The Practice of Stilton Cheese Making. 
445 
and skewering properly attended to, the cheese will be ready for 
the binder about six days from making. Here again no precise 
instructions can be given. The cheese should feel rather elastic 
under pressure of the fingers ; it will also have left the sides of 
the mould slightly, so that the latter easily slips off". When you are 
satisfied the cheese is ready for the binder — which is a piece of 
calico as broad as the cheese is high, and an inch or two longer 
than will encircle it — place the mould containing the cheese on 
a table, take off the mould, and with an ordinary table-knife 
commence to fill up the little holes in the sides of the cheese by 
slowly drawing the flat side of the knife up and down, applying 
a slight pressure in doing so, till all the holes are filled up and 
the side of the cheese is smooth and even. 
The binder is now tightly pinned around, and the mould, after 
being thoroughly cleansed, is again placed over the cheese. The next 
day this binder must be replaced by a clean one, the side of the 
cheese being again rubbed over with the knife, and the mould 
replaced. A clean binder must be put on every day, the mould 
being discarded after the second day. In very drying weather 
a light covering must be used for all cheeses in binders. 
On the first appearance of coat the knife must no longer be 
used. In about six or eight days the binder will begin to have 
dry places upon it, which is a sign the coat is beginning to form. 
To the eye it will look like little white crinkled patches, but in 
a few days it will spread all over the cheese, and the coat will 
then be fully formed. The binder must be used until the coat 
is perfect. 
In very damp thundery weather " slip-cote " — a soft greasy 
state of the cheese, which will very soon be known by experience — 
will form instead of the true coat ; this must be scraped off with 
the knife as soon as perceived, and the cheese removed to a 
cooler place. The best place for the coating process is the setting- 
dairy, on shelves placed along the wall, except in very hot 
weather, when a cool moist room is best, with a temperature of 
about 55°. The storing-room, which at this time is not fully 
occupied, is a good place, if care is taken to exclude the mid- 
day air. 
When the coat is fully formed the cheese must be taken to the 
drying-room, and placed on deal shelves. It now only requires 
turning every day, and careful attention paid to cleanliness and 
draughts. The draught should be rather dry and free, but care 
must be taken that it is not too free, or cracking of the coat will 
take place, which must be studiously avoided, or the small cheese- 
fly will deposit its larva in the tiny cracks, and the cheese will 
be spoilt. The coat should be kept in the same white state as 
vol., XXV. — S. S. G G 
