I am not familiar with this troubleshoot, so I may not have a definitive answer to your bloating gouda, but here's a few guidelines on brining:
- Brining temp range : 12 - 15C
- Salt level: 18 - 22% (try to avoid 26% saturated, or levels higher than 22%)
- Add CaCl2 and adjust PH level similar to cheese
- Hard cheeses generally stay in brine 3 hours per pound per side (but follow recipe instructions)
- When not in use, the brine is best kept refrigerated.
- Check the forum's wiki page on Brine maintenance for properly keeping and storing your brine.
If the bloating problem repeats itself and the brine is well maintained and adjusted, then the problem is something other than the brine.