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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Forming Cheese => Topic started by: Myrrh on May 20, 2012, 04:49:28 PM
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I've been holding off on getting a Kadova mold because in addition to being very expensive, there doesn't seem to be one the right size for the quantity of cheese that I make (6-7 gallons of milk), and I don't really wan to age my cheese in two rounds when one would do. I came across this company, and their products look pretty impressive.
http://www.thecheesemouldshop.com/en/gouda-3-35-kg.html (http://www.thecheesemouldshop.com/en/gouda-3-35-kg.html)
First of all, their price seems much more attainable then Kadova, and it looks like the follower goes all the way to the bottom of the mold, suggesting that perhaps it can handle fluctuations in curd quantity.
They also have basket style manchego molds which look really cool, also with more attainable prices.
http://www.thecheesemouldshop.com/en/manchego-3200-grams.html (http://www.thecheesemouldshop.com/en/manchego-3200-grams.html)
They say they will ship internationally, though I am not sure they would be willing to do so for someone who just wants a few molds. If their products is good it seems like the the cost of shipping might well be worth it. Anyone have any experiences they are willing to share? I am definitely ready to upgrade, but Kadova just doesn't have the right size for me. 3-3.5 kg would be perfect!
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Myrrh, Stephan there supplied our last bulk kadova buy. This line in your link is the non-kadova, not made by sonoco crelin, as you pointed out, hence much cheaper because there's no built-in net. Shipping is tough for just a few molds, but email him and see what he quotes for the cheapest freight, maybe through the postal service, which is slower than Fedex/UPS.
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Have you tried any of those molds? It looks like the manchego one has some sort of net in it, but not the gouda one. Do you think the lack of netting will cause a problem with the curved sides?
The mold I am using is from Steve Shapson at TheCheesemaker, and though it has been good to me, I would like something a bit sturdier that can handle slightly smaller curd quantities in the 2.5-2.7kg range
Thanks for the input!
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Have handled those gouda ones, never made cheese in them. Have handled and made cheese in the manchegos. There is no net in either. I don't think it will cause issues, but you would need to make a net to fit that shape, by sewing something out of cloth, or by shaping some plyban around a heated mold. Can skip the customization, but will not have as good of a surface.
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You can shape plyban by heating it? Wow, that is really cool. How hot do you have to get in order to do that? I have definitely found that plyban is necessary to get good curd knit, so I would want to customize somehow. How would that work with the basket weave design on the manchego mold?
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You can shape plyban by heating it?
It's just plastic :). Should be pliable somewhere around 230F. You can also use your current approach and instead of making a "bowl" shape, cut a circle and put it on top and bottom. Will work fine because that's the majority of the contact surface.
How would that work with the basket weave design on the manchego mold?
That tends to work best if you prepress the curd and then use the manchego as a final press. It likes the curd to already be gathered together.
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or, another option, take plyban and where there a crease, take a heat sealer and seal it together. Do this enough times a little at a time, it will start to form a bowl so you can put a plyban hat on both sides.
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You can shape plyban by heating it?
It's just plastic :). Should be pliable somewhere around 230F.
I've boiled it and it doesn't seem particularly soft or malleable.
I like the idea of heat-sealing it to form something. I'll have to try that.
-Boofer-
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Might be misremembering my plastic melt temps. I think plyban is a mix of nylon and PP. If so, it would have a higher forming temp than mid 200s. Def higher than boiling, it's not like softer HDPE.
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If you want Kadova moulds from the cheesemouldshop, search for Kadova http://www.thecheesemouldshop.com/en/kadova-gouda-3-35-kg-cheese-mould-for-making-3-35.html (http://www.thecheesemouldshop.com/en/kadova-gouda-3-35-kg-cheese-mould-for-making-3-35.html). Yes, they are expensive but very good....
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Thanks for the input everyone! I misremembered my issue with Kadovas in my first post. With 6 gallons milk I usually end up with about 2.7kg curd mass- a bit too small for the Kadovas since the lid doesn't go all the way down from my understanding. From the pictures it looks like the lid on the other type of gouda mold goes all the way down, so perhaps it can handle the smaller curd mass. It is less clear with the manchego type mold. Any input would be appreciated!
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There are several different styles of Kadovas. Some, like the Gouda styles, do not go all the way down because of the radius built into the bottom of the mould. They have a cylindrical series that does go almost to the bottom. I use one they call their Mangego mould from the cylindrical series. It does NOT have the traditional basket weave pattern found in some other Manchego moulds. My cheeses range from 5.5 to 8.o pounds in those moulds. I could go much smaller than 5.5, but I don't.
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Thanks Sailor! Those are pretty cool. I found a number of the Kadova Cylindrical moulds at the Netherlands shop. Did you get them some place more local? I couldn't find anyplace else that offers them with a cursory on-lin search.
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Mine was a part of a group buy that Linuxboy set up. I have not found them anywhere in the USA.
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I got the kadova style loaf mold from that buy. Haven't used it yet but looks great!
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Myrr, you could use a 2-2.5 kg Kadova plus, if needed, a baby Gouda of 500 gram. The 2.5 kg is available on some Dutch webshops for about 90 euro. I'm pretty sure they will ship to the US.
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I ended up finding the manchego mould that you shoed in your original post at Bob White Systems. I have only used it once so far and the pattern came out beautiful with the exception of the cheese cloth sticking to the rind and destroying the surface. But I blame that on me being new and having no idea what I'm doing yet. The link is below and they are here in the US
http://bobwhitesystems.com/collections/cheesemaking/products/manchego-mould (http://bobwhitesystems.com/collections/cheesemaking/products/manchego-mould)
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I contacted thecheesemouldshop about the molds in question and was told they were not available in the US but that they could ship me one for 45 euros shipping plus the cost of the mold 35 euros. I informed Luke about it at www.cheeseandyogurtmaking.com (http://www.cheeseandyogurtmaking.com) and he is actively seeking to purchase a pallet full for sale here.
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I'd be interested in getting a manchego mold... Glengarry sells the kadova manchego mold but it's like $175CAD plus shipping....
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Send a note to Yoav (iratherfly). I'm not doing any more group buys due to time constraints, but he should be able to help you out.