I have made gouda, cheddar , havarti and colby. Always with store bought pasturized and homogonized milk. I add 1/2 tsp of calcium cloride to 2 gallons milk after reaching temps of 86-90 degrees. In every case the cheese, after 4-8 months aging, has been crumbling apart when taken out of wax and cut. And in most instances, it has been sour. No mold

Any suggestions? Thanks

Hey Larry,

I feel for ya’.  Its really depressing to wait that long only to be disappointed with the result.  OK, first thing - the sour taste.  This sounds to me like a contamination issue.  It may be cracks in your wax, though without mold that could likely be discounted.  More reasonable to assume you’re picking up some bacterial contamination during the make.  I had this issue myself back in the day, and by becoming rigorous in sanitation the problem disappeared.  First, sanitize your pot by boiling water in it for at least 15 minutes, covered.  The steam will kill off the bad guys.  Then, sanitize absolutely everything you will be using, including counters.  I even go so far as to sanitize the outside of my milk containers, so nothing drops into the pot while I’m pouring.  Also, be sure to wash your hands prior to every instance of touching your milk (I stir by hand, never use a spoon).  I’m confident that this attention to sanitation will eliminate the sour cheese.

As to the crumbliness, most everyone will say that it’s due to too much acid development.  That may or may not be the problem.  You can try reducing the amount of culture and/or shortening your ripening time.  I’d also recommend that you do your drying of the finished wheel in a cool environment, so there is less culture growth.  You want it to slow way down for the aging process.  I dry mine in the cheese fridge, along with my aging wheels.  Of course, my wheels are in vacuum sealed bags, so there is no cross contamination.

You might also try increasing the amount of butterfat in your batches.  I’m using raw Jersey cow milk, which is about 12% cream, and I add an extra pint of cream for a 4 gallon batch.  Even at that, my cheddar is a bit drier than I would like.

Given the issues you’re dealing with, I’d also suggest that you not wait four months to try your cheese.  With raw milk, two months is all that is necessary.  If you’re using the pasteurized stuff, you don’t even need to wait that long.  The cheeses you are making will be good in a couple months - even the cheddar, though it wll be a milk cheddar at that point.

Let me know how it goes and I’ll see what else I can come up with.

Thank you. I will give your suggestions a try

Had another thought:  stirring vigorously during the cook can also add to the dryness of the curd.  Stir very gently, and only as often as necessary to break up the matting.