To get high-quality full-fledged hard cheese, one of the stages of preparation requires the extraction of the used mass. Moreover, the product must be pressed to obtain certain types of cheese under various pressures. Let's figure out how to make effective cheese presses with your own hands.
Stone press
Not every
cheese mold prepared by hand is able to compete with factory equipment. At the same time, one of the best solutions that has traditionally been resorted to over the centuries is the content of the product under a heavy stone.
To make stone cheese presses at home, itโs enough to find a stable, even and solid foundation, as well as a fairly large block. It is desirable to grind the latter in the shape of a rectangle.
In this case, the basis of the future cheese is placed in a gauze bag, placed on a platform and pressed with a stone. It is possible to withstand the product in this condition both under a canopy on the street, and in a well-ventilated room.
Screw press
Cheese
screw presses are quite effective. They squeeze serum perfectly and are particularly compact. Therefore, their operation does not require much space.
They have screw presses and some disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages of such devices is the lack of the ability to determine the level of pressure that is exerted on the ripening product.
Alternatively, for the preparation of cheese, you can use a screw device that winemakers use to squeeze juice from fruits and berries. If you wish, you can make such a cheese press with your own hands. To do this, you need to find a suitable clamp, choosing an appropriate container under it to lay the foundation of the future product.
Cheese screw presses can significantly save cooking time. Since, as the serum flows out, the clamp can be periodically tightened, increasing the pressure on the cheese mass.
CD packaging press
Making such a cheese press is extremely simple. It is enough to find several plastic cases of various diameters. Holes for draining the serum must be made in the bottom of the larger container. You can cope with the task using a drill, red-hot knitting needle or awl. Next, clean the surface from the inside to ensure the convenience of removing the cheese head from the tank.
So, for the operation of a homemade press, it is enough to place the bottom of the plastic case in a deep bowl, covering its bottom with a thin cloth or a piece of gauze. Then you can proceed to filling the homemade press with cheese mass. In conclusion, it is necessary to cover the container with a case of a smaller diameter and place a weighty load in it. The greater the pressure exerted on the cheese mass, the more dense the finished product will be.
Glass teapot press
To make cheese at home, you can use a teapot known as a French press. This cylindrical
glass teapot is widely used for the preparation of herbal teas, coffee and other drinks that require wringing and infusion. Using this idea, it is possible to make cheese presses, where the pressure level will reach about 4 kg.
To implement the idea, the following tools and materials will be required: a French press, several paper clips, bolts, rubber bands, a soldering iron, a screwdriver, and heat shrink.
Progress:
- Using a screwdriver, holes are made in the cover of the French press. Small bolts are screwed into the formed holes.
- At the base of the teapot, four openings are made for clerical clips, which are connected with elastic bands.
- Heat shrink is applied to the paper clips and warmed up with a soldering iron.
Using a homemade press made in accordance with the above instructions is extremely simple. It is enough to place the cheese mass in a container, pull on the elastic bands connected to the clips at the base of the fixture, and then hook them onto the bolts on the teapot lid. Thus, the necessary force is generated for squeezing the serum.
Plastic bucket press
As a form, it is convenient to use a mayonnaise bucket with a volume of 0.5 l or more. In the bottom of the container, it is necessary to make holes through which the serum will drain. Next, the roof of the bucket should be cut so that the latter freely enters the tank until about the middle. As a press, you can use a jar filled with water, a metal weight, any other load, suitable in size.
Can Press
The simplest form for a home press can be made of a capacious tin can. A good solution is a can of tomato paste. In the bottom of the latter, you need to drill holes or make holes with a nail. In this case, the torn edges formed should go outside the tank to avoid deformation of the cheese head.
Before placing the base of the future product in the mold, it is necessary to line its walls and base with a piece of gauze. At the end, the cheese mass should be covered with a lid of a suitable size and pressed down with a weighty load. A good alternative to a can can be a metal or plastic colander.
Finally
Today, the market has a huge number of presses for the manufacture of cheese of various configurations. However, they all have a similar operating principle, which is based on a strong, dense squeezing of the cheese mass.
Making a cheese press at home is not so difficult. It is enough to show imagination using factory analogues as an idea. The main thing is that a home-made device provides effective removal of whey from the cheese mass, which will allow you to get a truly high-quality delicate product.