[Cheese] Unlined molds?

[Erica Schechter]

Hi everyone,

Well, I finally got around to building a cheese press, and I made my
first Gouda last night. This brings me to my question. The recipe said
to line the mold with cheesecloth. However, doing this leaves
noticable, unnattractive imprints on the sides of the cheese. Is it
really necessary to line the mold? Or can I plop the curds right in?

By the way, a little tip for anyone who might need it. After pressing
for some time, the follower started to sink really low into the mold.
So I stacked a coaster on top to make the surface higher. Worked
really well!

Thanks!
--Erica