Poor rind development on Gouda

[wcaprar]

I turned my Gouda for the second time since making it (made it 4 days ago) and It Doesn't seem to be getting a rind. I remember it being dryer when it was fresh than it is now. I have been reading other gouda recipes and other peoples' posts on how they made there Gouda and I'm thinking that there are a couple spots where I may have been able to improve and could possibly fix.

1. I only let the cheese sit in a brine for 3 hours (the recipe said 3-6 hours per pound [mine was 2.22lbs] but I remember reading on a post that 10 hours resulted in a too salty cheese for someone, so I just did three). I have some whey left over from an earlier cheese, should I re-brine it perhaps?

2. My target humidity is 85-90% RH and my hygrometer says the container never got above 91%, but after 2 days there was condensation on the container and today the container seemed a bit fogged up. That would mean its hitting 100% RH, right? Is my hygrometer off? Should I maybe shoot for 80-85% RH?

3. Some recipes I have read said that they left there cheese out for almost a day after making their Gouda, but after removing mine from the brine and letting it dry for maybe 10 minutes, it went in its box in the fridge. Should I maybe take the cheese out and let it dry?

The cheese does have a rind, it just doesn't seem dried out enough. Should I just be patient and give it more time? It has only been 4 days.

Any ideas would be very helpful, thanks in advance! This is my first gouda, so I don't really know what I am looking for... Maybe I should go buy some at AJ's and try it out, lol. Would pictures maybe help?

[pliezar (Ian)]

I have had problems with rinds on my Gouda, but I now leave mine to air dry at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.  Flipping a few times a day to begin with and then once a day.   In my limited experience I have found that many recipes leave the air drying portion out.  It was not until I started reading some books that I found out about it.  There are far more knowledgeable people on the board who may have a more definite answer for you.

I brined my last Gouda for 10 hours so I will see how it tastes in about 60is days.

Cheers.
Ian

[Sailor Con Queso]

Short answers:

You didn't brine long enough. Cheese needs salt to draw out moisture and form a rind. So it's never a good idea to use less salt than the recipe calls for.

Don't re-brine. You can do a dry salt rub or wash with a brine daily.

You needed to air dry for a couple of days. Take it out and let it dry.

[Cheese Head]

As Sailor said, when you air dry, make sure not in cold dry fridge or else you'll get surface cracks. After drying your cheese, I'd say your humidity control ripening box is too humid if you are getting condensation.

Once you get a nice hard rind, you'll want to think of long term, I like oiling if you don't have a vaccum bagger.

[MrsKK]

Turning young cheese frequently is really important to even drying out, too.  At least once a day for the first week, then every couple of days for a week, then at least weekly thereafter.

[wcaprar]

Thank you guys for the prompt response!

Thanks Sailor for the advise, I will pull it out immediately to dry out for a few days

[wcaprar]

So I left it out for two days and it has a nice rind now! Yay!

Once you get a nice hard rind, you'll want to think of long term, I like oiling if you don't have a vaccum bagger.

How long term would you say is long term? I intend on cutting into this cheese on March 19th. Would it be unwise to start oiling it or just leave it be, as is? I know thats not very long, but I'm a bit impatient as this is my very first aged cheese. I certainly don't have any confidence in any skills I may possess so better safe than sorry and I'm considering this cheese a botched attempt! I'll wait longer next time and I have a few ideas I'd like to try with the next one.