METHOD OF MANUFACTURING STILTON 89 



than the internal portion, and consequently a 

 wrinkling of the coat of the cheese follows. 

 After the cheese has been scraped, a bandage 

 is tightly pinned round it, a cap placed on its 

 upper end, and the cheese is put back into 

 the hoop. Next day remove the hoop and 

 bandage, and scrape the cheese, then tightly 

 pin on a clean bandage round the top. Allow 

 the bandage to hang loosely down, invert 

 the cheese, and loosely fold the bandage over 

 it. The cheese is then put upon the draining- 

 shelves without the hoop, and there it remains 

 until the coat begins to appear, which usually 

 happens about the eleventh day counting 

 from the day of hooping. 



FORMATION OF THE COAT. About the 

 eleventh day the external surface begins to 

 show signs of white mould, also dry patches 

 appear on the bandage. These are the first 

 signs of the coat, and on their appearance the 

 cheese is ready to go to the drying- or coating- 

 room. This room should be cool and damp, 

 have a temperature of from 55 to 60, and if 

 possible it should have a gentle, cool, moist 

 draught passing through it. By thus keeping 



