New feller from Arkansas.

[CaseinBelli]

Greetings from the Ozarks! 

I'm fairly new to this subject, but at the insistence of friends and family I've decided to enter this realm.  I've fancied myself a vintner, baker and general jack-of-all-trades for many years and have decided to try my hand at cheesemaking...  Especially considering the high cost of storebought goods and the relative ease of obtaining raw dairy products in my area.

I've been researching for quite some time and happened upon this forum earlier in the day; with some luck, a little downtime and a break in the weather I plan to construct my first Dutch press within the next week or so.

Any assistance, advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

[DeejayDebi]

Welcome CB! As you larn you will think of questions and we will be here to answer them. IN the meantime - dive in!

[FarmerJd]

Welcome to the forum. This s the very best place to learn. Search the forum for threads on presses and you will find a lot of info. Here is a link to a thread that has several examples. Here is my press. Good luck!

[Cheese Head]

Welcome Caseus Belli!

As Farmer linked, there are lots of posts and threads on many different presses in the Forming Cheese Board. The big questions for you are what type of pressed cheese (ie Gouda low and Cheddar high) and what size cheeses to press.

Question, interesting name, Caseus Belli, I googled it and got this website which says:

Minonzio. Caseus belli. La controversia del formaggio. Note non marginali, dieci anni dopo, ad una antologia di testi secenteschi in biasimo e in lode del medesimo

of which the only bit I understand is "The controversy of cheese". Anyway sounds great!

[Alex]

Welcome to the forum CB.

[Alex]

Question, interesting name, Caseus Belli, I googled it and got this website which says:

Minonzio. Caseus belli. La controversia del formaggio. Note non marginali, dieci anni dopo, ad una antologia di testi secenteschi in biasimo e in lode del medesimo

of which the only bit I understand is "The controversy of cheese". Anyway sounds great!
[/quote]

John, that should be the translation:

F. Minonzio. Caseus beautiful. The controversy of the cheese. No marginal notes, ten years later in an anthology of texts in seventeenth-century criticism and praise of the same.

Exscept the above, I think the name is incorrectly spelled, it should be: Casus Belli (in Latin) and the meaning is:

an event or action that justifies or allegedly justifies a war or conflict (merriam-webster dictionary)

CS - Help!!! Guide us out of it

[mtncheesemaker]

Welcome, CS! We'll have to hear more about your "handle"!
I also started making cheese because I live in an area with lots of wonderful fresh milk available. A young friend visited over the weekend and I made Manchego with him. I was transported back to my first days of cheese making, and enjoyed the wonder and magic of it all again through his eyes!
Hope you grow to love it like we all do.
Pam

[CaseinBelli]

Thanks for the welcome(s), everyone; I've been perusing the various forums, etc., as well as trying not to be overenthusiastic about getting started.

As far as my handle goes, it's a play on the Latin, 'casus belli', meaning 'cause for war'.  I suppose it's nonsensical at best; the translation might be 'cheese for war'.

[Alex]

Thanks CB (sorry for the CS),

'cheese for war', OK, now you can move on to 'war for cheese'