Yes, exactly.
cut, heal, stir gently for 5-10 mins to let that initial moisture work itself out (important, else you trap too much moisture in curd). Then crank up the temp. Ordinarily, you'd try to do something like 1 C every 5-7 mins. With blue, you want to dehydrate the outer edge more and let it cook faster. How much faster? maybe 3-5C over 15 mins. This way, you'll wind up with a casein shell around each curd bit, it will be slow to fuse together, and will be kind of rubbery, encourage openness. Then as it drains, that shell will re-hydrate some, and the whole thing will reach equilibrium over time. It's a somewhat delicate balance, best to have a good feel for the curd.
Hot water is an idea, but then you're leaching lactose and calcium, could lead to inadequate acid. If you're going for a mild blue, could work.
