Cracks in my Gouda?

[AvB]

I made Gouda on July 11th and it has been in the fridge for about a week now, aging for about 5 days on an open rack and covered with a bowl. I took it off the rack and put it in a paper bag after noticing tiny cracks on the top. Is this normal? What is the cause?

[MarkShelton]

You may need to post a picture to be certain, but cracks are usually from cheeses drying out too much or too quickly. If the curd wasn't fully knit from the pressing, the drying out can cause shallow cracks all over the surface of the cheese, or make the cracks more dramatic. Or, a moist cheese with an excessively drying rind can cause deep, wide cracks. The dry rind will want to contract, while the moist cheese inside will stay "springy".

If you're using a regular fridge, that would be the culprit. They are notorious for overdrying cheese. A solution would be to wax, or use a ripening box.

[AvB]

Thanks for the advice. My apartments is perpetually warm to our constant dismay and there doesn't seem to be anything we can do to cool it down, barring the purchase of an air conditioner. Would it be ok to keep the box in the fridge? Or to leave it out in the warm air?

I have attached a photo of the cracks, below.

Thanks!

[MarkShelton]

A fridge thats too cold is much better than on a counter that's too warm. The warm environment will cause butterfat to sweat out of the cheese, and the risk of contamination and the cheese just going bad is much higher. In the fridge, the below ideal temperatures will slow the aging down a bit, but otherwise isn't too bad.