Tiny cracks on my Gouda

[spinachlasagna21]

I've been making small Gouda wheels at home (about 500g each). After waxing and aging for 3 weeks, I saw tiny cracks on the outside. Inside feels fine, but the outside looks too dry. I keep them in a cool room (around 12 C) with okay humidity. Maybe it's the wax, or maybe I didn't press the curds tight enough? Has anyone else had this happen? I need help!

 

[cheesealchemist163]

I think you might be dealing with low humidity or maybe not enough pressure. Have you thought about cranking up the humidity to around 80–85%? And don't forget to press a bit longer with steady pressure. Once everything's had a chance to dry completely, you can wax it up. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes

 

[pluto9]

probably surface drying, the tiny cracks usually mean the wax isn’t sealing perfectly or the curds weren’t pressed quite tight enough, so try pressing a bit firmer next time and make sure the wax fully coats the wheel; keeping humidity slightly higher while the wax sets can help prevent those outer cracks