Pressed Cheese - Swelling During Air Drying Phase

[Walking O]

I have made two 2 gallon batches of colby. Both have swollen during the drying time and the wax keeps cracking about 12 hours after I wax them. When I remove the wax the cheese feels wet. Also when I cut the cheese it is full of holes, am told it is producing gas from something. It has a sweet taste, but was told I should throw it away and start over. Help! It is made from raw cows milk as I have Dexter cows I milk. Have a batch of cheddar in the press, hoping for better luck.

[Al Lewis]

Personally, I won't make any cheese that I don't age for over 60 days out of raw milk.  I just did two 3 pound colby's from store bought milk and they are waxed and fine.

[Tobiasrer]

I am not telling you one way or the other but why toss them just because of a little gas? what was the reason given? How old are they it they are still moist/releasing moisture, and what cultures did you use to make the colby?

[Sailor Con Queso]

It would help if we knew what kind of starter that you used, because some do produce a little gas. Early gas can be from coliforms. "Late blowing" is generally caused by spore forming Clostridium. If is smells off, pitch it.

[margaretsmall]

Clostridium - thats a worry. In a post last week (which noone has commented on, sob!) I added a picture of my graviera which is swelling a little on one surface. I've bagged it (this is a bit like knitting something which isnt turning out well, you put it in the back of a cupboard in the hope that the knitting fairies will fix it). We'll apply a nose test when I dare to open it. And if I can work out how to put a link to my poor neglected post I'll put it in here (it's worth looking at, a great photo of a very sad cheese which had been left to its own devices for 3 weeks).
Margaret