Draining/forming and pressing
During forming and pressing we do several things:
- Assist final whey expulsion
- Provide texture
- Shape the cheese
- Provide a rind on cheeses with long ripening periods
We adapt the rate of pressing and pressure applied to each particular type of cheese. By pressing gradually at first we avoid locking moisture into pockets in the body of the cheese due to initial high pressure compression to the surface.
We calculate pressure applied to the cheese per unit area and not per cheese, as individual cheeses may vary in size.