I have made several batches of various washed rind cheeses and I have the same problem every time. The curds don’t knit together well so the surface of the cheese has craters that attract various molds. The cheese has wonderful flavor but is not as soft as I think it should be from commercial cheeses I’ve tasted. I am using raw Jersey cow milk so butterfat content is high. I’ve tried stirring the curds gently for a short period. Also tried not stirring at all just cutting and molding. I tried light pressing also and nothing seems to work. Here’s a question, Can I put the cheese into a warm waterbath and essentially “melt” it smooth?