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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Cheddared (Normally Stacked & Milled) => Topic started by: justsocat on February 28, 2010, 11:24:18 AM

Title: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: justsocat on February 28, 2010, 11:24:18 AM
I've got my new cheesepress finally!
After 1 lb wheels it's so good to make 10 lbs cheese! :)
The year of the cheese continues!
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: Alex on February 28, 2010, 01:50:41 PM
Great cheese Pavel, I mean it  :). Would you like to show us your press?
I wish you successfull ageing.
BTW - Nice uniform you wear.
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: Majoofi on February 28, 2010, 03:26:31 PM
it's looks slightly wider at one end. Did you use a bucket as a mold?
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: FarmerJd on February 28, 2010, 03:32:07 PM
Great job! That is my kind of cheese. How will you age it? I still love the hat :) .
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: justsocat on February 28, 2010, 04:37:41 PM
Alex,
it's Dutch type press. I'll take pictures and post them.
Majoofi,
yes you are right one end is wider. But i used cylinder shape mold from Cheesemaking.com. When i took the wheel out of press i left it for 24 hrs unturned and you can see how it turned out. May be i didn't press it enough, or i left it for too long unturned?
John,
it's my lucky cheesehat :D. Today i get only fridge with water jar in it to age cheeses. But the good news is i get separate fridge for aging cheeses now :)
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: cmharris6002 on February 28, 2010, 04:50:33 PM
Very nice 10lb wheel even if it flumped on you a little.  I love the uniform too ;D
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: padams on February 28, 2010, 04:51:36 PM
Absolultly beautiful, Pavel!  Congratulations!!
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: MrsKK on February 28, 2010, 07:23:23 PM
Moving on up in the world, Pavel!  Looking good!

Maybe the cheese will even out with turning it a couple of times a day.  If not, it will taste great anyway, I'm sure.

I'd love to see your press and your fridge, too.  And I also love the hat and uniform.
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: FarmerJd on February 28, 2010, 08:05:24 PM
I have had several of my cheeses slump like that when they are drying. That is one of the challenges of having a taller cheese; you really have to be diligent to flip them.
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: justsocat on March 01, 2010, 12:33:58 PM
As i promised here is the pic of my press :)
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: Alex on March 01, 2010, 04:25:36 PM
That's a press? That's a pressing factory, a double one, great!!! "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for cheese-making" ;D
Wish you many successfull pressings.
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: justsocat on March 01, 2010, 04:41:24 PM
Alex, though my name isn't Armstrong, i do feel my cheesemaking leaps ;D
Wish it successfull landing ;)
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: FarmerJd on March 01, 2010, 07:00:49 PM
Nice press. I love the double action. It appears to have a mechanical advantage of 4 - 5.

Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: cmharris6002 on March 01, 2010, 09:48:27 PM
Wow!! That is a fantastic press ;D
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: Majoofi on March 01, 2010, 09:58:18 PM
Pretty cool. I'm looking at it trying to design a fold-away version.
What happens to the whey runoff? does it run all over? Does it warp the wood?

I'd love to see a video of you setting it up.
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: MrsKK on March 02, 2010, 12:43:27 AM
Did you build that yourself?  It looks awesome!
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: FarmerJd on March 02, 2010, 12:48:59 AM
Majoofi, the simplest way to take care of whey runoff is to set your hoop in a pot or pan with a flat bottom and set the whole thing in the press. My wife almost made me quit making cheese early on because of the whey running everywhere. Now it is no problem. I am not sure Pavel does this but it looks like he could. Just a thought.
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: Brie on March 02, 2010, 01:58:27 AM
Great looking cheese, congrats!
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: justsocat on March 02, 2010, 02:08:40 AM
Farmer, I'm surprised again how you can see things and catch  the essence of the matter :) The mechanical advantage of the press is appr 5.5. And you are right i do use flat bottomed stainless steel tray to collect the whey draining off.
Karen, i'm not a man who can built a press. John is :D
Majoofi, i can't help you with the video just because i've got no camera.
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: Gürkan Yeniçeri on March 02, 2010, 08:55:37 PM
Woow, what a cheese and what a press. I am officially impressed.

What is that M stands for on your hat. Master? Cheese Master?  ;)
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: justsocat on March 02, 2010, 11:52:42 PM
Gurkan, due to inconsistency of hard cheeses i make so far, M means cheeseMonster :)
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: DeejayDebi on March 03, 2010, 03:32:06 AM
Ah Pavel you look so cute in your cheese suit and hat and so proud of your cheese! Well done!

As for the slightly turned cheese I didn't even notice until someone mentioned it first and I had to look. Sometimes a wider piston foot will help it land more evenly. Very nice looking cheese, press and clothes!

Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: vogironface on March 03, 2010, 07:50:00 AM
Pavel,

Very nice.  Soon the M will mean minister of all things cheese.  In pondering the making of a large parm I have come to see the limits of my spring press.  I have been considering a design like yours.  I like that it is small and you could probably have a second arm to increase the mechanical advantage if needed.  Perhaps this summer if all goes well.  Let us know if you like the wood instead of metal or if it gives you problems over time.
Title: Re: Farmhouse cheddar pics
Post by: justsocat on March 03, 2010, 08:22:09 AM
Ben, I'd prefer metal construction. But wooden press is cheaper here to make. So much cheaper that it overweights all other reasons.
BTW i've already found at least one thing should be made different. It's much better to have to arms at both sides of the rod.