Damn. I opened one gouda: 4 weeks old tomorrow.
Fine texture.
Tastes chalky.
I'd have to assume it was the overdose of CaCl2.
A waste. I'll let the other 4 cheeses mature.
Rushed out to the brewing area, got a pyrex flask, a stopper, a glass stir rod, scale, and CaCl2.
And measured out a 30% solution. 500grams water, 150grams CaCl2. Mixed.
BEWARE, PEOPLE!
This stuff creates a very powerful chemical reaction. My 500 ml flask was burning hot! Too hot to touch. I'm letting it cool down.
Sad that I didn't realize this yesterday before my two latest cheeses. That'll teach me to go off of stray recipes I found on the internet instead of quantifying how the stuff is used. My sodium chloride cheeses were all excellent, though. Well.... now I know.