In need of some press help

[Al Lewis]

Just put a hydraulic pressure gauge on the cylinder.

[Chetty]

Thanks for all the wonderfull suggestions and comments.  I told my dad what I wanted and he and his friend went on the job again, I will see what they come up with.  I will also watch them closer and make sure they know exactly what I want.  If it still doesn't work I will start with fresh and make somthing else. 

[Chetty]

I decided to post some more pictures just for fun. 

[Tiarella]

Cool!  I love looking at photos!!   ;D   Are your molds food grade plastic?  There have been various threads on the forum about using different piping for molds with concern about the impact of the acids of cheese and leaching of chemicals.  I like your lever arm press set up.  Can you tell us what cheese types you have hanging there?  Wish I had a nice set up too!  I'm still using the home kitchen for now.  Spent some time hanging around after dinner wondering how to build  root cellar/ cheese cave areas onto the house. 

[Chetty]

Those molds are from

www.cheesemaking.com

They are the large hard cheese molds with follower.  Inside the molds in the picture is my last pepper jack. 

As for the cheese it is provolone.  I just posted about them in the proper section. 

[smolt1]

Chetty,  You can fix the problem with your off the wall press by putting a brace from the slide bar to a point higher up on the wall and bolted to the wall. The flanges that hold the slide bar have a large force on them to pull the bottom bolt out because the bar is away from the wall and makes a lever trying to pull the bolts.

[Chetty]

I will have to do that, Thanks for the input. 

[Boofer]

Seems to me there are a few unasked questions hanging in the air. ???

• Are you making cheese now?
• If you are currently making cheeses, what is the process/equipment that you are using and is it not up to the task?

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, Chetty, it just seems like this is a project in search of an application. Please correct me if I'm off-base.

-Boofer-

Boofer, I think you missed his introduction thread.  He's making 80 gallon batches and has the beginning of a very nice set up.  At such a young age!  We should all be so lucky!!   :D

I did miss that Introductions post. Quite the post! Thanks for the headslap. ;)

Now I'm just envious.... :P

-Boofer-

[Tiarella]

Seems to me there are a few unasked questions hanging in the air. ???

• Are you making cheese now?
• If you are currently making cheeses, what is the process/equipment that you are using and is it not up to the task?

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, Chetty, it just seems like this is a project in search of an application. Please correct me if I'm off-base.

-Boofer-

Boofer, I think you missed his introduction thread.  He's making 80 gallon batches and has the beginning of a very nice set up.  At such a young age!  We should all be so lucky!!   :D

I did miss that Introductions post. Quite the post! Thanks for the headslap. ;)

Now I'm just envious.... :P

-Boofer-

Oh, that was no headslap.  You are too nice a guy to ever deserve one of those.  But yes, join the ranks of the envious!   :'(

[Chetty]

Just thought that I would put some pictures of my new(old) cheese press that my dad has helped me with.  They are still working the kinks out but I think it will work much better. 

[Tiarella]

Cool!  keep us posted about how it's working out for you.  I've seen photos of side presses and always wondered if the cheese molds in them need to be rotated (spun sideways) during long presses to avoid settling of whatever it is that settles in cheeses.  I'm really happy for you that you have so much stainless steel counters, etc to use. 
:)

[H-K-J]

WOW!! JUST WOW!! I MEAN, WOWWW!!! :P

[Sailor Con Queso]

Very cool setup but if you are looking to produce volume and sell your cheeses, that will not pass scrutiny from your inspector. They are going to want to see stainless instead of the galvanized (which will not hold up to acid), and they will not like the pipe joints where whey will certainly leak into and harbor bacteria.

[Chetty]

I know that it won't pass not just the galvanized but they hydraulic ram wouldn't pass either.  If and when I go and try to sell cheese I will definitely want something all stainless steel and air driven.  But thanks for the concern I appreciate it.