Drying Spring Malting barley

[JCfarmer]

What max air temp would you dry it at, for milling wheat I am at 90 degrees max but with spring barley I don't want to affect the germination. Thinking 70 degrees, it ranges from 14 to 15.2% moisture and needs to be 14.5% max so going to dry some and blend. 3 loads gone so far and all ok but moisture was 15%,14.5% and 14.9%, small penalty on the 2. Not risking any more though especially with germ, N etc being fine and not like I had dried it before.

 

[Sandy]

We dry at 60 degrees for malting and never had a problem

 

[Brisel]

70 is pretty high. 60 is better. I double dry mine if it's over 18% because it's to slow to dry evenly in a continuous flow drier

 

[JCfarmer]

First time growing sp malting barley and first time drying it so I will be going with the advice so far and thanks. Although drying down from over 18% moisture in future years I will not look forward to and with an over capacity combine hopefully not have to!

 

[Sandy]

You might be okay at 65 but I would get the first batch checked just in case

 

[Captain Mainwaring]

I've always dried at 90 and germination has never been an issue.

 

[Pebd99]

As I'm led to believe as long as the grain doesn't get above 45 degrees germ should be fine, but I don't go over 42 with it just to be safe

 

[septimus]

I have always been led to believe 40 C was the safe temp

 

[JCfarmer]

Going with 60 degree air temp and 35 degree cereal temp only got to dry it down 1.5% max and only 1/3 of what is left. Don't want to risk £40t

 

[Captain Mainwaring]

That probably explains why I've not had problems then as grain temp will usually be between 38 and 40 with max limit set at 45.

 

[Iben]

Depends on whether it is a batch drier or not. As said it is grain temperature that is important.

A recirculating or continuous flow drier can use a higher air temperature than a batch drier.

 

[Woldgrain Storage]

Have a look at your manufacturer's manual. Each CF drier works slightly differently in terms of air flow, heat transfer and dropping.

A grain temperature of 40-45 degrees is a good target though.

Drying in two passes is a good idea (with or without cooling in between), but may increase skinning.

 

[JCfarmer]

I never really get the feed wheat to more than 45 degrees at 120 degree air temp when its 19% moisture. So what affects the germ air temp or cereal temp, sounds like air temp to me. Drying too quick

 

[TheEarlOfMoray]

Dry Malting barley at 60 air temp and 50 grain temp. Germination never been affected at that.

 

[More to life]

You can't beat cutting it dry and just loading it out sub 16% easy to say as I can cut all of mine in 3 days early August.

 

[Swiss Toni]

Just finished drying 300 tons from 16.5% to 14.5 moisture very carefully with low air and grain temps and have ended up with germination of 94% when it was up at 98% about a month ago. Not sure if this was because it was left 'wet' for too long or I got the drying wrong.

 

[JCfarmer]

Just finished drying 300 tons from 16.5% to 14.5 moisture very carefully with low air and grain temps and have ended up with germination of 94% when it was up at 98% about a month ago. Not sure if this was because it was left 'wet' for too long or I got the drying wrong.

Bugger, that is extremely annoying,has it all tested at 94% germ? Our barley is 15.2% at its wettest and will take 1.5% moisture out on a 3rd of it and blend.

 

[Minesapint]

What sort of claim are you getting? If only a couple of quid, why not take the hit, a few loads will go claim free, and you won't
be any worse off.

 

[JCfarmer]

Over 15% and its rejected, 15.1% and its rejected end of. Be more pessed of if its rejected on moisture when I can do something about it. Moisture meter at the Malt seems to be +0.5% more accurate than mine.

 

[Minesapint]

Sorry, didn't realise full rejection at 15% +. Why we can't go back to the 16% level of old for domestic end users I don't know, it would be more environmentally friendly.