Author Topic: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.  (Read 2628 times)

Offline Dayspring Dairy

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Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« on: April 03, 2015, 03:27:55 PM »
Hello, 
I'm wanting to buy or make some simple plastic numbers that I can add to molds during pressing to leave a batch number impression on my cheeses.  I'm not finding any ready made but I'm sure they are out there somewhere.   Any ideas where to buy these,  have them custom made, or even make myself with food grade plastic.  Would be nice for our logo to be stamped into the cheese.  Thanks!

Stinky

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2015, 05:19:07 PM »
One of the users on here got cheap plastic cutting boards and cut them into numbers.

Offline Al Lewis

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Stinky

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2015, 06:42:06 PM »

Offline Dayspring Dairy

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2015, 10:58:45 PM »
Thanks for the links for the homemade solutions. I had learned about Peter's trick with cutting boards.  I'm actually looking for commercially made versions as I would have to cut out a hundred or more for my batch sizes.  Thanks!

John@PC

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2015, 09:48:22 PM »
You should be able to find someone with a laser flat-bed cutter to cut your logo into a plastic template to go under your follower and then you could use stencils for the numbers.  I had a company laser engrave some of my followers for a customer over a year ago but the cut wasn't deep enough, but cutting a .010" or so thick stencil using polycarbonate should work. 

Update:  Here is one company that looks interesting.  Not in AL but it may be wise to find someone that specializes in stencil cutting and shipping costs wouldn't be that much.  I may even contact them to get $$$ - would love to get a PC logo on my cheeses even though what I make I can't sell  :( but I can give to friends :).
« Last Edit: April 08, 2015, 10:04:13 PM by John@PC »

shaneb

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2015, 10:23:58 PM »
Laser cutting was my first thought too. We regularly laser cut plastics at my (now former) employer. Different types of plastics give off some nasty gases when being cut. I just wonder how safe the pieces would be after being cut. Do the burnt edges turn into some nasty chemical? Maybe a very thin sheet would be okay though as the laser would run through it pretty easily.

Shane

Edit: Thinking about it more, a good clean after cutting would probably make the surfaces safe anyway.....
« Last Edit: April 09, 2015, 07:35:51 AM by Shane »

Offline awakephd

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2015, 05:37:20 PM »
Here's a link that turned up in a Google search -- not quite what was asked for, but it would be interesting to see what the cost would be. Looks like the minimum thickness is 1/8", and height of letters can be 1" and up: http://www.woodlandmanufacturing.com/acrylic-letters.html

Another option, possibly, would be to buy a stencil from Michaels or other craft shop, and cut out rectangles around each letter. Using these would give you raised letters on a sunken background, rather than sunken letters as discussed in the earlier post. But maybe ... ?
-- Andy

Kern

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2015, 11:02:12 PM »
For the non-fastidious:  Would it be OK to mark the dry rind with a Sharpie so as to be able to identify it later?  It's not that I have a lot of cheeses in my cave yet, it's that I am getting to the point in life where my memory is not as good as it used to be. 

This is not all bad, however, because the joke I roared over last week will be fresh again next week.   ;)

SOSEATTLE

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2015, 01:08:13 AM »
For the non-fastidious:  Would it be OK to mark the dry rind with a Sharpie so as to be able to identify it later?  It's not that I have a lot of cheeses in my cave yet, it's that I am getting to the point in life where my memory is not as good as it used to be. 

This is not all bad, however, because the joke I roared over last week will be fresh again next week.   ;)



I would probably go with something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Writer-Decorator-Assorted-Colors/dp/B0012DMI1S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428627933&sr=8-1&keywords=food+markers



Susan

Offline awakephd

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Re: Cheese stamping/branding for batch ID.
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2015, 02:04:07 AM »
I often use a similar food-coloring-marker -- very easy and convenient
-- Andy