Author Topic: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?  (Read 3269 times)

Val

  • Guest
Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« on: October 22, 2013, 03:51:49 PM »
I found these 4 cup measuring cups for a dollar a piece at the warehouse market grocery.  They have a stamp of 5 PP on them and this is what it says for that.

<5>PP (polypropylene) has high tensile strength, making it ideal for use in caps and lids that have to hold tightly on to threaded openings. Because of its high melting point, polypropylene can be hot-filled with products designed to cool in bottles, including ketchup and syrup. It is also used for products that need to be incubated, such as yogurt.

They measure 4 7/8" across the top and 4 1/4" across the bottom (slightly tapered) and is 4 5/8" tall.  They are smooth inside and out also have a small rounding at the bottom that would give the cheese a rounded edge rather than a sharp one. ( I hear corners dry out faster and rounded is better)

I have a question on drainage holes.. would drilling 1/8" holes 1" apart staggered be sufficient for drainage?

Val

Pete S

  • Guest
Re: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2013, 04:13:31 PM »
  I have boughten ones that size that has less and smaller holes than that. They work for pressed cheeses.
the ones that I use for drained cheeses (Blues) have a lot more holes and no bottom   Pete

Val

  • Guest
Re: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2013, 04:23:19 PM »
I plan to use them for cheddar and monterey jack type cheeses.  So do you think 1/16 holes and 2" staggering is sufficient?


Val

Pete S

  • Guest
Re: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2013, 07:48:22 PM »
  One mold I have has 1/16 x 2" , another has 1/16 x 1" spacing.  the more holes you have the faster it will drain thus cooling down less. you could start with the 2" spacing and later drill in between them if you need to. I don't notice much difference between them in actual use.   Pete

Val

  • Guest
Re: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2013, 10:31:21 PM »
Thanks :)

I started off trying to drill the holes. :(  first thing it cracked the plastic a little bit.  So I got out my wood burning tool and melted the holes in.  That seemed to work better but gives a bit of a lip on both sides of the holes (inside and outside).  I sanded them down a tad inside,  I can live with that.

Val

Pete S

  • Guest
Re: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2013, 12:17:50 AM »
  I use a brad point bit that is for drilling wood. it cuts a cleaner hole with less burs on the inside.I still sand with 400 grit wet or dry paper. I am drilling plastic pipe that is made for drinking water that is 4" or 6" in diameter and is a lot heaver than what you are using.   Pete

Val

  • Guest
Re: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2013, 02:29:08 AM »
Thanks Pete :)

I may go that route also.  I have some new 6" or maybe it was 4" pipe..... about a foot long.  I just wanted rounded corners and not sure if going with a full open top and bottom if I can get that.

Val

(Giving you all a thumbs up for helping me.)

Pete S

  • Guest
Re: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« Reply #7 on: October 23, 2013, 02:41:51 AM »
   I have a wood lath so I turn bottoms & followers with a concave.  I can mold round corners when I use them in the press   Pete

Offline Boofer

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Lakewood, Washington
  • Posts: 5,015
  • Cheeses: 344
  • Contemplating cheese
Re: Suitable for 1 - 2 pound cheese?
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2013, 02:09:56 PM »
I plan to use them for cheddar and monterey jack type cheeses.
So you're using plastic measuring cups for moulds?

You may find that pressing curd in those could perhaps overstress the plastic walls and lead to a mould failure. Some of the commercial moulds available don't break the bank and are worthwhile in the long run. They have high tensile strength and are designed for the rigors of cheesemaking.

There are a number of mould sellers, including member iratherfly's website.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.