Looking for small cheese vat 5 gallon size

[CountryCottage]

Looking for a small cheese vat 5 gallon size for making 4 gallon recipes of cheese, would love a temperature controlled steam jacket type vat. Any suggestions?
Thank you.

[ophiuchus_99]

If you are looking for a legal 3-A approved vat pasteurizer this is the only one that I know of and it is the one that I use.  It works great but they are expensive.

http://www.microdairydesigns.com/

[Sailor Con Queso]

Just use a stainless pot and heat in your kitchen sink.

[River Bottom Farm]

Like Sailor said use a stainless pot in a sink or look up Souse Vide on the forum here. If you still want a vat loom here: http://www.microdairydesigns.net/pasteurizers-vats/

[CountryCottage]

Thank you all for replying, I am looking into Microdairy Designs  :)

[Bantams]

The Microdairy vat is great if you need to legally pasteurize, but if you're making cheese at home or don't need to pasteurize, there's no reason to spend $5k. 
A big stainless steel pot on the stove or in the sink will work perfectly.  Very little need for a temp-controlled water jacket if you're working with that much milk in a normal 70 degree kitchen - the temp just doesn't fluctuate that much. 

[paul pennell]

Looking for a small cheese vat 5 gallon size for making 4 gallon recipes of cheese, would love a temperature controlled steam jacket type vat. Any suggestions?
Thank you.

I use a bain marie that has a temperature control unit built in, the trays I have hold 8Lt (2.12 gallon) for smaller batches and a 20Lt (5.28 gallon) but I make 18lt batches in. Works great, you have to take a bit of time to work out temp controller but this didn't take long.

[borisb2]

sorry for bumping this old thread.

Has anybody ever tried using a bain marie directly as a cheese vat? Meaning without using any trays or pans .. looks like I could fit about 24 to 30l milk in that single basin and I also would get a drain for the whey for free.

Anything speaks against that idea (besides the need for good cleaning of the drain after each batch) ?

Thanks

[ArnaudForestier]

sorry for bumping this old thread.

Has anybody ever tried using a bain marie directly as a cheese vat? Meaning without using any trays or pans .. looks like I could fit about 24 to 30l milk in that single basin and I also would get a drain for the whey for free.

Anything speaks against that idea (besides the need for good cleaning of the drain after each batch) ?

Thanks

I used this back in the day, with instructions by a member formerly active here, Iratherfly.  Pretty involved diy as you had to rig a pid controller with components, etc.  Now, with an inkbird and a submersible probe, it would be a breeze, imo.