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!
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.
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...
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?
Mm, you could go for Havarti, Jack, that sort of thing.
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.
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
Wow thanks everyone for such great replies!
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 (http://www.cheesemaking.com/GorgDolce.html)
It will make good camembert or brie.
Quote from: Al Lewis on January 29, 2015, 01:55:35 PM
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 (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,3090.msg25145.html#msg25145) across his cheese mould to press it. See the pic.
My choices for sweet, whole-fat Jersey milk: Tomme (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,12985.msg102852.html#msg102852), Montasio (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13068.msg103206.html#msg103206), Tilsit (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,12815.msg101497.html#msg101497), Esrom (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9293.msg71718.html#msg71718), Saint Paulin (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,12760.msg102853.html#msg102853), Reblochon (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9720.msg73807.html#msg73807).
Yum!-Boofer-
Boofer- thank you for all those ideas and the photo of your press doo-dad. AC4U