Wayne - I have settled in to making 8" wheels. I do 35 gallons at a time and get 6 wheels of about 5.25 pounds each. When I do Alpines, I do 5 wheels of 6+ pounds for better eye formation. I want customers to buy entire wheels, so for me, this is entirely a marketing thing. I can sell a 5 pound wheel at $80 a lot easier than I can sell a 20 pound wheel at $320. That's why I decided on my 6 station gang press. The smaller wheels lend themselves better to spontaneous buying and I am promoting them as handmade personal wheels. So far, the restaurants seem to like the idea. For retail, I am going to be packaging an 8" wheel with 8 wedges of different cheeses as a party pack. These will be reassembled into an 8" wheel and vacuum packed onto a bamboo cutting board, ready to open for any event. I already have retailers asking for specific ethnic collections, like English, French, and Italian. I am looking for an Italian blue to round out my offering.
FYI - I am using Tomme molds with Plyban and never have any sticking. After the initial pressing, I remove the Plyban, flip the cheese and press for another 3-4 hours "naked" in the mold. Removes all the wrinkles. The flatter wheels store better than the rounded Gouda style Kadovas.
Another big advantage with the 8" wheels - they can still be easily vac bagged.
Thanks to those who have given me cheeses. It helps to know your appreciated.
