Homestead Hacks.

Low-Cost Cheese Press

Many new homesteaders have an interest in cheese making, but often find the equipment costs to be a barrier. A simple cheese press on Amazon ranges between $80 and $600. You have to make a lot of cheese to recover that initial cost.

Fortunately, there is a cheaper alternative. You will need a kitchen scale, two boards (12"x12"), four 18" carriage bolts and some big stones.

Stack the boards on top of each other, and drill holes on the corners of the boards, large enough to snugly fit the carriage bolts. Slide the bolts through the holes on one board . Set your cheese mold on the board, between the bolts. Set the top board over it, on the bolts.

Now get the sterilized stones, making sure they are free of dirt. Ideally boil them in advance. Now weigh out your stones. If your recipe calls for 20lbs of pressure, weigh out 20lbs in the bowl, adding or removing stones until the desired weight is reached. Then set the bowl full of stones on the top board to compress the cheese. You may find individual stones in common weights and can skip using a bowl for smaller rocks

This method affords you much greater control than most commercial presses, and only requires some old wood, stones and fifty cent bolts.

Hint: It may help to create a follower board that fits inside the mold, and affix it to your Top plate. This is optional, and depends on the types of molds you use.