Dairy Storage

How to Store Brie Cheese (Keep It Creamy — Not Dried Out — for 2 Weeks)

To store brie, unwrap it from store plastic immediately and re-wrap loosely in wax paper or cheese paper. Store it in the crisper drawer of your fridge, not the main shelf. An uncut wheel lasts 1 to 2 weeks. A cut wedge lasts 5 to 7 days. Never seal brie in tight plastic — it traps ammonia from the living rind and creates that sharp paint-like smell.

By Marleen van der Zijl | Updated March 2026 | HACCP Certified  ·  Cheese Storage

The first time I opened a week-old brie and got hit with an ammonia smell strong enough to water my eyes, I assumed the cheese had gone bad. I threw away half a wheel of something that cost me real money. Turns out it was fine — I had just kept it in the supermarket plastic wrap and suffocated it. Unwrapped and aired out for 30 minutes, it was perfectly good.

Brie is not like cheddar. You cannot treat it the same way. It is a living cheese — actively ripening in your fridge — and the wrapping you choose determines whether that process goes gracefully or badly.

Why brie is a living cheese — and why that changes everything

That velvety white rind is not decoration. It is a cultivated mold called Penicillium camemberti, and it is actively working. As cheese scientist resources confirm, P. camemberti releases enzymes that break down proteins (proteolysis) and fats (lipolysis) from the outside inward — which is what transforms a firm, chalky young brie into the gooey, luscious paste of a ripe one. The ripening happens in your fridge, not just in the factory.

A natural byproduct of this process is ammonia. As ScienceDirect’s overview of brie chemistry confirms, P. camemberti metabolises amino acids through proteolysis with the production of ammonia at the surface, which then diffuses inward. In an open or breathable wrap, this ammonia escapes harmlessly. In sealed plastic, it builds up until it becomes overwhelming.

In cheese shops, brie is never stored in heat-sealed plastic. It is wrapped in wax paper or two-sided cheese paper — a material specifically designed with one side that absorbs moisture and one side that allows gas exchange. That professional standard exists because the science demands it. Home storage should follow the same principle.

The wrapping method that actually works

You have three good options and one bad one.

Cheese paper is the best. It is a two-layer material — one side wax-coated to prevent sticking, one side porous to allow gas exchange. Purpose-built for exactly this job. Available online and in most kitchen shops. If you eat brie regularly, it is worth having.

Wax paper is an excellent alternative and almost as good. It is slightly porous, does not stick to the rind, and allows just enough gas exchange to prevent ammonia buildup. Wrap loosely — a single layer, folded at the ends. Then place the wrapped cheese in a loose zip bag or open container in the crisper.

Parchment paper works at a pinch. Less ideal than wax paper because it is less moisture-resistant and the rind can stick to it, but far better than plastic.

Tight plastic wrap is the wrong choice. It seals moisture and ammonia against the rind, creating the humidity and gas buildup that ruins texture and creates that sharp smell within a few days.

For a complete overview of soft cheeses in general, the rules are more nuanced than most people think — brie is the most demanding, but other bloomy rinds have their own specific wrapping needs too.

The cut wedge problem

A cut wedge has an exposed interior face that dries out quickly if left unwrapped. The approach: press a small piece of wax paper against the cut face only, then wrap the rest of the wedge loosely in wax paper. This protects the paste from drying while still allowing the rind to breathe. Do not wrap the entire wedge — rind included — in a tight seal.

Where in the fridge to store it

The crisper drawer. Not the main shelf and emphatically not the door. The crisper runs slightly warmer (around 40–45°F) and more humid than the main compartment — conditions that match what the cheese needs for continued gentle ripening. The main shelf is too cold and too dry. The door is subject to temperature fluctuation with every open.

Brie shelf life — by situation

The ammonia smell — what it means and how to fix it

The ammonia comes from the rind’s metabolic activity. It is always present to some degree — a faint, pleasant earthiness in a well-stored brie is completely normal. The sharp, paint-stripper version means the ammonia built up rather than escaped.

The fix is simple. Unwrap the wheel completely and leave it on a board at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. The ammonia dissipates into the air. Do not cover it during this time. After airing, taste a small piece from the paste — not the rind, which will always be stronger. If the interior tastes clean and creamy, the cheese is fine. Re-wrap in fresh wax paper and store in the crisper.

Actual spoilage looks and smells different: pink, grey, or orange discolouration on the rind (not white), a slimy texture that coats your fingers rather than a velvety surface, a genuinely putrid rather than sharp-ammonia smell, or visible blue-green mould. Any of those — discard.

Can you freeze brie?

Yes, but only if you intend to cook with it. Freezing is unsuitable for a cheese you plan to serve on a board.

Here is what happens: brie has a high moisture content and the paste is an emulsion of fat, water, and protein held together by the activity of P. camemberti. When it freezes, ice crystals form and rupture that structure. After thawing, the paste becomes crumbly and grainy rather than gooey and luscious. The flavour remains reasonable, but the texture — which is arguably the whole point of good brie — is compromised.

For cooking — baked brie in puff pastry, brie melted into a sauce, brie stirred into risotto — frozen and thawed brie works perfectly well. The texture change does not matter once it is melted.

How to freeze it for cooking

1. Wrap the wedge or whole wheel tightly in cling film, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface to remove air gaps.
2. Place the wrapped cheese in a freezer bag and push out remaining air before sealing.
3. Label with the date. Use within 3 months.
4. Thaw overnight in the fridge, not at room temperature.

Serving brie correctly

Cold brie is firm and muted. At room temperature it softens, the fat becomes liquid enough to flow slightly when cut, and the full aromatic profile opens up — the mushroomy, buttery, slightly grassy character that makes it worth eating. This is not optional. A brie served straight from the fridge is genuinely a different eating experience.

Take it out 30 to 60 minutes before serving, still wrapped, and leave at room temperature. Remove the wax paper just before setting it out. Serve with something that does not compete with the flavour — a plain cracker or baguette, maybe some honey or quince paste alongside. The brie should be the main character.

If you have paired it with other cheeses, see the notes on how to store different types of cheese together — the rules vary significantly between aged hard cheeses and soft bloomy rinds like brie.

How brie compares to other dairy in your fridge

Brie is the most demanding dairy product to store correctly because it is actively alive. Hard and semi-hard cheeses like parmesan or aged cheddar are far more forgiving — they can tolerate plastic wrap without the ammonia issue because they have no active surface mould. Parmesan is almost the opposite of brie: it needs a tighter wrap to prevent drying, not a looser one. Butter and margarine simply need to be sealed against oxygen — no gas exchange required.

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