I need cheese ideas!!!

[Mermaid]

I have raw jersey cow milk, lots of cheese form shapes, lots of equipment but no press. I don't want to skim my milk. I have made tomme, appenzeller , semi-lactic bloomy rind cheeses, and feta.

Any ideas?
High fat milk, no cheese press.

Thanks!

[Al Lewis]

Well you could try some tallegios or Epoisses but if you could afford the brandy to wash those you could probably afford a cheese press. LOL  Why not just build one.  The dutch press is a simple design and requires little in the way of tools.

[WovenMeadows]

Honestly, the only thing I find I need a press for are cheddar types (colby, jack, farmhouse cheddar, etc). Anything else just stacking some dead weight is fine - most other types don't need more than 2x the weight of the cheese, and the largest a wheel someone at home would make is probably 7-8 pounds (from 7-8 gallons), so that's only 15 lbs needed. Of course, it can be hard to keep a weight well balanced so as not to make an uneven cheese...

[Mermaid]

What kinds of hard cheeses do people make that don't require skimming such a full fat milk, and don't require tons of pressing?

[Stinky]

Mm, you could go for Havarti, Jack, that sort of thing.

[WovenMeadows]

Really the only thing that comes to mind that you would really want/need to use skimmed milk are big-eyed "swiss" types, and grana types like Parmesan, and to an extent Alpine types. Most anything else just tastes better with more cream :)
I  have raw Jersey milk too, I make a lot of "washed curd" types, since my kids like the soft mild flavors. Gouda, Edam, Havarti, Colby, Jack. Or for my own preferences, alpine types like Gruyere. But I also try just about anything with the Jersey milk. Depending on the fat content too, you might be able to wind up with essentially a "double" Brie, because the fat can be high to begin with without even adding more cream.

[OzzieCheese]

Blues - Oh I would walk on broken glass for Jersey milk !  I've got a bit obsessed with Blues at the moment.  But no press cheeses - ST Paulin if you use the cloth sandwitched between two boards with a brick on top.

-- Mal

[Mermaid]

Wow thanks everyone for such great replies!

[Frodage]

Hey Mermaid, why not try this gorgonzola dolce? Fat OK, no press OK. I'm making my second go right now.

http://www.cheesemaking.com/GorgDolce.html

[Andrew Marshallsay]

It will make good camembert or brie.

[Boofer]

Why not just build one.  The dutch press is a simple design and requires little in the way of tools.

I'd agree with Al...so easy to just attach a long 2x4 to a garage stud and attach another smaller piece of wood near the end of that 2x4 to act as a ramrod/plunger/piston. For weight, hang a gallon jug filled with water on the end of the 2x4. Ta-da! A cheese press!  ;)

I know once upon a time that John (Webmaster) laid a ladder across his cheese mould to press it. See the pic.

My choices for sweet, whole-fat Jersey milk: Tomme, Montasio, Tilsit, Esrom, Saint Paulin, Reblochon. Yum!

-Boofer-

[Mermaid]

Boofer- thank you for all those ideas and the photo of your press doo-dad. AC4U