Waxing vs Vacuum Sealing & Industrial Cheese Making Vacuum Bagging

[tnbquilt]

I am new, and I have just made my first pressed cheese. I made the Farm House Cheddar. I know that it has to air dry for 2-5 days until it forms a crust and then I am supposed to wax it. I see that some people on the forum vacuum seal their cheese. I am wondering if that does the same thing to the cheese that waxing does, or does the wax breath better than the plastic or something.

[zenith1]

basically does the same thing. Protect the wheel from too much drying, protect it from all invaders. You might want to consider waiting awhile longer before you proceed to the next step which ever you have chosen. Move it to your aging area at the proper temp and humidity for a few weeks before you wax of vacuum bag the wheel and you will have a better flavor development.

[FRANCOIS]

This is just a random comment on bagging.  Commercially many hard yellows (and even semi-softs) are bagged right out of the press (or brine tank depending).  When I had a farmstead operation doing this lead to all sorts of problems.  I had to wait a week or two to even attempt bagging without getting oozing liquid or funk inside the bag.  The major difference I have discovered is that commercial yellows are run through a pre-press before final pressing.  The force exerted on these cheeses is immense.  I wasn't coming anywhere near these pressures using a small cantilever press and buckets of water.  As such my final cheeses back then still had residual whey and mositure that needed to escape, whereas commercial blocks have virtually none.  In summary, I would wait a few eeks before bagging if I were you.

[tnbquilt]

Thanks. I will move it to the cooler and wait a week or so before waxing or bagging. I am looking forward to my first hard cheese and I want it to come out well.

[Boofer]

I think if you search on the forum you will find that waxing allows the cheese to exchange gases and possibly moisture better than vacuum sealing. Once it's in the plastic, there is no more "breathing".

Also, the vacuum sealing provides a better seal against infection. There may be an occasional pinhole or crack in the wax.

-Boofer-

[tnbquilt]

So during the aging of the cheese in my cave wouldn't I want it to breath some? Then after I am through aging it I could vacuum seal anything that is left after we all taste of it and pass judgement.

[tnbquilt]

I did do a search and read some other posts and it is a bit confusing. People seem to like their vacuum sealing of the cheese, but a down side is that it can't breath and exchange gasses. I guess I will have to figure out which cheeses need to breath and which ones don't.

[Sailor Con Queso]

All cheeses need to breath, but waxing seals a cheese as well. Let the cheese go natural for 3-4 weeks and then vac bag or wax.

[Boofer]

Breathe, dang it!! Clear!! 
Alright, I saved my cheese.

-Boofer-