"Stabbing the Stilton"

[Minamyna]

Hey Everyone--

My Stilton recipe says I should stabby-stabby after 4 days..... is this right, it looks like many of your guys are stabby-stabbying after a week!?? Or longer?

[Gina]

What recipe are you following?

I'm certainly no authority, but I've read several recipes and the 4 days you mention is the shortest amount of time I've seen. 200 easy cheeses says 2 weeks, but that instruction is ambiguous about 2 weeks from what point in the process. Others I've read say to pierce at 3 to 5 weeks. Sailor, who successfully makes lots of them, says he pierces his when the blue on the outside of the cheese is really taking over.

[BigCheese]

Like Gina said, Sailor pierces his after the blue mold has taken over outside. I believe Mark pierced his at 5 weeks and had success. The stilton video from an official producer in UK said 5 weeks as well.

I personally went somewhere in between: 2 weeks from the initial make. Then I re-pierced a week later, and am likely to do so one more time I think. The important thing is that the P Roqueforti is still kickin' enough to grow into the holes.

[Minamyna]

Rikki Carrols, easy home cheesemaking or whatever it's called, I will read it again maybe I misread it.

[BigCheese]

I know her website says 5 weeks. 4 days is usually when recipes say to unmold the curds.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Mine aren't even out of the mold until after 4 or 5 days. You want it to be almost completely drained and have a nice firm body when it comes out (the cheese not you). 

We like our Stiltons fairly mild so I have a little different style for making my Stiltons. As soon as I have really good growth, I pierce, then repeat after about 10 days. Around 6 weeks I dry at room temp for a day, scrape off the excess mold and vacuum bag. The timing can be very different if you are trying to do an all natural rind.

[Minamyna]

how /how much do I scrap? i am really worried I have that chat du poit or whatever its called mold. How do I control that?