Nabil,
I’ve noticed from other posts that you work with large volumes of milk in your cheese making.
I’ve become somewhat obsessed with the subject of pressing weight when working with larger wheels.
Have you noticed the need to increase pressing weight when working with a 10 gallon batch, as opposed to a 2 gallon batch?
I just jumped up to working with 5 gallons instead of with my usual 2 gallons.
I also made the move from a 6” wheel to an 8” wheel and my first attempt didn’t knit together as well as I would have liked.
That’s the reason I am asking so many questions concerning this subject.
Thanks for any advice/insight you can give me.

Dave

To get a specific pressure on the surface of the curds the weight used to get that specific pressure will change as you change the diameter of the cheese round.

Let’s assume you need 3 PSI for the recipe. If you work with a 6” wheel, then you have a surface of about 28.25 square inches. So, you would need a weight pressing on the center of the follower of about 85 pounds to get the 3 PSI. If you change to an 8” wheel, you have a surface of about 50.25 square inches, and you’ll need a weight pressing on the center of the follower of about 151 pounds.

I think a lot of the recipes I use are ambiguous about this. They will say “apply 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes” without being specific whether they means 10 PSI, or a 10 pound weight on an assumed 4” round which would be 0.8 PSI!

Rick has answered more than i can say..
very accurate answer Rick, thanks

for me, i use weight for 8” 150 pounds
and for 6”  90 pounds

only mold diameter u will be concern about

example if u make 4 gallons or 7 gallons and u fit them all in 6” mold then no need for more pressure

I just sent a message to Jim Wallace, who provides “technical support” for Ricki Carroll. Here is his response regarding the pressing instructions in her recipes:

“the recipe weights are dead weights on our 4” molds .. if you make a larger cheese increase the weight proportionate to the surface area”

So, someone needs to work up a chart of appropriate PSI levels for different cheeses at different stages of pressing, and we’ll have the key to this discussion!

How about this?

The formulas are very straight forward if one wants to add additional sizes.

That’s helpful!

I guess I’m off to locate another way of attaining my weights.  I was using 5 qt. ice cream buckets filled with water, but I don’t think I want to stack ten of those puppies on top of my press.  I can see a tidal wave in the future if I do.  Barbells anyone???

not clear to me, please explain the file
where is the cheese volume?

The way I read it is: if a 4 inch round requires 10 pounds of weight, then a 5 inch round would require 15.63 pounds of weight to get an equivalent PSI. This works for me because a lot of my recipes are written assuming a 4 inch round mold.

Rich,
I’ve had good luck using 12” x 12” paving blocks that I buy at Wal Mart. The ones I buy are about an inch thick and weigh 22 lbs. each. Since they are large and flat, they are a very stable weight.
Of course using this formula I would need 9 of them stacked on top of my press to get close to the 200 lbs. I would need for an 8” cheddar.
Sheesh, it was so much easier being in the dark on this.

Dave

Rick Robinson - 31 December 2008 06:24 PM

The way I read it is: if a 4 inch round requires 10 pounds of weight, then a 5 inch round would require 15.63 pounds of weight to get an equivalent PSI. This works for me because a lot of my recipes are written assuming a 4 inch round mold.

That is correct.  Glad it’s helpful.

OK everyone, here’s your big chance.  We can now combine two hobbies in one:  Cheese making and body building.

LOL, im happy with my dumb bells and 100oz cans

nice one Rich

In fact, I don’t see this idea covered in any of the books I have.  The closest they come is to specify a mold size, and most of them don’t do that.  It’s a strange omission. 

I think the question of volume is also an important one, and also doesn’t seem to be dealt with in any of the three books I have.  Maybe I just need more books!  :D

Val

Rick Robinson - 31 December 2008 01:34 PM

I think a lot of the recipes I use are ambiguous about this. They will say “apply 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes” without being specific whether they means 10 PSI, or a 10 pound weight on an assumed 4” round which would be 0.8 PSI!