Technical:
Pressing your cheese
INTRODUCTION
The primary purpose of pressing cheese is to compact the curd particles and ensure that they knit together properly. Contrary to popular belief, whey expulsion is not the main factor. While your cheese will still lose some moisture during pressing, this is mostly free whey trapped between the curd particles. The treatments applied to the curd during cheesemaking (cutting, stirring, heating, washing, etc.) have a much greater influence on the final texture and moisture content of the cheese than pressing itself.
A second purpose of pressing—especially when using a cheesecloth or an integrated cheese net (as found in Kadove® moulds)—is the formation of a smooth, closed rind.
In summary, pressing serves three main purposes:
Texture & shape:
Pressing gives the cheese the correct firmness and its final shape. Proper pressing also prevents unwanted mechanical openings. Pressing time and pressure vary depending on the type of cheese.
Rind formation:
A good, closed rind protects the cheese against moulds and bacteria during ripening. A smooth, even rind is particularly important for coated cheeses (waxed, plastic-coated, oiled, etc.), as it prevents the coating from penetrating into the cheese body.
Whey removal:
Pressing also removes some remaining whey and closes openings that could otherwise promote excessive acidity. If the curd mass is not properly closed (i.e. contains mechanical openings), whey may become trapped, potentially influencing the surrounding.
A REAL CHEESE PRESS OR DIY SOLUTION?
A traditional Dutch lever press with drip tray (4) to collect excess whey is a desirable piece of equipment for the home cheesemaker. In industry, pneumatic presses are standard, although large wooden or stainless-steel lever presses are still used at (semi-)professional scale. However, none of this is strictly necessary: pressing simply means applying weight to your cheese.
The simplest method is to use two buckets that fit neatly inside one another (1). Place your cheese mould(s) in the bottom bucket. Slide the second bucket over the mould(s) and place your pressing weight inside it. This weight can be virtually anything: water-filled containers, cast-iron irons, a bag of sand, options are endless.
Another practical method is to place three cheeses in a triangular arrangement, put a board or rack on top, and add the pressing weight (2). The advantage of pressing three cheeses together is that each cheese is guaranteed to receive pressure, and the structure remains stable—even if the cheeses are not all the same size and the setup is slightly uneven. With four cheeses, this is not the case: if one cheese is slightly smaller, it may not receive any pressure at all. If you only have two cheeses, simply add a third pressure point—such as a small wooden block, a coffee mug, etc. A variation on this idea is a two-board system (3), where the top board has holes at each corner that slide over (metal) rods mounted on the bottom board. This allows you to press even a single cheese mould without the pressing weight becoming unstable.
THE IDEAL PRESSING METHOD
When pressing cheese, a gradual build-up of pressure is essential, especially when pressing with a cheesecloth or a cheese mould with an integrated cheese net (Kadova®). If you apply maximum weight immediately, you risk forcing the curd—still relatively fragile at this stage—through the mesh of the cheesecloth. The cloth or net may then become embedded several millimetres into the cheese, making it impossible to remove without damaging the cheese itself.
Ideally, press according to the 1–4–8 method
(1× cheese weight, then 4× cheese weight, then 8× cheese weight)
The pressing times given below are indicative.
Pressing for longer is always acceptable.
The pressing method described above is a good general guideline for most pressed cheeses. Cheeses such as Cantal and Cheddar require significantly higher pressing weights and longer pressing times to achieve a fully closed curd structure. As always, some experimentation is needed to determine what produces the best results with your particular press.
Step 1: 1× cheese weight
Allow the filled moulds to rest upside down for 15 minutes, then turn the cheeses and place them under the press. At this stage, the cheeses essentially “press themselves.” In industrial production, the cheese mark (casein label) is typically applied at this point.
Step 2: 4× cheese weight
Press for the first time for 30 to 45 minutes at 4 to 5 times the weight of the cheese. If, for any reason, the rind does not close properly, briefly immerse the cheese—still in its mould—in the warm whey.
Step 3: 8× cheese weight
Press a second time for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 8 to 9 times the weight of the cheese. Then check whether the rind has closed properly. If not, continue pressing for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and turn it once more. Leave it to rest overnight in the mould at room temperature. This allows the seam left by the follower to become almost completely invisible.Afterwards, transfer the cheese to the brine bath if required.
CALCULATING PRESSING FORCE
Using the following formula, you can accurately calculate the pressing force of a lever press.
An empirical method is to place a scale under the stamp of your press. This allows you to immediately see how the weight applied to the lever arm translates into pressing force on the cheese.
Let the effective force on the cheese be P, and the hanging weight that generates the pressing force be W.
The fundamental formula for a lever system is:
P x D1 = W x D2 of P = (W x D2) : D1
In practice, the distance D1 is usually fixed, as is the desired pressing force. The variables to consider are the suspension distance (D2) and the amount of weight (W) required to achieve the desired pressure.
Example:
D1 = 12cm
D2 = 40cm
W = 1,5kg
P = (1,5 x 40) : 12 = 5kg
