I received a new cheese press for x-mas!!! My only problem is there are no instructions. How do you know how many pounds of pressure it is using? Is it a certain amount of pressure for every turn? thanks ahead of time.

-- lisa liddle (lisasnat@bellsouth.net), December 30, 2000

Answers

Oh, that's easy. If you really want to know (and the thing'll fit) stick a scale underneath the follower and measure the pressure that way. But it's not all that important. Some of the greatest cheeses in the world are pressed successfully by nothing more than stacking one filled mold on top of another, switching them often. It works great.

And personally, I use a simple lever press with no pressure markers on it at all. Just start at a lower pressure, increase the pressure over time, and check the cheese when you flip it every half hour to see how it's coming together. And be sure to press when the curds are still warm, and to keep the cheese warm during the press---even if you have to cover it in a blanket.

What they don't tell you is that whether or not your cheese presses well or not hasn't got do with your cheese press, but how the cheese was made. It's almost entirely over by the time you get it into the mold.

-- Julia (charmer24@juno.com), December 30, 2000.

I have an absolutely beautiful homemade cheese press...I'd offer to send a picture but then everyone would want one and the individual that made this one for me said he'd never make another...lol. I adjust the pressure by how much weight I put on. I've never tested to see how many pounds of pressure. Just start out light and then increase it as needed. I'd think the same would apply with yours. Just takes a bit of experimenting with.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), December 31, 2000.