Commercial Gouda press

[mjr522]

The main problem with the single mold press trial is that the difference is likely small enough to be measurable only by very accurate equipment....

If I'm doing a 6 in wheel and pressing at 4 psi, I'll need 113 pounds.  My bathroom scale has 1 lb gradations, so I should be able to detect about 0.5 lbs in difference.  If the difference is less than that--so that I can't detect any difference--then we could reasonably say the maximum load lost represents less that 0.5% per cheese.

Below is the stack size and % difference between 1st and last cheese:

5  -->2%
10-->4%
15-->7%
20-->9%
30-->14%
50-->22%

So, this brings up a couple of questions.  How many cheeses are put in a commercial horizontal cheese press?  How much of a difference in pressure is cause for concern?

Recall this is the maximum loss possible based on my inability to measure smaller differences than 0.5 lbs.  If the actual loss across a single cheese is less, the overall loss will, also be less.

[mjr522]

I was going to wright something important here but I got a brain cramp :o

You and Boofer sound like some of my favorite kids to have in class... :P

[bbracken677]

I was going to wright something important here but I got a brain cramp :o

LOL  love it! 

[smolt1]

Alpkäserei, I can see how you get the results you talk about if you use a press that screws down and does not keep the force constant. Do you have a picture of your press?

[terry@dairy fab]

This whole conversation reminds me of equipment I built and installed for the large scale commercial cheddar makers around the country for a previous employer. There was a base unit that sat under an 18 foot tall tower that milled curd was vacuumed over to and the cheese was formed into 40 lb. blocks all the while under a vacuum that pulled any residual whey from the cheese. The weight of the18 foot column of curd  along with vacuum knit the curds together and we were able to pull out a 40lb. block of cheese every 90 seconds. An average plant had anywhere from 6 to 8 towers with the largest plants had well over 20+. The blocks came out tightly knit and pushed into bags and went straight to the cryovac and off to the boxer. I don't know how this fits into the conversation, but just brought back fond memories of being in different cheese plants everyday.

terry@dairy fab

[Boofer]

Wow, you've painted a picture in my mind that's astounding.  :o

18 foot tower...20 of them...40 pound blocks of cheese...vacuum sucking whey...tight knit...every 90 seconds. Wow again!  8)

-Boofer-

[terry@dairy fab]

Boofer, if you go to www.stoelting.com, click process solutions, click cheese making, click blockformers you can see pictures and specs from their brochure. I was with them for 25 years, built probably 150 of these and later was their technical service installer responsible for the full line of cheese making equipment. Now I just build and repair curd knives in my own shop 2 miles from the house. I do sometimes miss getting into different plants across the country, but much prefer to work in my own shop and not travel 28 days a month., and it still keeps me connected with the industry and customers I worked with in the past. The best of both worlds for me.

terry@dairy fab

[Boofer]

Hey, Terry, thanks for that.

One more thing I can take off my "Things I Didn't Know I Didn't Know" list. ;)

-Boofer-

[bbracken677]

One more thing I can take off my "Things I Didn't Know I Didn't Know" list. ;)

-Boofer-

LOL that is a very Douglas Adams'ish remark ...