My first attempt at making hard cheese!

My Christmas gift to myself is a new cheese press!  I have been making soft cheeses, yogurts and ice creams with my delicious goats' milk but I needed this piece of equipment to press the curds into a hard condensed wheel.  A very simple machine, really.  No electrical cord!  After a series of pressing at different pressures I have my first wheel of Cheddar!!!! So exciting!!  I will use a rub of salt to help it dry; then coat it in wax and place it in a cool place (my wine cooler) for 4-12 weeks!

Cheese press

2 pound wheel of cheddar