Anyone use this? How do you like it? It seems to be more sanitary and more convenient than butter muslin or flour sack towels....
http://artisangeek.com/synthetic-elastic-top-draining-bag-cheesecloth-small/ (http://artisangeek.com/synthetic-elastic-top-draining-bag-cheesecloth-small/)
I use something similar and prefer it to butter muslin.
Susan
Have one and I love it . Put a lovely rind on soft and hard cheese . . Order more than 1 if you are going to make cheese more often than you wash the linens .
Quote from: Gregore on November 15, 2015, 08:16:21 AM
Have one and I love it . Put a lovely rind on soft and hard cheese . . Order more than 1 if you are going to make cheese more often than you wash the linens .
Great idea! How do you wash yours?
Is it soft and pliable, or is it stiff? I used a nylon nut milk bag that I had ordered from Amazon and I found it to be pretty stiff and not well suited for cheese making.
That's just a paint strainer bag. You can buy them at any hardware or paint store.
Really??!! :o Exact same product??! That would not be food grade, would it?
Quote from: Gregore on November 15, 2015, 08:16:21 AM
Have one and I love it . Put a lovely rind on soft and hard cheese . . Order more than 1 if you are going to make cheese more often than you wash the linens .
Since you own one....is it the same thing as a paint strainer bag??
Never seen a paint straining bag , so I can not answer this . But I think that I would prefer to pay more for the food grade one .
Quote from: Gregore on November 16, 2015, 04:53:19 AM
Never seen a paint straining bag , so I can not answer this . But I think that I would prefer to pay more for the food grade one .
Home Depot sells 1 gallon and 5 gallon sizes. I've been using them for many years in food preparation. You have nothing to worry about there. I soak mine in a bucket of oxiclean, but you could probably just toss it into the washing machine.
Quote from: Gregore on November 16, 2015, 04:53:19 AM
Never seen a paint straining bag , so I can not answer this . But I think that I would prefer to pay more for the food grade one .
It did not state on Artisan Geek that it was food grade.
Quote from: pastpawn on November 16, 2015, 06:05:07 AM
Quote from: Gregore on November 16, 2015, 04:53:19 AM
Never seen a paint straining bag , so I can not answer this . But I think that I would prefer to pay more for the food grade one .
Home Depot sells 1 gallon and 5 gallon sizes. I've been using them for many years in food preparation. You have nothing to worry about there. I soak mine in a bucket of oxiclean, but you could probably just toss it into the washing machine.
Thx! I checked them out online yesterday, and I saw that they have a drawstring version as well. Is it stiff or soft? I had bought a nut milk nylon bag and it was kind of stiff and squared off at the bottom, which did not form the chevre into a rounded ball, but spread out along the bottom and it was not as easy to empty out as my flour sack dishtowel.
Do you ever boil it?
I think I've bought both varieties of all of them that artisan geek sells. I love them. And then my husband put it in the dishwasher. My hatred of specks of food is at an all time high right now.
I'm curious how that bucket if oxyclean works right now- if it could restore my beloved nylon bags that'd be great. If not, artisan geek is going to get another chunk of my paycheck next order.
And yes I've boiled these bags. Haven't noticed any change in their structure or anything. Half the time I use it as a cloth, not a bag, and I think I prefer it that way when making my small cheeses.
Artisan geek does actually state that it is food grade .
I did not see it stated on the small size bag page. Maybe I missed it...
Your right big ones says it is and small one says nothing .
Glad I got the big one
Take a 5 gallon bucket, drill holes in the bottom, and line it with a 5 gallon paint strainer bag. Best curd straining system that you can use. I have drained hundreds of small batches of cheese this way. When done, spray off with COLD water and throw it in your washing machine. Air dry.
Sailor, how do you get the 5 gallon bucket to fit in the washing machine?? :o
:)
Quote from: awakephd on November 17, 2015, 06:27:32 PM
Sailor, how do you get the 5 gallon bucket to fit in the washing machine?? :o
:)
Yes..it did kind of sound that way... ;)
Quote from: Sailor Con Queso on November 17, 2015, 03:21:40 PM
Take a 5 gallon bucket, drill holes in the bottom, and line it with a 5 gallon paint strainer bag. Best curd straining system that you can use. I have drained hundreds of small batches of cheese this way. When done, spray off with COLD water and throw it in your washing machine. Air dry.
5 gallons is HUGE batch for me! So, you basically turned a 5 gallon bucket into a colander or a large cheese mold? So, I guess I could just use a colander lined with a cloth to drain the curd and not have to hang these things? I would love not having to hang, as I don't have anything to hang the bags on.
Quote from: awakephd on November 17, 2015, 06:27:32 PM
Sailor, how do you get the 5 gallon bucket to fit in the washing machine?? :o :)
Turn it upside down on the agitator. ;)
Sailor, do u boil the bags prior to first use? Are yours made of nylon?
Quote from: narnia on November 17, 2015, 06:46:01 PM
5 gallons is HUGE batch for me! So, you basically turned a 5 gallon bucket into a colander or a large cheese mold? So, I guess I could just use a colander lined with a cloth to drain the curd and not have to hang these things? I would love not having to hang, as I don't have anything to hang the bags on.
For small batches use a 1 gallon bag on a 1 gallon bucket. 5 gallons is nice because you can use it for large or small batches. This technique is especially handy when doing a soft or blue cheese.
Quote from: narnia on November 17, 2015, 08:07:13 PM
Sailor, do u boil the bags prior to first use? Are yours made of nylon?
My bags are nylon. Boiling would probably destroy the bag. I soak mine in Starsan. Don't use bleach.
Yes...the maker of my nylon bag said I could not boil it.
Sailor...I just read the description on the bag at artisan geek and it was nylon, but that it could be boiled over and over again, so maybe nylon can be boiled.
Boiling is overkill and some spore formers can survive. StarSan is a quicker alternative.
Quote from: Sailor Con Queso on November 18, 2015, 02:16:54 PM
Boiling is overkill and some spore formers can survive. StarSan is a quicker alternative.
I just read a bit about Starsan. Sounds really good. However, I read that it can kill the good bacteria in a septic tank. So, how do you dispose of it?
AND..would you mind telling me the exact steps and methods that you use to sanitize your equipment with Starsan? Such as...do you pour it into a large stainless steel pot and dunk your equipment into it, etc. Thx! :)
Spray. very little waste.
Quote from: narnia on November 17, 2015, 08:21:16 PM
Yes...the maker of my nylon bag said I could not boil it.
I don't doubt that they told you that, and I wouldn't persuade you to go against their instructions. But I can assure you that I boil the Home Depot ones every time I use them. Boiled for 1 hour. A bag will lasts for 10-20 of these sessions before it ends up with tiny tears, probably due to mechanical fatigue, not dissolving. I've been doing this for many years.
I have a bunch of black nylon utensils made for nonstick cookware. It has no problem at boiling temps (though I have melted them in fry pans). I also have a small nylon boilpot for boiling in the microwave.
Quote from: Wuhanchef on November 17, 2015, 02:45:16 AMI'm curious how that bucket if oxyclean works right now- if it could restore my beloved nylon bags that'd be great. If not, artisan geek is going to get another chunk of my paycheck next order.
Oxyclean doesn't do a very good job at removing dried curds from cheesecloth. Too bad, it seems to do such a good job on everything else. I think I tried TSP (trisodium phosphate) unsuccessfully too. Haven't tried starsan yet. I don't use my bags for making cheese. They hold the hops in my beer brewing hobby. Oxyclean is very effective at removing those sorts of organic material.
Quote from: pastpawn on November 19, 2015, 03:48:12 AM
Quote from: narnia on November 17, 2015, 08:21:16 PM
Yes...the maker of my nylon bag said I could not boil it.
I don't doubt that they told you that, and I wouldn't persuade you to go against their instructions. But I can assure you that I boil the Home Depot ones every time I use them. Boiled for 1 hour. A bag will lasts for 10-20 of these sessions before it ends up with tiny tears, probably due to mechanical fatigue, not dissolving. I've been doing this for many years.
I have a bunch of black nylon utensils made for nonstick cookware. It has no problem at boiling temps (though I have melted them in fry pans). I also have a small nylon boilpot for boiling in the microwave.
Boil for one hour!! That is a loooong time!! Is that how long it takes to sanitize nylon fabric??
Starsan sounds like a great option! I can't wait to try it! I had been concerned about all the humidity that I was putting into the air by boiling my equipment for 20 min+.
Quote from: narnia on November 19, 2015, 04:51:20 AM
Quote from: pastpawn on November 19, 2015, 03:48:12 AM
Quote from: narnia on November 17, 2015, 08:21:16 PM
Yes...the maker of my nylon bag said I could not boil it.
I don't doubt that they told you that, and I wouldn't persuade you to go against their instructions. But I can assure you that I boil the Home Depot ones every time I use them. Boiled for 1 hour. A bag will lasts for 10-20 of these sessions before it ends up with tiny tears, probably due to mechanical fatigue, not dissolving. I've been doing this for many years.
I have a bunch of black nylon utensils made for nonstick cookware. It has no problem at boiling temps (though I have melted them in fry pans). I also have a small nylon boilpot for boiling in the microwave.
Boil for one hour!! That is a loooong time!! Is that how long it takes to sanitize nylon fabric??
Starsan sounds like a great option! I can't wait to try it! I had been concerned about all the humidity that I was putting into the air in our house by boiling my equipment for 20 min+.
Quote from: narnia on November 19, 2015, 04:51:20 AM
Quote from: pastpawn on November 19, 2015, 03:48:12 AM
Quote from: narnia on November 17, 2015, 08:21:16 PM
Yes...the maker of my nylon bag said I could not boil it.
I don't doubt that they told you that, and I wouldn't persuade you to go against their instructions. But I can assure you that I boil the Home Depot ones every time I use them. Boiled for 1 hour. A bag will lasts for 10-20 of these sessions before it ends up with tiny tears, probably due to mechanical fatigue, not dissolving. I've been doing this for many years.
I have a bunch of black nylon utensils made for nonstick cookware. It has no problem at boiling temps (though I have melted them in fry pans). I also have a small nylon boilpot for boiling in the microwave.
Boil for one hour!! That is a loooong time!! Is that how long it takes to sanitize nylon fabric??
Starsan sounds like a great option! I can't wait to try it! I had been concerned about all the humidity that I was putting into the air by boiling my equipment for 20 min+.
Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention to the context here. The bags that HD sells can be boiled without harming them. When I brew beer, after the mash, I boil it for an hour in a large kettle. I have a contraption made with one of these bags that sits on top of the boil pot that holds the hops in the boil (pic below, front kettle, the bag hangs from that white ring into the boiling wort). In this way, the bag boils for the hour.
If you want to sanitize a bag by boiling, by the time the water reaches boiling all relevant pathogens are dead. But for certain, I'd sanitize with starsan.
(http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/3/7/1/8/3/_mg_8765-63542.jpg)
Quote from: Sailor Con Queso on November 17, 2015, 08:03:54 PM
Quote from: awakephd on November 17, 2015, 06:27:32 PM
Sailor, how do you get the 5 gallon bucket to fit in the washing machine?? :o :)
Turn it upside down on the agitator. ;)
Yes, but I have a front loader, and I don't think the bucket will fit through the door! :)
Pastpawn, thx for explaining. However, I can't see your photo. It's just a very tiny icon on the upper left corner.
Quote from: narnia on November 19, 2015, 11:00:25 PM
Pastpawn, thx for explaining. However, I can't see your photo. It's just a very tiny icon on the upper left corner.
Is this visible?
(http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/3/7/1/8/3/_mg_8765-63542.jpg)
Thx, but, no. Could it be my computer?
Quote from: narnia on November 19, 2015, 11:44:41 PM
Thx, but, no. Could it be my computer?
I see the photos while on the forums on my iPhone. Can you use any other device to try and see the photos?
I also,see the pics but I think his words mean more that the photos , sound like you can boil them rap out of the Home Depot bags .
I also,know,my wife loves the sanitize setting on the washing machine were as I use the normal setting so the artisan geek bags handle sanitize settings.
Still could not see it on my Android phone. Anyway...yes, the words explain it all.
I bought some Home Depot paint strainer bags. The brand that I saw online was "Trimaco." I called the company and asked if they were food grade. She said, "No, but I and a lot of people use them for food all the time and we even sell some to cheese making companies." However, upon arriving at Home Depot, they no long had "Trimaco," but they had this other brand instead. The brand is "Workforce." I took them out of the package and whew!!! The smell is awful!! Very strong chemical odor!! About gave me a headache!!! I can't imagine using them for any kind of food contact!! I wonder if the Trimaco was any different....
I think that for the few dollars difference, I would prefer to be on the safe side and buy the food grade. Gregore, did the bag from Artisan Geek have any kind of odor when you first got it?
I do not remember any Oder per say , but I am not hugely effected by them. But I would certainly of had seconds thoughts about using it if it had been as bad as you suggest the HD one was.
Oh yes! The HD one was sooooo strong that it even left the odor on my hands just from handling them!! Even my DH jerked away when he smelled them! :(