The finished cheese is too dry and hard.

Possible cause
Not enough rennet added.
Solution
Add more rennet.

Possible cause
The curd has been cut too finely.
Solution
Cut the curd into larger cubes.

Possible cause
The curd was heated to too high a temperature.
Solution
Reduce the temperature.

Possible cause
The curd was mixed too vigorously.
Solution
Handle the curd gently.




The acidity during cheese production is not high enough.

Possible cause
The culture of starter bacteria does not work.
Solution
Milk contains antibiotics. In cheese-making, the milk of animals taking any medications should not be used.

Possible cause
The starter culture became infected.
Solution
Use a new starter.

Possible cause
The tools have residues of cleaning agents, especially chlorine.
Solution
Carefully wash all tools.




The milk does not coagulate and does not form a solid curd.

Possible cause
Not enough rennet was used.
Solution
Increase the amount of rennet.

Possible cause
Low-quality rennet was used.
Solution
Use high-quality rennet and store it properly.

Possible cause
The rennet function ceased after diluting it with too warm water.
Solution
Dissolve the rennet in cool water.

Possible cause
The rennet was mixed in the same dish as the cheese dye.
Solution
Make sure that the rennet does not mix with the dye.

Possible cause
The thermometer is not accurate and the milk temperature was too low.
Solution
Check that the thermometer is accurate by putting it in boiling water. It should show evenly 100 degrees C.

Possible cause
The milk has a colostrum.
Solution
Do not use milk that contains colostrum.



After adding rennet, while mixing, the milk coagulates too quickly, forming a curd with very small grains.

Possible cause
The milk has too much acidity.
Solution
Coagulation should occur at the earliest 5 minutes after adding rennet. Reduce acidity.




After pressing, it is difficult to take the cheese out of the mold.

Possible cause
In the milk, coliforms and / or fungi have developed that have produced gas, causing bloating of the cheese during pressing, so it is difficult to take the cheese out of the mold after pressing.
Solution
Strictly observe the rules of hygiene. Sterilize the instruments in boiling water or in a sterilizing solution. Only use pure milk and cold milk for cheese production. Raw milk must be pasteurized.




After pressing, it is difficult to remove the cheese cloth; pieces of cheese break away with the cloth.

Possible cause
The cheese was infected with coliforms and / or yeast.
Solution
Strictly observe the rules of hygiene.

Possible cause
The cheese was not wrapped in a fresh cloth when it was necessary.
This is a common cause of problems for cheeses produced using thermophilic cultures.
Solution
Wrap the cheese in a fresh, clean cloth, following the recipe.


After cutting the cheese, you can see small holes inside - the cheese looks like a sponge.

Possible cause
The cheese was infected with coliforms and / or yeast. This can be seen during heating: the curd has a different color than usual, very similar to a bread dough.
Solution
Strictly observe the rules of hygiene.




During ripening, moist spots appear under the paraffin that begin to rot.

Possible cause
The cheese was not turned often enough.
Solution
At the beginning of ripening, turn the cheese at least once a day.

Possible cause
The cheese contains too much liquid.
Solution
Take action to reduce liquid content.




During drying or after paraffinizing, mould develops on the surface of the cheese.

Possible cause
The ripening room has too high humidity and / or the necessary hygiene rules are not observed.
Solution
Thoroughly wash the shelves on which the cheese matures. Reduce room humidity.




There is too much acidity during cheese production.

Possible cause
Before cheese production or pasteurization, milk was stored under improper conditions.
Solution
Cool fresh milk immediately to a temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Store milk at this temperature or below until cheese production begins.

Possible cause
Too much starter has been added.
Solution
Reduce the amount of starter.

Possible cause
The acidification process took too long.
Solution
Shorten the acidification time and add rennet before.

Possible cause
The cheese is too moist.
Solution
Take action to reduce the moisture content of the cheese.




During drying, the surface of the cheese becomes oily.

Possible cause
Drying of the cheese takes place at too high temperature.
Solution
Move the cheese to a cool room. The temperature should not exceed 18 degrees C.

Possible cause
The curd was mixed too vigorously.
Solution
Handle the curd more gently.

Possible cause
The curd was heated at too high a temperature.
Solution
Lower the temperature during reheating.


The cheese is tasteless or the taste is not strong enough.

Possible cause
Maturation did not last long enough.
Solution
Leave the cheese to ripen for the period specified in the recipe or longer.

Possible cause
The acidity level was not high enough.
Solution
Increase acidity during cheese production.




The cheese is too moist.

Possible cause
In the cheese production process, the acidification was not carried out properly.
Solution
Increase acidity during cheese production.

Possible cause
The milk has too much fat.
Solution
The milk fat content should not exceed 4.5%. If it is higher and there is too much humidity, some cream should be removed before making the cheese.

Possible cause
The curd was heated too quickly. Increasing the temperature too rapidly causes a film to form around the grains, which in turn prevents them from draining from the fluid.
Solution
The temperature during heating should be increased gradually - no more than 0.5 degrees every 5 minutes.

Possible cause
Too much whey left in the curd.
Solution
Cut the curd into smaller pieces.

Possible cause
The curd was heated at too low a temperature.
Solution
Increase the temperature during reheating.



The cheese has a bitter taste.

Possible cause
Hygiene requirements were insufficiently observed when processing milk or preparing tools.
Solution
The milk must be stored in a cool place before production. The tools must be sterile clean and free of lactic acid deposits (it accumulates on surfaces that have been in contact with milk for a long time; it can be removed with cleaning fluid for products in contact with lactic acid).
Sterilize all tools before making cheese from raw milk.

Possible cause
Too much rennet has been used.
Solution
Reduce the amount of rennet.

Possible cause
Too high acidity during cheese production.
Solution
Take action to reduce acidity.

Possible cause
After crushing, too little salt was added to the curd.
Solution
Increase the amount of salt added to the curd.



The cheese definitely has a too acid taste.

Possible cause
The cheese has too much water.
Solution
Reduce the amount of liquid during cheese production.

Possible cause
Too much acidity during the cheese production process.
Solution
Reduce acidity production.