H-K-J,s 5Th Stilton 1st 5gallon make short 1 pint

[H-K-J]

  YYYeeeeeeessssss!!

I am soooooo pleased with the way my first (almost) five gallon Stilton went yesterday
Why almost 5 gallons you ask? didn't take enough money 
then again, as they say, all's well that ends well 
I did do a couple of thing's that I had been thinking about for a long time, the light over night press after draining, I eliminated it
and using my new stainless steel bottomless custom mold
After hanging and draining for 6 hours (instead of draining for one hour and light press overnight) I milled and salted the curd and filled the mold to let it knit and drain flipping the mold every hour or so, seem's to be knitting and is draining just fine.
I also went back to placing my vat inside a larger pot for more water volume to help hold the temp were I wanted it.
I am going to flip it for 3 to 5 days then into the ageing container for 2 weeks at room temp (depending on how hot the weather get's) then the piercing and off to the cool box for 60 to 90 days.
Just hope it turns out to taste as good as my smaller batches have

[bbracken677]

Looks good! Cant wait to see how it progresses.  I will eventually get around to making a blue myself. Unfortunately the family is not to keen on blues....

[H-K-J]

I will eventually get around to making a blue myself. Unfortunately the family is not to keen on blues....

I don't have this problem the wife has already informed me that I will be making this again very soon
been wanting to make a cheddar type or make another attempt at a Swiss, still I have no problem with another Stilton in the fridge

[T-Bird]

Dad gum! "you just'a blu-cheesin fool ain't ya!" Seriously, I may have to get me one going soon. My wife likes it as much as yours!

[H-K-J]

been flipping this 2 times a day, it is knitting together very nicely and the smell is just soooo nice
two more days and we will see if it will stand up by itself when I take it out of the mold, really want to see what the weight is.
want to start another 5 gallon one in a week or so

[H-K-J]

flipped 10 hours ago at that time no mold this time I can see some mold growth in the crevasses
two more days of flipping it, then out of the mold, the whey has started to slow down not much to clean up, now we will see what it looks like in the morning
Getting very excited and contemplating how much it should wiegh
it has compacted allot more than expected, feels heavy, maybe just the mold being a 6" pipe??

[Boofer]

OMG, I'm going through a tunnel and I'm just about to hit a wall of cheese! 

Looks like there's a lot more room in that mould for more curd.

-Boofer-

[H-K-J]

Looks like there's a lot more room in that mould for more curd.
-Boofer-

yes there is allot of room after 3 days the curd has settled about 21/2"
could have used 2 more gallons of milk, outside of cooking curd in two separate pot's, didn't want to do that,I have a hard enough time keeping track of one
as it is my pot is only 22 quarts

[Illiterate]

Great photos, very inspiring, if only I had room for more cheeses.
This differently calls for a cheese.

Thanks again

Sam

[BobE102330]

Thanks for the pictures, H-K-J.  My first "Stilton" make is about a day behind you, but it's a mere 2 gallon batch.  Glad to see that my cheese compacted about the same as yours.  Makes me feel better.  I don't have any blue mold either, but my blue/stinky cheese loving cat is starting to pay attention to my cheese.  It smells great to me so I think that is a good thing. 

Bob

[H-K-J]

thank you for the cheese more pic,s heck yah
 tomorrow out of the mold , hope it stands up

[H-K-J]

Took it out of the mold last evening and rubbed it smooth filling all of the cracks and holes, it has knitted together nicely, very firm.
 has some PR specks just not the way my others had turned out, I contribute that to no cheese cloth holding the moisture and PR against the cheese
It look's so much cooler than a brick , got it tucked away in the ageing container and in an area of the house that is holding about 70ºf the RH is usually very high inside the container at this stage so I do expect it to start turning blue after a few day's, anyway that's what has happened on my other Stiltons, Just have to wait and see

[bbracken677]

Very nice looking cheese you got there!  Will be starting on some camemberts on monday...followed later in the week by some feta (love feta!) and then going to give butterkase a shot.
Keep the pics coming!  I have it in my head that I want to try a stilton soon. That may be my project after the butterkase 

[H-K-J]

Thank you for that
It is now starting the Blue stage
this one is a little strange to me, got to used to my brick Stilton , I do feel like it is coming along more in a style of what I have watched on the video's
so now we wait and see

[Boofer]

Looks good...nice smoothing job. Should be interesting seeing how it develops compared to the brick.

-Boofer-