Abstract: A vertical hopper carries a mass of hot water recirculated therethrough by water jet inlets opening laterally into the vertical hopper below the level of accumulated water and creates by water turbulence the heating and mixing of cheese curd segments as they pass under gravity through the water towards a pair of intermeshed, slow speed augers within a horizontal discharge duct which underlies the hopper. The augers feed the uniformly mixed stretched cheese curd through an elbow to a vertical accumulating duct bearing at its upper end an adjustable back pressure plate which closes off a part of the accumulator duct discharge opening.