[Julie]

After your cheese has gotten a crust on the outside you need to wax it, the instructions tell you to add the wax to a double boiler. I don't have an old one to use and cleaning out the wax after using your double boiler is a pain. So I decided on a simpler method that is working well. I use a wide mouth canning jar. I fill a pan up with water, lay a canning jar lid on the bottom of the pan, put the canning jar with the wax in it on top of that.

I just keep the wax in the jar.

[Runningwolf]

Awesome idea, did your daughter come up with that for you?

[Brew and Wine Supply]

You can use a metal coffee can ( or other metal can ) to put the wax in as the inner part of a double boiler. then just put the lid on it to save it. I would be carefull with a glass so it does not break. Good luck with the cheese.

[Julie]

Originally Posted by Runningwolf

Awesome idea, did your daughter come up with that for you?

LOL, no she did not. Did you read my FB post? There is a story behind that statement, lol

[Julie]

Originally Posted by Brew and Wine Supply

You can use a metal coffee can ( or other metal can ) to put the wax in as the inner part of a double boiler. then just put the lid on it to save it. I would be carefull with a glass so it does not break. Good luck with the cheese.

I agree, a canning jar can take the heat that is why I thought of it but the coffee can is an excellant idea.

[Julie]

Ok, here is another tip,

We have the Ricki's Hard Cheese Kit. Today we did 2 pounds of Monterey Jack cheese, I 'm thinking this weekend doing a colby cheese. Anyway in the back of the booklet, it has this tip about keeping the whey and heat it up to 195 - 200 degrees, as soon as the curds separate, take off heat and leave it sit for 10 minutes. then you ladle the curds inot a colander that is lined with butter muslin. This will make a ricotta cheese. LOL, well we did it and yes we got ricotta cheese but we got something like 2 tablespoons? It is really not worth the effort.