Abstract: An infrared wood product dryer apparatus (10) constructed in accordance with the invention broadly includes enclosure structure (12) defining an interior (20), a conveyor assembly (14) configured for conveying a particulate material along a material flow path through the interior (20) substantially between an inlet (22) and an outlet (24), an array of infrared radiant energy sources (22) configured for exposing the material to infrared radiant energy while it is conveyed along the path (38), and a series of agitators (18) configured for agitating the material in order to increase the exposure of the material to the infrared radiant energy. A gas recirculation assembly (52) is provided to direct a heated interior gas onto the material in order to convection-dry the material. An exhaust assembly (62) reduces the moisture content of the interior gas by drawing a quantity of the gas from the dryer (10) so that fresh gas having a lower moisture content may be drawn into the dryer (10).