Gouda - bulging

[TailPipe]

Hi All - I have a gouda that has been waxed for almost a month. I just flipped it today and noticed there is air under the wax - it is starting to bulge. Is this a sign of a problem underneath? SHould i crack the wax and inspect? Has anyone seen this before or is this likely a sign of an infected cheese? I don't have a pic handy at the moment, but i can upload one later. It's quite noticeable.

Thanks

[Andrew Marshallsay]

There are a few possibilities here.
If it is just a matter of the wax pulling away from the cheese, it may not be a big problem. I would be removing the wax and inspecting the cheese. You may find that there is whey trapped under the wax, particularly if you waxed too early. In that case, you could just let the cheese dry thoroughly and then re-wax.
If the whole cheese is bulging, you have probably got a blown cheese, as a result of an infection, unless you added propionic bacteria.

[TailPipe]

I ended up peeling back some wax and inspecting. Everything looked fine and smelled great so I mended it with a little wax and returned it to the cave. There was no further bulging.

I just cut the cheese open on the weekend, after 6 weeks aging, and it was delicious. It was creamy and smooth. It did however have holes in it - which explains the expansion under the wax. It is a bit surprising however. I didn't add a mesophilic culture with diacetyl. The consistency looked more like Havarti - but it did taste like gouda. Any ideas? Likely contaminated from something? I didi use the same brine that I had used for a raclette that had b linens but there was no sign of b linens on my gouda. Happy mistake I guess - but would like to understand what happened. Any ideas out there or past experience from others?

[Thewitt]

Definite eye formation. 

I had that in a Colby last year out of the blue. No idea why, and three others made in the same week were not impacted...

[Dorchestercheese]

Milk and culture used?

[TailPipe]

I used in unhomogenizef whole milk, 3.8%. it was pasteurized.

Culture was Meso II.

Have used the same culture for a few other cheeses with no eye formation to date.

[feather]

I had a little problem with small cracks in the middle of my goudas last year. I read a thread, no idea which one, that said that the cracks were due to not letting the middle curds settle enough. Like pouring all the curds in the cheese cloth lined form, and the middle curds had some settling to do, but couldn't, whey which was trapped by the top and bottom curds. Some of those cracks might be due to that.

The next gouda I make I will fill my mold slower, give the curds a bit of a stir, so all of them can let off any whey they need to get rid of, while I'm assembling the curds in the mold.

I say this because in your picture, I see cracks mostly near the middle, none right at the top and none right at the bottom, so it might have something to do with that.

Whether your meso II has gas producing culture, I don't know.

[TailPipe]

Interesting points. That could be possible. It was my first Gouda, so nothing to compare to. I'll do what you suggest on my next. I made it from 12L and it will filled my press pretty high. The culture shouldnt be gas producing. I have used it in other cheeses without any signs of gas production.

Thanks for the tip!

[Thewitt]

The cracks are mechanical and due to insufficient pressing.

The round holes are from gas formation.

[TailPipe]

Yes. Agreed. Still have a puzzling gas production! To me anyway. But there was definitely quite a bit of cracks. Although the cheese stayed together nicely and not crumbly. Will pack a bit slower and press a bit longer next time.

[Bantams]

I think the cracks are simply due to the formation of eyes in a cheese that is not quite pliable enough to stretch without cracking. 
That's why cheeses with extensive eye formation must have a very elastic texture.

[Dorchestercheese]

My guess if you did not add a gas forming bacteria it found its way into your pot.