Usually they are graduated and supplied with a weight or the instruction what weight to use.
I am puzzled with your reference to my stilton and this
'You now have to find a weight to place on this to press down on the curd block for several days'
with a stilton you only have to tie it in a stilton bundle and put it between two boards and stick a 10lbs weight on it for an hour or so.
Weights that I use are a set of dumbell disc purchased from Tesco I have four 1 KG discs and 4 0.5kg discs.....you can thread these on a piece of tape and hang them with a butchers hook...the further along the weight bar you move them the heavier they will press.
I check my big ones with a set of bathroom scales under the ram and using a set of weights mark off along the bar what weight they are pressing at the ram.
I can go up to 200lbs like this.
I just checked on the stilton instructions....
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Wrap the top and bottom cut outs from the tin in cling film (this is called a �follower�) and place on top of the curds. You now have to find a weight to place on this to press down on the curd block for several days.
If you are using a fruit tin then fill up a bottle of water and sit this on top of the follower any weight will do as you are only compacting the curd and not so much really pressing it.
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