Probably a noob question, but what would cause mold to start growing under cheese wax?

I just opened up my goudas from the 1 month aging period and there’s mold inside.

The wax seemed to be fully sealed. This was my first time waxing though and maybe my method was flawed. I just dipped it in the melted cheese wax.

I used to have that problem years ago; and that’s why I started vacuum sealing.  Mold has to have air to grow, so there had to be some mini cracks or gaps in the wax.  It doesn’t have to be much, and you likely would not even see them.  The cheese is not ruined.  Just trim it off and go for it.

When you say you dipped it in wax - how many coats did you give it?  It needs to be rather thick.

Regarding the lack of email notification on the other thread - was the “notify me” box checked at the bottom of your reply screen?  If so, then you’ll need to PM Rick Robinson so he can get it corrected.

I do have the box checked, and got this email. I might have accidentally placed it as junk email.

I had done quite a few coats. I can’t remember how many exactly but 3-4 at least for each. I’ll look into a vac seal machine. I’ve read other people using them, haven’t looked too far into it though. In the vacuum seal does it follow the same aging process to whatever cheese your making instructions?

I hope that last line made sense. It’s late and I’m tired zzzzzzzzz

My email alerts are usually filtered into SPAM.  Unless you check SPAM daily, like I do, you’ll likely miss it.  You’ll need to mark the sender as acceptable for it to go into your inbox.  Better yet, why not just make it a habit of checking the site frequently.  That way you won’t miss new posts.  The email alerts are only for activity in posts you participate in.

If you have not drained the cheese long enough that can lead to water pockets and develope mold, also if it has not been salted enough then that will cause mould as well. I alwasy give them a good salt rub before wraping them or waxing them. make sure your wax is not too hot or it will be too thin when you dip the cheese.

I can’t remember exactly how long I let it drain, but it was much longer then I was supposed to. I had to work in the morning and had to wait until I got home to wax it. So it dried about 8 hours longer then it was instructed to. I am sure I had salted enough too. The wax could have been too hot… I don’t remember reading a temp to melt it to, but do remember hearing it could catch fire if it got too hot. I pulled it off the double boiler before it had completely melted though.

I have fixed my email inbox too and shouldn’t miss anymore action on the site

Besides the brine soaking, I rub salt on the surface and work it in.

As far as drying prior to waxing, you can’t really go by a timetable.  The key is to wait until the surface is dry to the touch.  It will feel more like a rind than a cheese.  It may take up to several days depending on the moisture in the cheese and the humidity in the air.  You may be tempted to put a fan on it, but don’t.  If it dries too fast the surface will be subject to cracking.  Also, it’s best to dry on a wire rack, so that air can get to both sides for a more even drying.  You won’t be able to do this with a wheel fresh out of the mold, but as the surface starts to dry you can move it to a rack.

Holy crap Rich, you finaly have an avatar LOL.
Nice

Yeah, six years - I thought it was about time.

I should have said it a bit better. The cheese had been dry enough to wax. It had formed a hard thin crust all over before I waxed it. It was probably dry enough when I woke up but I left it until I got home from work. I had brined them for about 12 hours prior to drying on a bamboo mat overnight with salt on top, flipping every so often. I didn’t actually rub the salt in after brining… Just sprinkling a good dose on the top of each cheese.

I tried to follow the directions to the tee, so if it didn’t say to rub it in I wouldn’t have done that extra step… If it’s something I should get in the habit of though I will start to do it

Salt is a freind, it keeps the mold at bay lol. if you rub it into the skin then theirs less likely mold can take hold.
Do you have a pic you can post of the problem ?

Tried posting a picture of the mold. The picture is too big to fit, when I get home this evening I will use my computer instead of my phone to try to edit the picture so it can fit

If you need an editing program, GIMP is a very good free program.