John,
First of all, that is a very nice looking blue cheese. I don't care if it is store bought, it looks delicious.
As for piercing, I think that if I continue to use a 4" wheel I'll have to find something that makes smaller holes.
If I do in fact move up to a 6" wheel as planned then I think my thermometer probe will work just fine.
Every once in awhile my wife will bring store bought cheese into the house. Each time she does, I make sure I tell my teenage daughters "your mom is cheating on me again".
Thanks for the advice on using a smaller piercing needle. That might just be the answer for the other 4" Stilton I have aging. I'll let you know how it goes.
Dave