A cheese cooking system comprising in combination:
- a source of temperature-controlled hot water,
- tank means including a holding tank for receiving, containing, and discharging said hot water and for receiving sliced curd product from a tank receiving station, said tank means containing and cooking said sliced curd product in said hot water, and discharging cooked curd product to a tank discharge station, said holding tank defined by a vertical cylindrical side wall having a substantially vertical tank axis and a substantially horizontal bottom wall secured to said cylindrical side wall, said cylindrical side wall having atop rim in a plane substantially vertical to said bottom wall,
- means for delivering said sliced curd product to said tank receiving station,
- a first drive means associated with said tank means for moving said sliced curd product from said tank receiving station to said tank discharge station over a predetermined time, said sliced curd product having become partially cooked curd product upon reaching said tank discharge station, said first drive means including an upper rotatable mounting drum having a cylindrical upper drum side wall and an upper drum axis axially aligned with said holding tank axis, opposed substantially horizontal top and bottom upper drum covers, said top upper drum cover being substantially in a plane with said top rim of said tank;
- a lower rotatably mounted drum mounted under said upper drum and having a cylindrical lower drum side wall having a height and diameter approximately equal to a height and diameter of said upper drum, said lower drum having an axis axially aligned with said holding tank axis, and opposed substantially horizontal top and bottom lower drum covers, said bottom lower drum cover being rotatably associated with said bottom wall;
- said upper and lower drum cylindrical side walls, said cylindrical tank side wall, and said tank bottom wall forming a tank compartment;
- and a shaft having opposed upper and lower shaft portions, said upper shaft portion being axially mounted with and rotatably connected to said upper and lower drums, said lower shaft portion extending below said bottom wall,
- stretching means connected to said tank means for receiving said cooked curd product from said tank discharge station and for working said partially cooked curd product in said temperature-controlled hot water, said stretching means delivering said partially cooked curd product to a stretching means discharge station as a fibrous cheese product which is free of said hot water, and
- a second drive means for driving said stretching means.