold developing during aging than I did on some waxed cheeses, especially if the cheese isn't perfectly smooth.

[DeejayDebi]

I agree. VAc pacing is easier, cleaner and less troublesome if the cheese is sufficently dried before vac packing. If for some reason you do develop whey sepage you just open the bag, dry some more and rebag.

[Boofer]

My Grana's use only a natural rind.

There are some styles that need to have a hard, dry rind to match the style. Unless you make the effort to develop the rind before you vacuum-bag, that hard rind won't develop inside the bag.

It's not for every cheese style, but for those that do get the nod, it's great. I like that you can see some of the external changes to the cheese as it ages. I have a Beaufort-like style that has been developing the customary reddish-brown spots. You wouldn't see that with a wax seal.

The convenience of vacuum-bagging is that if you decided to cut open the bag to sample your cheese, you can then either vacuum-seal it again or replace the bag with a new one. That's quite a bit more involved with a wax seal.

-Boofer-

[vogironface]

When I started vac bagging I had problems with the cheese souring.  I found that the curds were heating to fast during cooking and taping to much whey.  Since I now do it more properly I no longer have much seepage and no spoilage.

[OlJarhead]

good subject -- I'm on my second cheddar which is drying nicely but have been wondering if I should wax it or vacuum seal it?  The reason I wonder is that I read somewhere that a cheese that isn't smooth shouldn't be waxed.  Is this true?

I've got two cheeses:
1.  Cheddar which dried too quickly on the outside (no cave etc) and cracked:


I cut away the cracks in the end however and waxed:


Which then worried me because I'd read I shouldn't wax a cheese that wasn't smooth....so I sealed.

And my 2nd cheese: 


Which is drying nicely and has a good rind after a week in the new cave.

So, here is the question:  Wax or vacuum the second cheese?

THanks

[vogironface]

Vacuum and watch for gas or moisture inside the bag.

[MrsKK]

I answered this on your other thread, but this cheese is probably too young to vacuum pack it yet.  Either bandage (coat with lard and strips of muslin) or just use lard to coat it, or you can wax it.  In a couple of months you can vacuum seal the cheese.

[susanky]

Does it need to be bandaged?  Can it not just be aged as is in the cave for 4 weeks or so before vacuum sealing?  I guess I don't understand the purpose/function of the bandage.  If it is to retain moisture, couldn't you just oil it?  That is what I did with my parmesan.  Maybe a cheddar has to be managed differently?  Looking forward to your answer and I have 2 young cheddars in the cave!
Susan

[Sailor Con Queso]

Bandaging or just larding are a couple of alternatives for rind management. Yes, they keep the moisture in, but at the same time molds will grow on the outside and not get to the actual cheese.

[MrsKK]

Yep, just different ways of managing the rind.  I found that I got much more mold growth with a bandage than I did when I just coated the rind with lard.

I've never oiled a cheddar, just parmesan, so I'm not sure what the results of that might be.

[Sailor Con Queso]

I always use oil, so I have never larded. How do you get it cleaned off, especially if you don't bandage?

[MrsKK]

To easily turn the cheese, I keep the larded wheel on a paper plate, turning it onto another paper plate and removing the "bottom" one, so that the top has good air access.  When it is time to vacuum seal the wheel, I remove as much lard as I can with a paper towel, then 'sand' the rest off with coarse salt.