A method and apparatus for agricultural product production with heat and
moisture control with optional heat and moisture recovery. Some
embodiments transfer heat and moisture from a warm, moist exhaust air
stream to incoming agricultural material, steam condition the material,
pelletize the material into warm pellets, cool the warm pellets with
make-up air to produce the warm, moist exhaust air used to transfer heat
to the incoming material and to produce cooled pellets, wherein the
cooled pellets are at a temperature lower than the warm moist air. In
some embodiments, the system includes counter-flow devices to transfer
heat and moisture. In some embodiments, a controller is used to adjust
system devices and overall system flow. In some embodiments a water
sprayer, to moisten agricultural product when the product is over dry,
and an air flow controller, to slow air flow through the pellet
dryer/cooler when ambient temperatures are dryer/cooler, are provided.