Hi, I am new to cheese making and made my first (hard) cheese a week ago. I pressed it with a can as a follower and paint cans as weights. To make my second cheese easier I bought a simple cheese press on ebay: a board on the bottom, a bar on top, side rods, a high cylindrical mold and a rod that screws a follower into the mold. My problem is - the mold is only 4 inches across and I didn't realize how small that is. The press came with a recipe for a 1 gallon milk cheese (probably bc the mold is only 4" across, BUT all my other hard cheese recipes are 2 gallon milk recipes. Here is my question: the mold is high, so I have no doubt I can fit the curds for a 2 gallon recipe into it. BUT the resulting cheese will be a wheel that is less wide and rather high (like the cylindrical mold). Is that in any way a problem when the cheese dries and ripens?
You'll be perfectly fine with a 2 gallon recipe. Might be a little taller, yes.
Quote from: nikro000 on January 25, 2013, 02:42:06 AM
BUT the resulting cheese will be a wheel that is less wide and rather high (like the cylindrical mold). Is that in any way a problem when the cheese dries and ripens?
Here's an example and accompanying pics of Fourme d'Ambert (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9508.0.html) which has a similar form factor.
-Boofer-
Can the press handle a different mold? Lots of sources, including our own iratherfly.
Quote from: stratocasterdave on January 25, 2013, 03:19:17 PM
You'll be perfectly fine with a 2 gallon recipe. Might be a little taller, yes.
Thank you!
Quote from: Boofer on January 25, 2013, 05:17:22 PM
Quote from: nikro000 on January 25, 2013, 02:42:06 AM
BUT the resulting cheese will be a wheel that is less wide and rather high (like the cylindrical mold). Is that in any way a problem when the cheese dries and ripens?
Here's an example and accompanying pics of Fourme d'Ambert (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9508.0.html) which has a similar form factor.
-Boofer-
Thank you for the example. I feel better about the press!
Quote from: BobE102330 on January 25, 2013, 05:58:01 PM
Can the press handle a different mold? Lots of sources, including our own iratherfly.
Unfortunately the siderods are too narrow to support a bigger mold and the follower is a perfect fit too.