Hi All!
Just wanted to say Thank you to all for sharing your experiences and knowledge. I’ve been “lurking” around the forum for a week or so to get take advantage of your ideas, suggestions, success and ‘failures’ (though it sounds like all have turned out - even if not the way you had thought as you started out). So many of my questions have been answered by reading all of your posts. I’ve made a few batched of mozzarella and cream cheese and all my taste tester said they turned out awesome! so I’m ready to move on the my next challenge. I think the posts I’ve read suggestion that I do a few more soft cheese before I try to tackle the hard cheeses, but that’s proving to be the most challenging part. ~smiles~  And then which hard cheese do I start with?  I really don’t want to have to wait 6 months or longer to try my first one.
I have some plans for a press (thank you) and think I have found some weights on Craigslist - so it’s off to the hardware store…. see if I have all the right tools and then…. wait till I do a few more soft cheeses.
I am so excited to get started with my adventure.
Thank you again to all your posts - you’ve answered so many questions before I ever really get started.  What a Great forum!!

Welcome !!

If u like bloomed cheese then I would suggest Brie

I vote farm house cheddar for your first hard cheese. It ages pretty quick so you get to taste it sooner than some others. This is not an instant gratification hobby! I aged my farm house cheddar for 1 month and ate most of it and thought it was good, but after another month it was much better.

To satisfy one’s impatience there’s nothing like a Manchego.  Its an easy make, and can be eaten in as little as a week, or aged longer for a more piquant flavor.

BTW, love your handle.  I’m an espresso person.  Two lattes for breakfast every day.

Thank you for all the advise.  I will for sure try them all! 
So excited - went to the hardware store last night and got all that I needed for my press.  Never guess what I’m doing this week-end.  ~smiles~

@ Tammy - I thought the farm house cheddar may be the way to go.  I will for sure get some going. And yes - instant gratification hobby it isn’t.  I think it will all be in the timing… once I get started.  So I will always have something coming ‘due’  just after the other. 

@ Rich - I thought the name was good for a couple of reasons, that I like mines coffee and I am now roasting it at home.  So yummy!

Welcome to the forum.  Lots to learn here.

Thanks Kim!  and boy howdy!  LOTS to learn. ~whew~ But I’m ready.  Just now finished my press.  have the books/recipes.  the molds.  the desire.  I’m set.  Let’s get this party started. 

I am sooo excited - I just finished my press.  all by myself - I might add.  and it only took 2 trips to Home Depot.  OK - maybe 3 trips, but the first one doesn’t count, as I changed my mind/design after the first trip.  And now need a 4th trip to return the items purchased on trip #1.
Friends and family don’t get how exciting this is—but I’m sure some of you can relate to my excitement.

A nice piece of work, and it should suffice for anything you want to press.  What are you going to be using for weights?  You will want something stable that will not slide off should the top plate tilt somewhat.  My first attempts were with gallong milk bottles filled with water.  Not good.  There are some that use barbell weights and install a vertical post for them to maintain position.  I’ve now gone to using concrete blocks.

I have barbell weights - thanks to craigslist - and have another dowel that I thought I would put on the top for just that very reason.  I was so just so excited to get the main part done - I didn’t get that far yet.    You can’t tell from the photo, but I used a forstner bit and set the dowels in the bottom piece about 1/2 inch.  Then screwed them in.  Thought it would help to keep the top part more stable.  That may have been over kill, but…. did it anyway. think I will do the same on the top piece.  Might even add one of those non-slip mat things - to help the weights not shift.
Can hardly wait to give it a try!

Good work ! make sure u season the wood so it does not warp from the water. I used olive oil.

I used polyurethane

I agree with the comment that friends and family don’t understand how exciting this is. They all keep telling me that you can buy cheese at the store. I have made a variety of cheese and have it all in my cave, just waiting to get done. I made all of my cheese from milk that I got at the grocery store, I found one that was not too pasteurized and I’ve been using it. Now I want to start buying raw milk and make some of the recipes again to check out the flavors. However my cave is full…..

Big difference in flavor, problem is most people have no taste