What Wood To use To Make A Mould.

[Divey]

I want to make some washed rind cheeses and I want them to be in the original shape of an oblong. I have purchased a length of Beech wood to make a mould and follower. The timber is 25mm x 150mm. I am going to make the mould 110mm wide, 200mm long and 140mm high. I propose to drill many holes in the wood on a CNC mill so the whey can drain away. I am going space the holes every 10mm. I am also going to drill holes in the follower.

Has anyone had any experience using Beech Wood for a mould? Do you think it's the correct choice for the wood to be used?

Any comments would be appreciated.

[Andrew Marshallsay]

I have not made moulds but I have thought about it. One of the problems which I foresaw is the same on that obviously confronts you: what timber could I use that would be readily available in Australia and would be suitable to the job?
One thought that I had was to seal the surface with molten beeswax. That way the timber could not impart flavour to the cheese. I have used this method with homemade equipment for winemaking.

[River Bottom Farm]

Beech should be fine. Try and avoid cedar or pine as they are slightly anti microbial and can mess with the cheese a bit. Problem with a wooden mold is trying to get it clean enough to keep contamination down to a minimum. That's why most comercial molds are plastic or stainless

[Thewitt]

Beech will work fine. We used ash for wooden hoops growing up and steam bent the to shape. Beech bends very well when steamed.

The hoops we used were made from a plank, tapered at the ends and held together with clinch-nails like wooden canoe builders used to use.

I've attached a picture of one I found online that's similar to the ones we made.