HB's First Stilton Style

[HB]

I started a Stilton Style with 2 gallons raw Jersey/Brown Swiss milk and 2 cups pasteurized, non-homogenized half and half on on 1/21/12. I pasteurized myself at 145 degrees F for 30 minutes. I loosely followed the Ricki Carrol's recipe and innoculated with MM100 and PR(VS strain). I pressed overnight at 8 lbs. The next day I pulled apart the curds into roughly 1" pieces, salted, and put into the molds. I had anticipated as per the recipe that the curds would fit into a single2 lb hard cheese mold. Well, no way that was happening. I ended up splitting the curds between a 2 lb and a 3-5 lb mold. I am not quite sure why the yield was so high. Possibly because of very high butterfat in the milk. I drained them at room temp(72 degrees F), flipping regularly for 4 days. At that point I un-molded them and smoothed them (though this step was not in my recipe). At that point there was already a little blue showing. They are now in the cave at 50. Pictures to come!

[zenith1]

You do wind up with a large mass of curds with blue-something that you have to be aware of when planning.

[HB]

That's nice to hear. I've never made a blue cheese before. I was very surprised when my yield was more than double what the recipe calls for!

[HB]

And this is how it has developed up until today...

[HB]

It's aliiive! The blue is doubling by the day.

[T-Bird]

 When I adopted that pressing overnight with 8#  then breaking up the curd mass, salting procedure is when my "Stilton" began to have open enough paste to blue well. I also make a 2 gal cheese. I think the 8# wt mimics the weight that a much larger curd mass has on itself on the draining tabla that you see in Stilton making videos that I saw here. Looks like a great cheese so far. When will you pierce?

[HB]

Well...I don't know when exactly I should pierce them. My recipe called for doing it in the first week(which I did not do), but upon reading up on blues on this forum it would be better to wait 4-5 weeks. I may split the difference since I split the curds into two cheeses. They might ripen faster than a full 2 gallon stilton. When did you pierce?

[T-Bird]

I pierce mine at 5 wks with a skewer that is .112 in dia. just something I had around the house that appeared suitable.  I pierce once and my holes stay open.At least they have the last 3 cheeses. I pierce top and bottom, about 20 holes in each side extending to the middle. My cheese, however, is shaped differently than yours. Mine is about 21/2 in. thick and 6in. dia. I then age 4 more wks then open.

[HB]

So you age them about 2 months... I have a small knitting needle for piercing (2.75 mm) and was planning to pierce from side to center only.

[T-Bird]

I age mine 9 wks, my cheese is shaped differently, look at my christmas stilton post, those 2 pieces were two 1/6 of the whole cheese slices. Somewhere back in the posts on this forum there was a discussion about smaller cheeses not needing to age for 3 mo. like a larger cheese. I guess alot depends on the culture, the mold strain, the temp, the humidity etc. I found that 9 wks works for me in my cave with my cheese shape and method. after I "cut the cheese" I tightly wrap in plastic wrap, give away a couple of pieces, and refrigerate the rest. I have kept it for a month w/o it ammoniating or drying out. My wife and I both like blue cheese, so long term storage isn't an issue.

[HB]

Yes, I saw your cheese and was duly impressed. Thanks for the insight. A cheese for you!

[T-Bird]

Thank you very much but I am by no means an expert. I began cheese making when I sold my vet. practice 3 yrs ago. I really like blue cheese so I started there. I didn't know there were easier places to start, but here we are. I had trouble getting the paste to blue for the 1st several cheeses. I have a small"cave" and make 1 cheese at a time for now. When I began pressing the curds overnight in the draining bag between 2 boards with 8# wt., turning once, then milling , salting etc. before molding , my curds were firm enough to retain the openings in the paste for the mold to grow- which is the key to internal veining. I didn't know that. I thought the mold just spread out in the paste when you pierced the cheese. The learning curve is not very steep for cheesemaking, it takes you 2 1/2 mo. to know if any change you made in your method  worked or not. With this method I have reproduced this cheese with identical results 3 times. I just now got the know how to post pics.

[HB]

One week away from piercing. I am curious as to how moist the rind should be. Mine is completely dry.

[HB]

Piercing day! It went well, no cheeses cracked in half etc. Now we wait...

[H-K-J]

WOW!! Realy looks nice, Hope mine go this well