Pressing the fresh curds to remove excess whey is important since spoilage of the cheese is hastened by retention of too much water in the finished cheese. This cheese press can be fashioned from items you may already have in your kitchen, or which should not be difficult to obtain.
The pictures show the use of the press to press curds from the recipe to turn five gallons of milk into cheese . Click the last two images ( 13 & 14 ) to see full sized pictures for what the assembled press looks like. Note that some cheese recipes are very specific about the pressure applied to a given cheese. I have not calibrated this press, but it works perfectly with the cheese recipes I have posted . The pressure can be adjusted either by adjusting the width of the rubber band, or by adjusting the height jar used in the press.
Supplies
- 5 gallon canner
- Large white dinner plate with smooth bottom
white dish cloth (non-terry), very clean (boiled and hung in the sun for an hour or two to sterilize) - Pressing frame: 6″ x 9″ cylinder made from PVC pipe (or large can without ribs on the sides, ends removed)
- The “follower:” a circular block of wood cut to fit inside pressing frame (5.6 inches diameter)
- 5/8 inch wide rubber band cut from an automotive inner tube (cut it wider for greater pressure).
- Two chop sticks
- Quart mason jar (use a half gallon jar for greater pressure)
Directions
Need to organize/download images, enter text, then add images, TBD
David Fankhauser 
