Method of controlling the absolute humidity of air stream in kilning step and kilning apparatus

A roasting-and-drying apparatus for roasting and drying a malt raw material by heating outside air introduced toward the malt raw material from an underside of a heaped malt layer floor so as to be fed to the malt raw material as blown air and by mixing a portion of air passing through the malt raw material as circulated air with the outside air so as to be fed to the malt raw material as blown air again, comprising:

• an outside-air damper for adjusting an introduction amount of the outside air;
• a circulated-air damper for dividing the circulated air passing through the malt raw material into air exhausted outside and recycled air;
• a humidity sensor for measuring an absolute humidity of the blown air fed to the malt raw material;
• and
• a control device for controlling a mixing ratio of the introduced outside air and the circulated air so that the measured absolute humidity is kept at a predetermined value.

A roasting-and-drying apparatus for roasting and drying a malt raw material by heating outside air introduced toward the malt raw material from an underside of a heaped malt layer floor so as to be fed to the malt raw material as blown air and by mixing a portion of air passing through the malt raw material as circulated air with the outside air so as to be fed to the malt raw material as the blown air again, comprising:

• an outside-air damper for adjusting an introduction amount of the outside air;
• a circulated-air damper for dividing the circulated air passing through the malt raw material into air exhausted outside and recycled air;
• a humidity sensor for measuring an absolute humidity of the blown air fed to the malt raw material;
• and
• control means for controlling a mixing ratio of the introduced outside air and the circulated air so that the measured absolute humidity is kept at a predetermined value.