Molds: tall versus wide

[cheesehead94]

I am sure that this has been talked about here before, sorry if I am making a duplicate thread but I couldn't find one devoted to this topic using the search function.

In Caldwell's book she says that, outside of cloth bound cheddars and some blues, aged cheeses should always be wider than they are tall. However, when buying molds I have noticed that there are a lot of molds advertised as being for hard, aged cheese use that are taller than they are wide. Can I get a taller mold and use it in an all purpose way? Would goudas, asiagos, tommes, etc do ok in a more cylindrical shape, rather than being disks? I see a lot of cheeses on here are made in a barrel shape and they seem to do ok...

Is there a certain shape that can be used for the most different types of cheeses, and are there any cheeses that absolutely shouldn't be made into a certain shape

[River Bottom Farm]

Most molds are made taller than they need to be so you can fill them with draining curd and start pressing. The finished cheese will usually end up half or three quarters filling the mold. If you make a cheese that is too tall and too soft it can barell to the point it splits open on the side during aging. You have to find the right balance of tall vs diameter to match your cheese type and make volume.

[GortKlaatu]

Some cheeses can be made taller or at least as tall as wide, (and some should be.) But many cheeses will not age properly if they are taller than wide--ones that come to mind quickly: Camembert/Brie, Taleggio, Reblochon, Raclette, etc.

[Dorchestercheese]

Seems all the molds for more than 2 pounds are 7.5 inches wide which requires a lot of curd to not get a flat disk. Anyone know of a mold for about 5lbs of curd at 5 inches wide?

[River Bottom Farm]

Thewitt bought a 6x6 mold a while back and was very happy with it. Here is the thread: https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,16940.msg129859.html#msg129859

[cheesehead94]

Seems all the molds for more than 2 pounds are 7.5 inches wide which requires a lot of curd to not get a flat disk. Anyone know of a mold for about 5lbs of curd at 5 inches wide?

This one is 5 inches wide and is good for up to 4 pounds of curd...I think it is the one I will buy next

http://www.cheesemaking.com/shop/equipment/cheese-molds/hard-cheese-mold-2-to-4lb.html