10 replies to this topic

[sharpstick]

They have a hard cheese kit. Thought i'd get it with my order of double chocolate stout kit.
how essential is the cheese press? they have one for $65.
bill keiser

[Andrew Herold]

The cheese press is a very important part of cheese making. Unfortunately, just like wine making, its an up-front investment. But, its a very inportant one. Hope this helps you.

[HonkingGooseWine]

WOW, I didn't even know we had a Cheese Making Discussion Forum . I've only made soft cheese because I haven't got to making a press. So, yes you need a press but it can be very basic like a piece of 6" pvc with a wood circle/pushing block and some weights or check out this site. I like this guys style as he makes everything from what he already has. I realy like his Yogurt receipe make it all the time.

http://biology.clc.u...SS_SETUP_00.htm

http://biology.clc.u.../YOGURT2000.htm

Frank

[sharpstick]

They have a hard cheese kit. Thought i'd get it with my order of double chocolate stout kit.
how essential is the cheese press? they have one for $65.
bill keiser

i'm not sure i understand. this kit says it makes 9 different cheeses. does that mean that the kit has 9 different batches? what if you want to make it all parmesan? (which i probably won't)
Austin hard cheese kit
is storebought milk okay for making cheese?
as for the press, i think i can make my own. getting the pressure calibrated seems the hardest part. designing and building it look pretty simple. the maker of that press actually has free plans on their website!
cheesypress
so how long does it take to make hard cheeses? 6 weeks minimum it looks like. how long can aging take for it to fully mature?
i guess i need to find a good FAQ.
bill keiser

[NorthernWiner]

I got a kit a few weeks ago and this looks very similar. It's not really a kit. It's more like a collection of the chemicals and stuff that you need to make different cheeses. Cheesemaking is a little like winemaking... once you have the basic chemicals and equipment you can use it to make different kinds of cheese. You just use different techniques, temperatures, types of milk, etc.

Storebought milk is fine for making many kinds of cheese, although I've read that if you can get "raw" farm milk, that's the best.

As far as a press, I picked up some free weights at a 2nd Wind excercise equipment store. So it will be a poor man's press until I see if I like this hobby and want to shell out more for the real deal.

Steve

[ChapstickCharlie]

Oh yeahh! A branch hobby to compliment winemaking. We are in! Just thinkng, is there a cheese guru like there is for wine? A Jack keller type?

[sharpstick]

Oh yeahh! A branch hobby to compliment winemaking.

and a branch hobby to complement cheesemaking:
dwarf dairy goats?
awwwwwwwww!
bill keiser

[Paulthenurse]

Store bought milk will do if that's all you can find but you will be SO much happier if you go and find a local dairy farm and buy fresh milk. It sets up like a dream and tastes so much better than store bought stuff. Try it once and you won't ever use store milk again. There is a farm a few miles away from us and Alice sends me over there to lug home the goods. We spend around $2/gallon for it and it's woth every penny. Store milk is more money and it just doesn't have the guns. Currently Al has a 3 lb wheel of blue aging that catches my eye evey time I walk past it. She may just come home one day and find me asleep on the couch with an empty bottle of port on the floor next to me and the cheese mysteriously missing.

PTN

[rbj9]

as for the press, i think i can make my own. getting the pressure calibrated seems the hardest part. designing and building it look pretty simple. the maker of that press actually has free plans on their website!
cheesypress

bill keiser

Bill, I have the Cheesy Press II and it needs to be made stronger!

The top bar that they show as item #14 Screw Support Arm, Stainless, 1" X 7" X 3/16", is the weak part.

When you start to get alot of pressure built up the Base #11 and #14 Screw Support Arm begin to flex. I don't see a problem with the Base #11 flexing, it helps the whey escape by not forming a tight seal to #13 Hoop, PVC. When #14 flexes it kills the threads on it and #2 Threaded rod.

My daughters Father-in-law milled a new, thicker part made of 3/8 stainless, and it works great now.

Hope this helps if you decide to build one.
rb

[sharpstick]

Bill, I have the Cheesy Press II and it needs to be made stronger!

The top bar that they show as item #14 Screw Support Arm, Stainless, 1" X 7" X 3/16", is the weak part.

When you start to get alot of pressure built up the Base #11 and #14 Screw Support Arm begin to flex. I don't see a problem with the Base #11 flexing, it helps the whey escape by not forming a tight seal to #13 Hoop, PVC. When #14 flexes it kills the threads on it and #2 Threaded rod.

My daughters Father-in-law milled a new, thicker part made of 3/8 stainless, and it works great now.

I had already planned to beef up those parts. the threaded rods will be at least 5/16, the center rod 3/8 and the top bar out of an oak beam, probably about one inch thick. (no access to a machine shop) the bottom base will be a bit thicker also. the rods will be brass if i can find it to prevent rust.
i already have my 4 and 6 inch dia pipes cut so this will work as either size.
how does the whey escape at the bottom? does it just seep out between the cylinder and the base? would it help to put small notches in the bottom of the pipe? i asked the designer and he said the roughness of the bandsaw cut is enough. i cut mine carefully with a sawzall and sanded it to a pretty smooth edge already.
bk

[rbj9]

I had already planned to beef up those parts. the threaded rods will be at least 5/16, the center rod 3/8 and the top bar out of an oak beam, probably about one inch thick. (no access to a machine shop) the bottom base will be a bit thicker also. the rods will be brass if i can find it to prevent rust.
i already have my 4 and 6 inch dia pipes cut so this will work as either size.
how does the whey escape at the bottom? does it just seep out between the cylinder and the base? would it help to put small notches in the bottom of the pipe? i asked the designer and he said the roughness of the bandsaw cut is enough. i cut mine carefully with a sawzall and sanded it to a pretty smooth edge already.
bk

On mine the base flexes from the pressure into a slight curve leaving a gap under the pipe so the whey can easily ecape. If you beef up the base also so that it does not flex then I think you will have to put a couple notches in the pipes like your thinking.

good luck,
rb