FREE SHIPPING OVER $75!*

Note: Today we're shipping orders for in-stock items placed March 25.

Cheese Wax, All-Natural Beeswax

SKU: ZF4J7, Part Number: BEW, Shop more New England Cheesemaking Supply Co. items
$29.95
In Stock (3+ in stock) Usually ships in 3-5 business days.
click for
details
This item ships free! Your order could ship free!

Why Buy from PHG?

  • Quality, curated product selection
  • Prompt, personal customer service
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee
Accepted credit cards
Canadian orders by phone!Canadian orders by phone

Description

Cheese Wax, All-Natural Beeswax

All natural beeswax can help prevent unwanted mold growth and retain moisture while cheese is aged. Beeswax can add a wonderful complexity to both the aroma and flavor of aged cheese. It's much more brittle than traditional wax though, and can crack when aging cheese. We suggest adding vegetable shortening to beeswax to help make it more pliable. 

Beeswax has been used for thousands of years for its unique chemistry. It has the ability to produce creamy textures in a variety of cosmetic applications. Because of the highly complex composition of beeswax and its soft, pliable nature, beeswax remains an indispensable raw material for many finished products even after centuries of commercial use.

Wax is applied to a hard cheese after pressing and drying for the aging process and is one of the most convenient ways to protect cheese during aging. Waxing cheese can help in easily maintaining the desired moisture level within your cheese. To apply the wax with a brush, check out our boar bristle brush.

A block of beeswax weighs one pound.

  • “I’ve called Pleasant Hill Grain’s customer service several times in the past year. They’ve been polite, friendly, knowledgeable and quick to answer questions and/or resolve any issues I’ve had. They are the BEST of any company on the internet!”

    – Debbie H., TX

Reusing Wax

When your cheese is done aging, and you've removed the wax there's no need to throw the wax away. It can be reused many times. To prepare your used wax for reapplication simply melt it down and strain it through cheese cloth. This will eliminate any particles from your wax. The high temperatures it takes to melt wax will sterilize it too.

Equipment for Waxing

There's no way around it, waxing is a messy business. We suggest using older equipment for waxing and dedicating it solely to waxing thereafter. Ideally you will use the same container to heat, melt, cool, solidify, and store your wax in. This can a heat safe glass container, a coffee can, an older pot with a lid. Using the same container for all of these steps will cut down drastically on clean up, along with preparation for the next time.

If you’re applying wax with a brush, be sure it has natural bristles, otherwise they can melt. To cut down on cleaning time, keep your brush in the same container as your wax and let the wax melt off the brush when you heat things up next time.

Caution on Heating Wax

The safest method is to use indirect heat such as a double boiler or water jacket to melt your wax.

It may take awhile for the wax to go from a solid to liquid state, but once it's liquefied, the temperature will rise quickly. Make it a habit to constantly monitor the temperature of your wax. If wax reaches flash point, the vapors produced will be extremely flammable. The flash point of wax is typically above 300° F. Please don't let your wax exceed 250° F! Never leave wax unattended on the stove.

More Cheesemaking Equipment

See our cheesemaking category page with more equipment and tools for making cheese at home!

Cheesemaking Guide

Read the Cheesemaking Resource Guide for lots of helpful information from Ricki Carroll (aka "the Cheese Making Queen") about the wonderful world of cheesemaking!

Basic cheesemaking steps

 

Ingredients

100% Natural beeswax

Did we forget something? If you need more information about this product, please tell us what else you'd like to know with a quick email or live chat!

Specs

Manufacturer Part NumberBEW
BrandNew England Cheesemaking Supply Co.
OriginUSA

Use & Care

Waxing Homemade Cheese

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. To prepare, heat one pound beeswax and, if desired, two ounces of vegetable shortening, to 200°F. 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 to be reused over and over again.

Waxing Store Bought Cheese

Wow, wax is flying off the shelf here! Many people are trying to prepare for a different type of future. Here is our short explanation of waxing store bought cheese.

Usually cheese bought in the grocery store is an already aged to perfection finished product. Waxing it in small pieces may cause some problems. If a cheese is not turned on a regular basis gravity will cause all the moisture to fall to the bottom causing a mushy mess under the wax. We would suggest you buy whole wheels or make your own cheeses and after waxing them, turn over at least once a week to prevent problems. We also suggest you air dry your cheese for 2-3 days prior to waxing.

Note: Vegetable shortening can help prevent cracks, by making beeswax wax more pliable.

Store in a cool place, away from high heat.

Shipping

We stock this product in our Nebraska warehouse. Most of our shipments are by FedEx Ground or Home Delivery and you should receive your order in five business days or less from ship-out. Click here for more information about shipping.

Accessories

Accessories for this product:

Reviews

PHG provides product-giveaway sweepstakes entries to all submitters of reviews, a program which also accepts entries without purchase. Take advantage of this program for repeated opportunities to win great PHG products! Nature of review does not influence odds of winning. Full contest rules are available here. All reviews are by verified buyers.

See product description below.

Return to top
Back to top