Newbie questioning my homemade press...

[Storm256]

I am a newbie to the world of cheesemaking and as usual rushed headlong into a new project without doing quite as much research as I should have.  I am planning to graduate from the soft/fresh cheese making to to Cheddars and Goudas and the like.  So I built a press.... sadly now as I have taken the time to read several of the posts here it has become obvious the press of choice is a Dutch style not the direct pressure type I built.  I guess my question to you folks is should I try to use this press for say Farmhouse Cheddar or maybe Gouda or scrap it and start over with a Dutch press.  Part of my concern comes from the discussions about the hundreds of pounds of pressure being exerted by some of these presses, makes the 100-125 lbs of weight on my press seem downright insignificant!  The "mold" in the picture is a stainless container I cutoff and drilled for drainage its about 8" inches tall for reference.

[Cloversmilker]

That looks like a nice press. Go ahead and try it out on a Gouda or a Jack or .... You can always make a Dutch press later.  Experimenting with this press will help you figure out what you want in your next press.   

[Tomer1]

It can certainly work for semi hard cheeses tomme,gouda,jack,havarti,swiss...
However for cheddar you need a dutch press or build a ramp so a car can drive over the top of your press

[fied]

Nice looking press. I've one similar, but yours is well made - much better than my effort.

I've used mine for years with weights up to 100lb, though I usually only go up to 70lbs at the most - for Cheddar types in a 6"w x 5"h mould for 3 Imp. galls. of milk. I've never tried a Cantal type/Parmesan type in it, which would require weights of 200lbs+. In theory, it should stand the strain, but I'll only do that if and when I decide to go for a new press anyway.

You'll be able to make perfectly good hard cheeses with your model.

[zenith1]

Bill, go ahead and use that press. I started with a similar press and it worked well until my wife got scared of the leaning tower of weights that I had built up. Yours is totally usable. You can have very good results with this type of press using lower weights for all but possibly varieties like cheddar that require more weight and or time to achieve a good knitting of the curd. Research DJ Debi, a member here on the forum. She has great success using far less weight. Keep pressing Bill....you can always gravitate to another type of press later. Start slow in your cheese making- as hard as it is, it is probably better to start with only one or two types and really learn what is going on during the make, understand what the curd needs to look like and how it behaves at every step through the process. By doing it this way when you progress to a new cheese you will better be able to diagnose problems as they will occur and will be able to correct them without so much trial and error. Congratulations on choosing this forum-it will serve you well!

[Tomer1]

Accual grana doesnt require that much pressure since the curds really want to mat togther and they are so tiny that there isnt much moisture left in them anyhow so the pressing is just to ensure that there arent any mechanical opening\trapped whey rather then expelling liquid from the cheese.

As opposed to cheddar where the cheddaring process is like making cheese,taking it apart and putting it back togther. Thats why the high pressure is required.

[fied]

I've found the cheddaring pressing interesting as a process. As long as the curds are kept warm up to the final pressing, they'll knit well, even at the lighter weights I use. I use less weight because I like Cheddar types to be moister and more crumbly (big crumbs, that is!) than the heavier pressed varieties. The only difference is that my finished cheeses tend to bow a little after about 4 days of drying. In the past, I have compensated by leaving them in the press for a day longer so that the sides stay straight, but I now don't bother.

It's all a matter of taste, really, and my American husband and I have noted before that Cheddar types in the US tend to be pressed more heavily than in the UK.

[Storm256]

Thank you for your input folks! I will take it to heart and use this press until I come across a situation  that requires that I build a new one, or until I feel the need to press my cheese in the driveway (Tomer1 that visual cracked me up).  I do need to walk before I try to run so to speak so I'll begin making cheeses that aren't quite as demanding as others.  Thanks again!  I am so excited about starting this cheesemaking,  now for the cheese "cave" .....Don't worry I promise to do all my research before starting that project.