free cheese press - out of books

[AvB]

I am excited about cheese with little money to spend on equipment at the moment.

I am sharing because it took a good hour or so to figure out what we could do to press the cheese under 50lbs of weight.

We used a bathroom scale to measure out books and added measured weight as time passed. We made sure to put it in the corner so it could lean, rather than fall.

Our mould was an Ikea utensil dryer and the press is a flat jar lid, with a jar full of rice on top.

The cheese wasn't perfectly pressed, but it did the job!

[AvB]

This was the resulting cheese

[Dukesterct]

Amanda, looks like you got the job done.

One doesn't need a fancy press to make good cheese.

Next time you drive by a construction site, stop and ask for a few pieces of scrap 2x4's, with a good plan you can build a press that works, literally for the price of a handfull of wood screws.   

[BigCheese]

Looks like you pulled it off. I must give a fair warning though: just because one such pressing apparatus worked well once (meaning nothing broke or got hurt and the cheese was pressed) one cannot assume it will always worked. I speak with some authority as I learned this after cracking my sink with my  "patented'" pressing technique.

[EPCream]

looks similar to what ive been doing except I use a corny keg with measured amounts of water for weight, and two cutting boards guided by  pvc dowels, lots of stability and big enough to press 3 4" moulds at the same time. Aside from the corny that is just not in use for beer atm, the whole thing cost me $22 shipped.

[AvB]

making something like that is my goal when I have some excess money

[sominus]

Deejay Debi can give you pointers on some VERY ummmm... how shall we say... ummm "alternatively engineered" pressing solutions... :-)

[Gina]

I too am a 'stacker'.   When using heavier weights, I make sure if it falls (hasnt yet) that nothing such as the flooring will be damaged.

Keep your eyes open for some flat bar-bell weights - they will allow you heavier but not as tall columns. Mine I found while yard-saling (in someone's trash heap), but sometimes they turn up on Craig's list. They clean up nicely.

[EPCream]

Oh also stability was helped greatly when I made some 1/2", 3/4", 1" followers out of cutting board material, trying to stack while relying on the thin lip of the follower that came with my mold meant always having slightly crooked cheese for me.

[DeejayDebi]

Deejay Debi can give you pointers on some VERY ummmm... how shall we say... ummm "alternatively engineered" pressing solutions... :-)

   Hey it works! Been doing it this way for many years! If it looks unbalanced tie it to something!