Cheddar aspect ratio?

[tananaBrian]

Hi,

  Does the height/width ratio of the pressed cheddar make much difference?  I've got Rikki Carroll's small mold, which from a 2-gallon batch, will produce a pressed cheddar that is about as tall as it is wide, e.g. 1:1 ration of height:width.  Is that normal?  I know some cheeses are formed into true wheels rather than squat mini-barrels ...but which is which?

Thanks,
Brian

PS: I'll be delving into my FIRST EVER pressed cheese next weekend ...stirred curd cheddar.  Looking forward to it.  Gouda comes next.  Hints and helps are welcome.

[zenith1]

My suggestion is to move slowly in your cheese making by making one or two varieties well and not falling into the trap that all of us cheese lovers have of wanting to make them all. Try to understand what is going on in each step will help you in your quest for a really tasty treat. As far as the mold goes, any will work, but typically the various types are driven by traditional methods including sizes and shapes of the wheels.