I made a cheddar last week and it was not out of the mold 12 hours when it started to crack. By the next morning the cracks were pretty deep. I put it in a covered plastic bowl in the fridge, but four days later it still has some cracks in it. I'm not thinking of waxing as the cracks are too deep. I'm wondering if I can just age it in the fridge. Can I eat it now? I know the taste will be very mild, but is it even worth a try? Will the rind continue to develope? Will the cheese dry out too much even in the bowl? I should know better than to try to make cheese at this time of year. Way too hot and dry in Montana.
I vote for eat it anyway!
You could try giving it a quick dunk in the brine to heal the wounds. Maybe 10 minutes? Dry it off and put it back in the cave. Really hot/cold weather makes it difficult to dry evenly unless you have a very controlled heating/cooling environment. I know I certainly don't. A week may be to late but it can't hurt and hey you can have cheese cheese curds anyway.