I did my first wax recycling and worked out well. In a non stick pan heated to the near point of boiling (wax gets damaged at high heat) then strained it in a tea strainer. The high heat should kill the cultures that worked their way into the wax.

The wax looks great - you got all the impurities out.  But you won’t be making any tea in the near future.

LOL, the wax is water soluble so just run it under boiling water from the tab and its clean

Thanks for this post, Neil….
I’ve been throwing my wax away but I’ve been going through so much of it, this is getting really expensive.
I’ll be giving this a try from here on out. Got to save that money so I can spend it on more cheese stuff.
Oh, one thing…..
Do you use direct heat to melt the wax, or a double boiler?

Thanks,
Dave

Direct on the stove top on low, just past min. when u can smell the wax then it should be fine.

What exactly is cheese wax made of (composition)? 50-50 paraffin - beeswax does not make the pliable kind. And how does one colour it?

Cheese Wax is especially made for coating cheeses. It helps prevent unwanted mold growth while retaining moisture in the aging cheese. This wax is pliable and will not become brittle as will pure paraffin wax.

CONTAINS: A formulation of paraffin and microcrystalline wax, food grade coloring

YIELD: One pound will wax approximately 12-20 cheeses when brushed on. If dipping method is used you will need at least a 5 pound block. If you are waxing all the time, 10 pounds will save you some money.

DIRECTIONS: It is safest to melt wax in a double boiler so that it is not subject to direct flame. NEVER leave melting wax unattended. Wax can explode at high temperatures.
Heat wax to 120ºF. Wax can be brushed onto a dried and chilled cheese with a natural bristle brush (anything synthetic will melt), or you can very carefully dip your cheese into the wax pot one side at a time (it can get very slippery). Two thin coats are preferable to one thick coat. Be sure to fill up any air spaces as mold needs air to grow.
When you are ready to eat your cheese, the wax is simply peeled off and can be strained through Butter Muslin (U2) to be reused over and over again.

STORAGE: Store in cool place, away from any high heat. Will keep indefinitely.

What an excellent reply. And fast ... were you just waitin’ for me? 

LOL, no timing was great

By the way, welcome !!!

I’ve found that pouring the melted recycled wax through a tea strainer is fast and efficient.  Also, for cleanup you can just back-wash the strainer with boiling water.  Not so sure if butter muslin could be re-used afterward.

Great idea and great advice.
I always just threw the wax away after using because I figured it was shot. I wish I had seen this thread a couple of years ago since I’ve spent quite a bit of money on wax over the years.
My wife convinced me, earlier in the year, that I should invest in a vacuum bag machine to store my cheese. At first I was a little skeptical but after doing quite a bit of reading on the subject I found that others have had great success, using this method.
So far I am really a big fan of this method (as is my wife). Not only does it give a nice seal to the cheese it is super fast and absolutely no mess involved.
All of the cheese that I’ve bagged are still young so I can’t say how well the cheese ages under a vacuum. I have tried a few samples of 1 to 1-1/2 month old Cheddars that have matured just about like I expected them to in this amount of time.
The main thing that makes me happy about this method is that I am yet to see my first spot of mold on any of the wheels that I’ve put into the cave. Because the bags are clear you can watch the cheese for problem areas. Also, it is very easy to open the cheese and take a small sample and then reseal the bag for further aging. For someone that has a big problem with patience, this is an important feature.
Just thought I would mention this in case anyone has considered this method. I still prefer the looks of wax but I was always making a mess on the stove top which did NOT make my wife very happy.

Dave

Likesspace - 18 December 2009 12:00 AM

My wife convinced me, earlier in the year, that I should invest in a vacuum bag machine to store my cheese. At first I was a little skeptical but after doing quite a bit of reading on the subject I found that others have had great success, using this method. Dave

We have just completed a taste testing between wax and vacuum sealing. A made cheese, cut in half, one half waxed and the other vacuum sealed.
Three out of four couldn’t tell which was which. I will be using the sealer on all my cheeses from now on.

OK, I just bought a couple of pieces of beeswax. They have a faint scent but the woman that sold me them says it’s the natural scent of honey. I am dubious. Does beeswax have a ‘natural honey scent?’ Will it taint my cheddar?

Yes, I used to make pure Beez wax candles. I actually have one here thats 15 years old and still has a slight scent. No it wont change your cheese flavour.

Does anyone have experene with the 50/50 bees wax and parafin? I have bees and plenty of left over wax, but don’t quite know how to use it for the cheese. Is it as good as the commercial cheese wax?

EldonBlue - 18 December 2009 07:17 PM

OK, I just bought a couple of pieces of beeswax. They have a faint scent but the woman that sold me them says it’s the natural scent of honey. I am dubious. Does beeswax have a ‘natural honey scent?’ Will it taint my cheddar?

Hmmm ... this hasn’t gone well. I melted 50/50 beeswax - soywax in a pie pan and rolled the edge of the cheese first. Great coverage. Dipped the topside, great. Dipped the bottom side, also great. Repeated three times and it looked like I bought it from the monks in Quebec. Then I put it away in the fridge and within minutes it was covered with cracks. Cracks so severe it cracked the cheese too. Where did I err?