old school grain drying

Neddy flanders · May 17, 2017

yes I know on floor horizontal ducts are a pain in the arse and nobody likes them, but I'm sure many of you use similar systems.
which do you prefer, laterals, horizontal metal tubes or plastic tubes.?

Lincsman · May 18, 2017

Laterals, the others move when filling the store, and plastic ones have very little airflow.

solo · May 19, 2017

I have put some pictures of drive over floor grain drying in my set up. It used to be on floor A laterals. Today at work Wednesday and Thursday.

solo · May 19, 2017

solo said:
Just started raining so it's a housework day today. Not my favourite job lifting 3t of grids out but at least it's only once a yearView attachment 519210 View attachment 519212 View attachment 519214

KennyO · May 19, 2017

@solo who made your drying floor?

We have similar as a batch drier. Two 'Trays' 20'x20' with full mesh floors. We have heat and air and dry at about 1 % moisture per hour.

solo · May 19, 2017

KennyO said:
@solo who made your drying floor?

We have similar as a batch drier. Two 'Trays' 20'x20' with full mesh floors. We have heat and air and dry at about 1 % moisture per hour.

Bdc in Hampshire supplied the troughs and grids, Bentall Rowlands the dryer tunnel. Local contractors supplied concreting and laying and project managed.

TheOnlyWheyIsEssex · May 19, 2017

Hello,

First-time poster here. Use metal tubes myself and have tried most of the major fan firms with varying success. My main issue has been reliability. Can anyone recommend their supplier?

Thanks.

KennyO · May 19, 2017

@Clive can your company help @TheOnlyWheyIsEssex

Grass And Grain · May 19, 2017

KennyO said:
@solo who made your drying floor?

We have similar as a batch drier. Two 'Trays' 20'x20' with full mesh floors. We have heat and air and dry at about 1 % moisture per hour.

I was thinking of making something similar.

Could I ask how deep you pile the grain?

KennyO · May 19, 2017

Ours was made/ designed by Clark & Sutherland of Aberdeen. It has a full mesh floor. We tip grain on about 3-4 foot deep. Newer designs have stirrers which allow for much deeper grain depths.

Grass And Grain · May 19, 2017

So 20-25t in a batch? Sounds such a simple system. Just a fan and burner with no other moving parts.

How long is a piece of string type question, but...

How would you say your fan and burner compare in size to say one on a 10t opico batch drier?

KennyO · Jun 5, 2017

Grass And Grain said:
So 20-25t in a batch? Sounds such a simple system. Just a fan and burner with no other moving parts.

How long is a piece of string type question, but...

How would you say your fan and burner compare in size to say one on a 10t opico batch drier?

Sorry just noticed this- I would say the burner and fan are bigger. I will get some photos and look up the spec soon as we are going to be refurbishing the floor.

Grass And Grain · Jun 5, 2017

KennyO said:
Sorry just noticed this- I would say the burner and fan are bigger. I will get some photos and look up the spec soon as we are going to be refurbishing the floor.

Thank you very much for taking the time. I am very interested.

We currently have a tub dryer, but I really like the idea of this type of set-up. Presumably it's just a regular drying floor.

KennyO · Jun 5, 2017

@Grass And Grain

http://clarkandsutherland.co.uk/projects

If you scroll down to 'Tray Driers' there is a picture of one of their more recent installations. Same company supplied ours 30years ago (different company owners then)

Construction is dig out pit in floor. Build supporting walls, then lay timber beam across the width of the tray. Onto this is fixed expanded mesh and then finally the galv punched mesh. Metal straps on surface are bucket runners.

Grass And Grain · Jun 5, 2017

That's great, thanks.

A1an · Jun 5, 2017

We have just installed a woodchip drying floor but the mesh panels can be swapped out for "grain" versions. Very efficient

farmerfred86 · Jul 13, 2017

Have you tried drying G50 type wood chip on a wooden/metal drying floor? I think it will be fine but Im a little concerned about damaging the wooden floor from the moisture? Have large fans that can be powered almost entirely from solar PV so think this could be a viable option for us if we fell and chip wood that is green.
Has anyone experience of this and how long it takes to dry? I don't imagine you can fill a store very deep...

d williams · Jul 13, 2017

farmerfred86 said:
Have you tried drying G50 type wood chip on a wooden/metal drying floor? I think it will be fine but Im a little concerned about damaging the wooden floor from the moisture? Have large fans that can be powered almost entirely from solar PV so think this could be a viable option for us if we fell and chip wood that is green.
Has anyone experience of this and how long it takes to dry? I don't imagine you can fill a store very deep...

Not very deep at all unless you have stirrers

A1an · Jul 13, 2017

farmerfred86 said:
Have you tried drying G50 type wood chip on a wooden/metal drying floor? I think it will be fine but Im a little concerned about damaging the wooden floor from the moisture? Have large fans that can be powered almost entirely from solar PV so think this could be a viable option for us if we fell and chip wood that is green.
Has anyone experience of this and how long it takes to dry? I don't imagine you can fill a store very deep...

What size of boiler and fan do you have?

We stack the chip 2 metres deep and can dry this is 48hrs. That is woodchip with a moisture content of 45-50% down to 20%.

I wouldn't worry about the wood floor getting damaged from the moisture, the first few inches will be dry in no time.

farmerfred86 · Jul 14, 2017

Thanks for the replies.

We have two 60hp (45kw) fans. If heat is needed too then a 200kw boiler to supply dry air.
We also have a stirrer but with the standard cereal crop augers I don't think they would work too well? 1m deep might be the safer option for us?
What air humidity do you target to dry woodchip?

old school grain drying

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