Thx, that completes the fuse dynamic. Appreciate the clarification. Classic parm is made in conical vats. Heated underneath. There's a ton of heat on all those curds that mat at the bottom. Parm mats completely before it is put in hoops. It's not even pressed; it's fully fused when removed and takes shape under its own weight. This is absolutely crucial to understand for parm. That tight texture, it's not due to weights. There's a follower, I suppose, but that's like 10 lbs on top... it's nothing. Rapid heat loss, or not pressing under whey/settling under whey... just not good. Even if you try to make up for it by pressing under 50 PSI, won't help. That was my point, that the cheese texture is created in the pot, before you ever drain the whey.
For parm, it's not even warm when those curds fuse... it's really hot. Almost too hot too handle if you're not used to the temps. They have to fuse, else the texture will be all wrong. Openings inside, cracks, oddities during salting, etc.