Abstract: A method and an apparatus are shown for heat treating a rolling stock (3), particularly a strip, made of an age-hardenable aluminium alloy, particularly an alloy of the 6000 series, wherein the rolling stock (3) in the process of passing through an apparatus (1) is fed to a solution annealing operation and a quenching operation, and in a subsequent step the rolling stock (3) is subjected to hot exposure for age hardening. In order to provide advantageous conditions for the method it is proposed that in a first step during the hot exposure the rolling stock (3) which is in the process of passing through the apparatus (1) is heated, whereupon in a further step the heated rolling stock (3) is further subjected to the hot exposure.