POSSIBLE CAUSE:

• Milk temperature too low
• Rennet too weak or too old
• Rennet was mixed in the same container as the cheese color
• Colostrum in the milk
• Not enough rennet used
• Rennet destroyed by mixing in hot water
• Rennet destroyed by using chlorinated water

POSSIBLE CAUSE:

• Too much acidity in the milk caused by ageing 
• By adding too much cheese cultureor cheese starter
• From letting the milk ripen too long after adding the cheese culture or cheese starter

POSSIBLE CAUSE:

• Unclean equipment or poor hygiene
• Poor milk handling or not cooling properly
• Too much acidity in the cheese making process
• Too much rennet used
• Too much white mould spores used (Penicillium Candidum) 
• White mold cheese left maturing for too long. Cheese needs wrapping as soon as is covered with white mold. 

POSSIBLE CAUSE:

• Cutting the curd too small
• Not enough rennet used
• Overcooking the curds
• Overworking the curds or stirring too much
• Rough handling of the curds
• Raising the temperature too high too fast

POSSIBLE CAUSE:

• Unclean conditions during aging or drying time
• Too much humidity during aging or drying
• Not heating wax hot enough for waxed cheeses
• For rind cheese, not having rubbed with salt a consistent schedule

POSSIBLE CAUSE:

Yeast or Coliform Bacterial infection.  Both can be caused from unclean surfaces, not covering the milk during coagulation and ripening time.  Yeast can also be a problem if you make wine or beer in the same area that you make cheese.  Either infection can easily be identified.  Yeast gives the cheese the distinct smell of yeasty bread dough.  Coliform gives the cheese an odd funny smell.  Once the cheese is infected it cannot be saved, you must throw the cheese away and take steps to prevent any future infections.  Clean all the surfaces in your kitchen with a diluted bleach solution and make sure you cover your milk during the ripening and coagulation time.

POSSIBLE CAUSE:

• Cheese was not redressed as called for in a recipe, this will make the cheesecloth stick to the curds.
• Bacterial invasion, which can cause the cheese to swell.  

POSSIBLE CAUSE:

• Too much moisture left in the curds. 
• Curds were not cooked long enough.
• Not turning an ageing cheese often enough.

POSSIBLE CAUSE:

• Room temperature too warm when air drying the rind.
• Curds were over heated or stirred too hard.

POSSIBLE CAUSE

• Not using enough salt to flavour the cheese.
• Cheese not aged long enough
• Not enough acidity in the cheese from not using enough cheese culture or cheese starter
• Low acidity can also be caused from a residue left on pots and equipment from cleaning solutions.  Be sure to rinse them thoroughly and air-drying.

POSSIBLE CAUSE

• Curds were handled too rough/ stirred too much
• Curds were heated too quickly during cooking process causing them to get tough.
• Too much rennet was used