Hang in there Kat, you're on the right track
Sour Taste can be a number of things*Too much rennet; follow the usage rate on the rennet package, not the recipe.
*Took the cheese out of the bag and sampled it right away. A cheese needs to "breath" once taken out of a vac bag. The taste will settle down after a few hours.
*Cave temp too high: make sure you follow the cheese type's ripening temp, usually between 10-12C.
*Not aged enough: a cheese tastes weird when too young. Don't open a cheese before it's minimal ripening time is done.
*curd not drained appropriately.
If you're trying a natural rind, your cheese may take up to 7 days before being done with the "air-drying" process. Humidity and temp control are paramount, so make sure you have a good control over them, that way you can eliminate those two factors when troubleshooting.
I'm not one that can give you many tips on rind development, I'm too lazy for rind control and such, so I just use cream wax. Cream wax has a mold inhibitor and lets the cheese develop a rind. So you get the benefits of a rind without fighting off mold. Using culture with mold control properties is also another way to make natural rinds easier.
Don't give up, Kat. Troubleshooting is a big part of cheesemaking. You'll get the hang of it. You're on the right track!
