Carter,
I'm at work right now, but I believe my final press weight was 52 lbs.
I used your calculations for a 7-1/2" Tomme mold.
As for milling, I really didn't have the need. During draining the curd stayed nicely seperated and went into the press nice and loose.
I do make sure to load the press with the curd as warm as possible.
Once I start the draining procedure, I hurry as much as I can so that the curd will knit properly. This is something that is stressed as being a very important part of getting a swiss to turn out well.
On some of my other cheeses, it's more difficult to keep the curd warm before going into the press.
Some, like Colby call for a long draining period (like 20 minutes) and the curd does cool a lot in that amount of time.
I really wish I had something along the lines of a steam table so that the curd could be warmed while draining.
So, there's your next project....
Build me a custom, stainless steel steam table and try to keep the cost under $50.00 shipped. Should be a piece of cake for you.
Oh, I checked out your web site a few minutes ago and it looks great. Very professional.
Can't wait to see it once everything is finished.
Dave