# Finaly Waxed Cheese That Looks Presentable



## oregon smoker (Sep 26, 2015)

First I MUST Thank MR "T" for all his help and coaching and many others that had helpful input as well, too many to list.
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






this was a long ordeal getting the wax smooth. my first run ended up all dimpled due to trying to dip the whole piece and then placing on a cooling rack. did I mention how many times the cheese slipped out of the tongs and fell back in splattering RED wax all over Mrs OS Kitchen, OH did I mention ALL OVER !!  






so time to regroup and rethink this.

next Great plan was to dip again only use a sheet pan with a layer of tin foil placed on a layer of ice packs to flash the waxed cheese off thinking I could lift the cheese off and just trim off the flashing/flowing if any around the edges. did I mention the wax will stick to most of the tin foil and then tear and THEN you have to peal all these pieces of tin foil from the wax once again did I mention the slipping out of the tongs and splashing all over ,,,,
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Again Mrs OS NOT impressed, time to regroup and rethink this. one would think this is not that big of an obstacle to overcome.

so yesterday while slicing and packaging the cheese then bacon I had a thought, so out comes the pot of wax for the fourth time. I will not bore you with the third round , much of the same just different. 

all this work over cosmetics (you know the cheese has to look good and the key is keeping it in the pot or on the cheese Not counters and splashes etc.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





once the wax was up to temp I pulled out all types, sharp Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss, Jarlsberg, Provolone, Parmesan, white Cheddar etc.

printed labels and this time I grabbed the cheese with one hand and dipped it 1/2 to 2/3rds into the wax. then lifted it up to drip and flash off . then placed them raw (uncoated) side down on the trays that are over ice packs. by the time I got thru them I was able to go back thru them again dipping the opposite side and just repeated the process three times (how much more simple could this get???

and the BEST part no mess in Mrs OS'S kitchen. the finished pictures are below, I hope you enjoy them and see the above humor in the journey, the wax coating is not perfect but a work in progress.

Thanks for letting me share,

Tom 













perfect focus.jpg



__ oregon smoker
__ Sep 26, 2015


















waxed.jpg



__ oregon smoker
__ Sep 26, 2015


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## daveomak (Sep 26, 2015)

Nice job... looks perfect to me...   Now, how do you store the cheese, now that it is wax coated...


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## oregon smoker (Sep 26, 2015)

DaveOmak said:


> Nice job... looks perfect to me... Now, how do you store the cheese, now that it is wax coated...


Thanks Dave for the kind words,

currently the cheese is in my deep cooler, all my cheeses were put into vac packs and as we all know with vac packs there is the edge flaps that take up space or are hard to store (take up lots of space) so the waxing for us is it stacks well and stores well (less space) if I had a root cellar or something like that (maintain an even temperature) like some are lucky enough to have it could be just out on the shelf so to speak.

keep on Smokin,

Tom


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Sep 26, 2015)

That looks great, nice job !  Tom is a great guy !   Thumbs Up


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## oregon smoker (Sep 26, 2015)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> That looks great, nice job ! Tom is a great guy !


Quote:


DaveOmak said:


> Nice job... looks perfect to me... Now, how do you store the cheese, now that it is wax coated...


thanks for the encouragement and points!!! I think it has to do with the name??? LOL

Keep On Smokin,

Tom


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## dirtsailor2003 (Sep 26, 2015)

Looks great. Just cracked a block that's been aging for 2 years now in the fridge. Super good.


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## kiska95 (Sep 27, 2015)

Hi Mr Oregon,

There are a couple of ways to wax cheese that we do in the UK and you found out one of the ways by trial and error. However the trick is to just have the melted wax at just half the depth of the cheese when dipping then allow it to set and do the same the other side (half) so you end up with a seam around the middle like a Baby Bel. Its best to chill the cheese for a good few hours first.

The other way to the job is just brush the wax on and do 2 or 3 coats. Have the cheese on cling film (saran wrap) or parchment paper then when the rest has set just dip the bottom in the wax, touch up any areas with the brush. You can also fix a label to the hot wax on the bottom and it will hold the label when set.

Hope this helps for the future.


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## Bearcarver (Sep 27, 2015)

Looks like you ended up doing an outstanding Job!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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Now you're set for a good while!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	









Bear


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## johnnie walker (Sep 27, 2015)

That looks great Tom! It sounds like you had quite the journey to get to that point. 
Mrs. OS must be a good woman because you're still around to tell the story. Not so sure my wife would have been so forgiving.[emoji]128516[/emoji]
Points too!


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## oregon smoker (Sep 27, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Looks like you ended up doing an outstanding Job!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Johnnie Walker said:


> That looks great Tom! It sounds like you had quite the journey to get to that point.
> Mrs. OS must be a good woman because you're still around to tell the story. Not so sure my wife would have been so forgiving.[emoji]128516[/emoji]
> Points too!





> Bear and JW Thank-You for the points and encouragement.


it was more like an adventure. my wife is not only the best but a blessing as well. we celebrate 39 years in 5 days, together 43. she has been dealing with this kind of madness for a very long time.

Keep on Smokin,

Tom


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## oregon smoker (Sep 27, 2015)

kiska95 said:


> Hi Mr Oregon,
> 
> There are a couple of ways to wax cheese that we do in the UK and you found out one of the ways by trial and error. However the trick is to just have the melted wax at just half the depth of the cheese when dipping then allow it to set and do the same the other side (half) so you end up with a seam around the middle like a Baby Bel. Its best to chill the cheese for a good few hours first.
> 
> ...


Kiska,

The brush method was the third go around and what I did not care for was the brush strokes (trying multiple different types of brushes). I had in my mind that my goal was as smooth as possible surface (just as you might see in a store)

the cheese was cold prior to dipping 35 -40 degrees to also help with the flashing off of the wax .

the first dip was the deepest with each coat being less (more like layering it ) with the goal to be not to have the look of a seam. (just my quirk)

I started with holding the wax temp at 180 - 185 degrees for the entire process. I did have a spike to 203 degrees so I just turned it off and let it cool to the 185 degrees before continuing on.

thank you for your input and suggestions,

Tom


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## Bearcarver (Sep 27, 2015)

Oregon Smoker said:


> it was more like an adventure. my wife is not only the best but a blessing as well. we celebrate 39 years in 5 days, together 43. she has been dealing with this kind of madness for a very long time.
> 
> Keep on Smokin,
> 
> Tom


Congrats on your 39 Years!!----That's Awesome!!

47 coming up in Dec for us.

Bear


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## foamheart (Sep 27, 2015)

Tom, My address is still the same as last year..............

That is a great looking wax job.

And congrats on your up coming anniversary.


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## oregon smoker (Sep 27, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Congrats on your 39 Years!!----That's Awesome!!
> 
> 47 coming up in Dec for us.
> 
> Bear


Bear,

it just does not get any better than that!!! congratulations on the upcomimg. if I was my wife I would have replaced me years ago
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Tom


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## oregon smoker (Sep 27, 2015)

Foamheart said:


> Tom, My address is still the same as last year..............
> 
> That is a great looking wax job.
> 
> And congrats on your up coming anniversary.


Thank You on both counts,

on another note now maybe it can be shipped easier 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  

Tom


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## kiska95 (Sep 28, 2015)

Hi Tom,

I agree about the brush marks. Dipping is the way to go. I do 4 quarter turn dips and then top and bottom. But you look like you did a great job anyway and looks like store quality to me so well done and congratulations on your anniversary


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## driedstick (Sep 28, 2015)

OS - That looks great!! - Nice Job

DS


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## donr (Sep 28, 2015)

I was thinking about this before.

If you put dental floss around the cheese block and dug it into the cheese at the corners would you be able to dip it by the "handle"?  You could leave enough floss to tie into a loop so you can hang the cheese to cool, then trip off the excess.  This would also let you be able to split the wax off nicely to be able to reuse it (assuming you can).

If you have a ridiculously large pot, you could recoat like dipping candles.


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## mr t 59874 (Sep 28, 2015)

Good looking cheese. I'm certain it will be appreciated as gifts.

When waxing  cheese, the wax should be applied at two different temperatures.  The first coat should be applied at a higher temperature in order to kill any bacteria that may encourage mold growth.  Additional coats may be applied at much cooler temps and are used for physical protection and as an air barrier.  As you may have found, it is much easier to use your hands rather than tongs. To help deter contamination, the use of rubber or latex gloves is recommended.

The following was taken from http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123130/mr-ts-smoked-cheese-from-go-to-show-w-q-view

 To prevent mold, heat wax to 225°F - 107°C - 240°F - 116°C or the wax manufacturer's suggested temperature.  BE CAREFUL  if taken too high, the waxes flash point may be reached.  To prevent pinholes, apply three coats by dipping or brushing the wax on.  To prevent melting the first coat of wax, apply the additional coats at a lower temp, 160°F - 71°C.

You will find that the cooler wax will go on heavier and cool much quicker.  I personally use a shallow dipping method, when applying wax to a rectangular block of cheese, it takes dipping six separate times to apply one coat.  Waxing cheese is a slow process,  there is no need to refrigerate cheese prior to dipping, after all we want heat on the first coat so it can serve the purpose of killing bacteria.

If you desire a seamless block of cheese, you may use a flambé torch or possibly a hair dryer to blend the seams in.  Like myself, many prefer the artisanal look of hand-dipped cheese.

If you are storing your cheese at warmer temps (70° or less) it may be necessary to turn it a quarter turn from time to time, as in time, it may begin to flatten.

Tom


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## oregon smoker (Sep 28, 2015)

kiska95 said:


> Hi Tom,
> 
> I agree about the brush marks. Dipping is the way to go. I do 4 quarter turn dips and then top and bottom. But you look like you did a great job anyway and looks like store quality to me so well done and congratulations on your anniversary


Kiska,

Thank you for your methods and point.

What makes this neighborhood so wonderful is as far reaching in this world Jeff has figured out how to make it small enough that we all can share our ups and downs on our journey to success and have the input of many others experiences to ultimately come to your style (a little from here and here etc). 

keep on smoking,

Tom


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## oregon smoker (Sep 28, 2015)

donr said:


> I was thinking about this before.
> 
> If you put dental floss around the cheese block and dug it into the cheese at the corners would you be able to dip it by the "handle"?  You could leave enough floss to tie into a loop so you can hang the cheese to cool, then trip off the excess.  This would also let you be able to split the wax off nicely to be able to reuse it (assuming you can).
> 
> If you have a ridiculously large pot, you could recoat like dipping candles.


donr,

the floss is a thought but then some floss would be abandoned in the final wax coating? your right about my wax pot , it has a five pound block of wax in it to start and a side mounted temp probe to watch wax temps and there still is room for another 5 pound block. I have one for red wax and black wax.

thank you,

Tom


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## oregon smoker (Sep 28, 2015)

Mr T 59874 said:


> Good looking cheese. I'm certain it will be appreciated as gifts.
> 
> When waxing  cheese, the wax should be applied at two different temperatures.  The first coat should be applied at a higher temperature in order to kill any bacteria that may encourage mold growth.  Additional coats may be applied at much cooler temps and are used for physical protection and as an air barrier.  As you may have found, it is much easier to use your hands rather than tongs. To help deter contamination, the use of rubber or latex gloves is recommended.
> 
> ...


Thank you Tom for the above addition to this thread

Tom


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## hoity toit (Sep 28, 2015)

What at nice job on the wax coating. I have been wanting to coat my smoked cheese that way but didn't really ever have time to find the wax. I have always vac packed. Where did you get the red wax from if I might ask ?

O, yes and POINTS !


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## oregon smoker (Sep 28, 2015)

Hoity Toit said:


> What at nice job on the wax coating. I have been wanting to coat my smoked cheese that way but didn't really ever have time to find the wax. I have always vac packed. Where did you get the red wax from if I might ask ?
> 
> O, yes and POINTS !


Thank - You for kind words and the point.

I get my wax from the New England Cheese Company  http://www.cheesemaking.com/    I hope the link works.

Keep on Smokin,

Tom


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## donr (Sep 29, 2015)

Oregon Smoker said:


> donr,
> 
> the floss is a thought but then some floss would be abandoned in the final wax coating? your right about my wax pot , it has a five pound block of wax in it to start and a side mounted temp probe to watch wax temps and there still is room for another 5 pound block. I have one for red wax and black wax.
> 
> ...


Tom,

My thought is that in the end you will have a floss in the wax running the entire way around the block, with a little bit sticking out to be able to pull on to split the wax shell in half.  Quite similar to the Baby Bel or a pack of Doublemint.


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## oregon smoker (Sep 29, 2015)

donr said:


> Tom,
> 
> My thought is that in the end you will have a floss in the wax running the entire way around the block, with a little bit sticking out to be able to pull on to split the wax shell in half.  Quite similar to the Baby Bel or a pack of Doublemint.


donr,

you know I will give that a try on the some in the next batch. that is not a bad idea...rip strip ???

keep on smoking,

Tom


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## kiska95 (Oct 2, 2015)

Like the floss idea
Everyday is an education thanks gus[emoji]128512[/emoji]


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## tropics (Oct 2, 2015)

OS sorry for the delay in reading this,not interested in waxing.But this is a great post on doing it.

Richie


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## oregon smoker (Oct 3, 2015)

tropics said:


> OS sorry for the delay in reading this,not interested in waxing.But this is a great post on doing it.
> 
> Richie


Richie,

thanks for the points. Just thought I would share the adventure....
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  we all have one at some point

Tom


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