I am getting ready to do a stilton in 2 days. I can only find 2 full recipes, Ricki Carrol's and Tim Smith's, both quite similar, and both for 2 gallons of milk + 2 c cream. As is becoming my tradition, below is a proposed recipe with some questions (in bold) I am hoping you all can help with. Thank you!
I will be doing 8 gallons whole raw milk, not adding any cream.
8gal milk
1/4 teaspoon Pen. Roqueforti (this is only double their 2 gallon recipes, is it enough?)
1/2 teaspoon MM100 (again this is only double the 4 gallon recipe, and is this a good meso to use, the recipes did not specify?)
2/3 tablet veg rennet
Scant 5 T salt (Sailor's ratio)
Mix Pen. Roqueforti in milk.
Heat to 86F
Add meso culture
Ripen 30 min
Add rennet
Wait for clean break (is this synonymous with floc X 3?)
ladle into container such that whey can drain but curds stay submerged, maintain temp
Leave 90 min (does anyone have a ph marker here?)
drain curds outside of whey for 30 min
Press lightly overnight around 68-70F (looking for PH 4.8, right?)
Mill to 1 inch pieces
Add salt
Hoop cheese, flip every 15 min for 2 hours and several times a day for 4 days
Remove from mold and smooth any large crevaces
Keep in a moist environment, 60-68F until blue mold appears
pierce from sides approx 1 week after make started (opinions differ, but Sailor seems most authoritative, so I am leaning toward his numbers.)
At this point do I keep it at 60-68? If so, how long?
Refresh holes every 10 days for 1 month
Move to cave
resist opening for total of twelve weeks.