I simply can't afford to buy all the molds I would like to have. I'm looking for suggestions on homemade molds. I know it has to be food grade plastic. I used red Solo cups for my chevre. Worked great. Any other suggestions?
Old Goat, I have been known to use "recycled" items for molds, including the following:
- Various plastic storage containers, even including Cool Whip containers
- Cheap 1 gallon plastic pitcher (< $3), with the bottom and top area (where the spout is) cut off
- A drywall compound bucket, well cleaned and run through the dishwasher repeatedly - hey, it's exactly the right kind of plastic, and it is heavier-walled than many plastic storage containers, and it even has a nice little cross-hatch pattern on it.
For any of these, I have drilled holes as needed for drainage.
All of these have one characteristic in common - they all have just a little bit of "draft," or slope to the sides. In practice, as long as it is just a gentle draft, I have not found this to be a problem, and may even have some advantages. As the cheese is pressed or drained, you typically turn it periodically in the mold; with the slight draft to the molds, it helps to compact the cheese a bit more each time it is turned.
The one thing you have to give some thought to using a mold with a bit of draft is the size of follower that will be needed (if the type of cheese made with the mold will be pressed). You need something that will not wedge itself short of the final height of the of the cheese, but at the same time will not be so small that you get a lot of cheese pressed up in a ridge around a too-small follower. Using cheesecloth that is carefully pulled tight will help reduce this problem ... and a little bit of a ridge just means you have something to trim it off after removing from the press, to enjoy an early taste of the cheese. :)
I have cut followers out from inexpensive plastic cutting boards - I bought a 1/2" thick plastic cutting board on Amazon and rough-cut it into the sizes of followers needed on my woodworking bandsaw, then sanded it down as needed using a drum sander with a fairly low (rough) grit - don't use a fine grit, or it will just melt rather than grind/sand. You can do final smooth with finer sandpaper by hand.
I know that several folks have used PVC pipe to make molds, and these have the advantage of being (1) very sturdy and (2) straight sided. I have always been a bit hesitant to go this route, since I've read that there can be some issues with chemicals leaching from the PVC. But others seem not to have any issues with off-flavors, and I confess that I have been quite tempted to give it a try ...
I first want to make camembert molds so pvc seems like a no brainer. Nothing says it is safe for food but it is commonly used for drinking water. Still pretty hesitant.
Personally I wouldn't use PVC. It might be used for drinking water - but drinking water does not contain fat. Some phthalates used in PVC is fat soluble. What types of phtalates are used in which PVC pipes - don't know... That's why I always go for food safe...
I found an aticle in The Guardian. Below is a quote from the article:
"In the past few years, researchers have linked phthalates to asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development and male fertility issues."
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/10/phthalates-plastics-chemicals-research-analysis (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/10/phthalates-plastics-chemicals-research-analysis)
Why take risk?
I have been using the PVC since 2008, may be that could be my problem ;)
:o ;D
Another thing to consider in using PVC is that foreign materials often find their way into the mix. You could end up making a mold with exposed materials that could be poisonous. Any plastics sold for holding food stuff or any containers sold with food in them would be a safe bet. I wouldn't risk the health of my family and friends by using an unknown.
Quote from: Old Goat on December 12, 2016, 07:13:41 AM
I first want to make camembert molds so pvc seems like a no brainer. Nothing says it is safe for food but it is commonly used for drinking water. Still pretty hesitant.
Old Goat, go to the Dollar Store or equivalent discount store and take a look at the plastic pitchers. A half-gallon pitcher might give you just about the right size mold for a camembert, once the ends are cut off.
I think the orange buckets at Home Depot are HDPE you could slice them into strips the width of the desired mold height and make one of these
http://thecheesemouldshop.com/index.php?action=article&aid=71&lang=EN (http://thecheesemouldshop.com/index.php?action=article&aid=71&lang=EN)
You could use a cable tie to tighten it up to size
Good idea!
Something like this for a clamp
More questions and info about PVC pipe for molds.
I won't be using PVC.
Smolt1
Good idea , And reusable unlike the cable ties
The only hard part is cutting the bucket into strips
If you cut around the bucket you will find that your molds have the draft angle you'll need to get the cheese out of the mold. They have to put it into injection molded parts, such as buckets, so they can get them out of the mold. That's why the plastic buckets you see are all angled top to bottom. ;)
You can buy sheets of 1/16 to 1/8 in HDPE that is flexible enough to bend into a hoop. A little heat from a heat gun (hair dryer) helps the bending process. It is easy to cut with scissors. A 24 x 48 inch sheet should make four 12 inch dia by 6 inch tall molds.
Yeah, I was thinking more along the lines of 1/2 gallon paint buckets.
Where can I get food grade paint buckets?
Good idea , seems a reasonable price if one has a table saw to split it into strips
3/32 seems about correct
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23869 (http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23869)
I have used a paper cutter and scissors to cut 1/8 with no problem.
Quote from: Old Goat on December 15, 2016, 02:18:33 AM
Where can I get food grade paint buckets?
Check at Lowes or Home Depot.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/United-Solutions-5-Quart-Residential-Paint-Bucket/3734821 (https://www.lowes.com/pd/United-Solutions-5-Quart-Residential-Paint-Bucket/3734821)
I use yoghurt containers. They come in a variety of sizes and are food grade.
I bought some basic food storage containers ($8), drilled holes into the largest one (7inch diameter)...i bought a plastic cutting board ($8) and cut out a circle from it and use that as the follower. I usually get about a 4lb pressed cheese from it with no problem.
Quote from: Gregore on December 13, 2016, 05:59:35 AM
I think the orange buckets at Home Depot are HDPE you could slice them into strips the width of the desired mold height and make one of these
http://thecheesemouldshop.com/index.php?action=article&aid=71&lang=EN (http://thecheesemouldshop.com/index.php?action=article&aid=71&lang=EN)
You could use a cable tie to tighten it up to size
That's a great idea. I might try that next time im making a Parmesan.
I went looking for various things to use and the only thing I came up with, that wouldn't cost as much as the molds, was 2 liter soda bottles. My only concern is that they might not be rigid enough. I am going to give it a try.