Old Crab Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 First, let me apologize for posting this here - not sure where else to post this. My wife got a cheese making cook book for Christmas and has been having fun making mozzarella. She wants to try some other cheese but noticed for some that they need to be waxed. She assumed I could use my candle wax for her cheeses, while it is food grade from what I've read I don't think a block of cheese covered in 4794 would work by itself. I found on a cheese supply website that they offer a wax with the following description:"CONTAINS: A formulation of paraffin and microcrystalline wax, food grade coloring".Does anyone have suggestions on how to make this?They want close to $6 a pound if you buy in bulk (40 pounds) and I would hate to buy that much if she isn't really going to need that much. Smaller versions of their wax can be obtained but for close to $10 a pound for 5 pounds. I also noticed their wax is dyed red to keep light from interfering with the cheese growth, I'm sure our candle dyes are not food grade so I would have to try something else or keep in a very dark place. Thanks for reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I think you already found the site I was going to suggest cheesemaking.comWhile sometimes is fun to re-invent the wheel (pun intended), buying something ready made for the process can be a good kick starter. Depending on how much cheese you are making, the small investment of $6 or $12 may go a long way and gives you time to research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chefmom Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 While I have not made cheese myself, I have read several books etc.Everything i have read indicates that cheese wax is for cheese and you should stick with it. If you have ever felt a piece of wax from cheese, it is very flexible and soft. I would think that it is food grade paraffin and then the mycrocyrstaline for the flexibility.Once you have some in hand maybe play with proportions on your own, but for the beginning at least I would stick with the wax for cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Crab Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 I appreciate the replies. I do believe I will buy a small batch from them, enough for her to use, and play around and research with the other. It amazes me how many people want to use my wax for things other than candles. I actually had one guy wanting to buy a pound of my 4627 wax so he could use it on his arms and elbows. He has dry / cracked skin and thought the wax would keep everything sealed and "lubricated"!! I guess, theoretically, it would work so I gave him some. He's a happy camper and gets some from me every year when it starts to get cold. Not sure why he just doesn't buy some petroleum jelly though. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysj Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Since you are brushing the wax onto the cheese a pound should do quite a few depending on the size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.