cheese hoop question from a newbie

[padams]

This may seem simplistic, but if I am making a cutting board cheese press, and making hoops from pvc (I have read all the threads pro/con) do I need a bottom for my hoop, or is that what the pie tin drainer is for?

[Cheese Head]

That's a good question!

So far I have seen no-one make a bottom, but the board on the bottom needs to have some small holes in it to allow whey drainage out of the bottom of the cheese. For mine I put that piece in a 9" square cake pan but the the whey gets stuck leaving the bottom of the holes plus initially I get lots of whey that I have to drain off. I think a better drainage solution is the hoop on a drilled board on a plastic mat in a cake pan. Would allow better drainage and higher standoff.

[DeejayDebi]

When using PVC tubes for cheese molds I always made bottoms for one reason - it gets the whey, off of the cheese better. I also used cutting boards for the base and liked to cut shallow groves to allow the whey to run off and away from the cheese.

[Alex]

I put the tube in glass tray and remove the excess whey with a syringe. Yes, it looks that I am preaty patient .

[padams]

Thank you everyone!  Alex, I am nowhere near that patient!!!   I had forgotten about the draining mats.  Of course!  Oh, and one other quick question? what size holes did you drill?

[Cheese Head]

Here's picture of mine for my 6" diameter PVC hoop. Piece of cut off cutting board, holes are about 3/32" or 2 mm diameter.

Probably I should drill more holes but I haven't used it for a while as I'm now using Kadova Brand Gouda shaped molds.

[padams]

are you having better luck with the kadova molds vs. pvc cheese hoops?  btw, the picture/post answered my question perfectly...thanks!

[Cheese Head]

Welcome, not really better luck but more pressional looking cheeses and they are easier to work with as no cloth, but they are expensive. There's a bunch of info on them in the Kadova Mold threads.