That makes sense to use a cold brine, I usually do and will next time. it was warmer yesterday because Had it sitting out to facilitate frequently flipping some cams.
These Valencays were probably not the best subjects for my experiment because the knit was a bit weak. I lost a few bits of curd on the edges and one cheese was nearly bisected. Nevertheless, I won't call it an abject failure, the cheeses are ashed and set in a ripening box toward an edible end result. The results may be less than stellar, but I don't consider a cheese a failure unless I wouldn't want to eat it.
Is Humbolt Fog pressed at all? That would contribute to a better result. I don't see any problem with brining lactics so long as the knit is strong enough. I too am still wondering if the brine time should be different than for a renneted cheese.
Sort of lumpy looking, but here they are, poised to bloom: