widely disseminated blue

[broombank]

I am trying to make a blue similar to the Hebridean produced by the eminent Mull creamery on the West coast of Scotland. This is one of the 'bluest' blues I know with  very intense flavour and a creamy slightly crumbly texture . There is blue mould  every few millimetres. I want to know how they do it. It certainly isn't done by puncture, neither is it full of holes. Could it be injected or put in at the salting /premolding stage? Has anyone any ideas?  I will use their cheese in the process instead of p rocqueforti.

[bansidhe]

I really do not know and dont know enough about cheesemaking to venture an intelligent guess.  BUT I have made a vegan B lea cheese.. with that "cheese" to let it age until it was covered in blue, then I took it and crumbled it up and repacked it loosely..  The result was really blue..  AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT.. quite delicious.  :-)

[broombank]

I really appreciate your reply but knowing the very traditional  methods adopted by the Mull Creamery I think your suggestion is very unlikely. I wish you luck in your cheese making!

[mikekchar]

Having just experienced this, I think I can give you a hint.  I was using Jim Wallace's Stilton recipe (based on a 1917 farmhouse Stilton) where there is a *very* small amount of starter culture and you salt at a pH of 5.5 (IIRC).  As I discovered, you want to have a *very* open curd because over time, the cheese slowly compacts, driving the air out under its own weight.  Even though there was enough structure that I was actually worried I wouldn't be able to smooth over the rind (as you do with a Stilton), I got almost no veining because the cheese collapsed later cutting off the oxygen :-)  The cheese was super creamy with lovely blue flavour -- unfortunately only a little bit of veining.  I will try again, though!

Recipe here: https://cheesemaking.com/products/stilton-cheese-making-recipe  BTW, if you are reading, Jim, awesome recipe.  Thanks!

[paulabob]

I would still think they puncture.  I can't always see the holes after it's aged awhile.   Caveat:  have only made one blue, but I loved it.  NEC dolce gorgonzola, but turned out picante.

[broombank]

I made it today and probably used far to much of the blue - blended with water. We will see ! The curd is quite well separated so should retain some oxygen. I will probably puncture it as suggested.

[zimmermannbp]

I am new to cheese making, but my guess is that the curds were craggie and did not compress, thus giving space for the oxygen and mold to follow.

[broombank]

yes I think you are right - Rocquefort makers use a little propionic shermanii to creat some gas pockets in which the blue mould will grow

[broombank]

enjoy your adventure in cheese making !

[Gregore]

I "think" stilton's are hooped at a very low ph  around  4.8 to 5 ph  thus the curd does not knit together very well , the slightly crumbly Leeds me to suspect low ph too . Maybe some one can suggest a culture to help with the creamy , buttery ???