Grain dryers

[Peter lynch]

I’ve just bought a used Opico 590 grain dryer. I’d never even looked at a dryer until last week. Maybe I’m mad but any body got any tips for a 40 year old grain drying virgin.

 

[Boysground]

Fill it to 6 inches or so from the top. You won’t enjoy overflowing it. Set the grain temp high for the 1st load and keep testing when the moisture is just above the target turn the grain temp down until the flame goes out. The dryer is then set for that crop.
If you can invest in an electric drive, it is so much quieter and you don’t have to worry about the tractor overheating

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[Boysground]

Also don’t forget to cool the crop after the flame has gone out.

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[Peter lynch]

Fill it to 6 inches or so from the top. You won’t enjoy overflowing it. Set the grain temp high for the 1st load and keep testing when the moisture is just above the target turn the grain temp down until the flame goes out. The dryer is then set for that crop.
If you can invest in an electric drive, it is so much quieter and you don’t have to worry about the tractor overheating

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How do u mean the dryer is set for that crop? Do u not pick a temperature and test until u get the right moisture? Or is that the temperature setting that u use to dry with

 

[Boysground]

By having a high grain temp on the 1st load it will keep cooking. When the moisture is about 15 to 15.5 turn the grain temp down until the flame cuts out. The crop will now cool, the heat in the grain will take a little more moisture out.
on the second load when the grain temperature reaches the point you set it at the grain will be dry the dryer will shut the heat off itself cool it and then you can empty
Aim to cool by 20 degrees but with today being 30 c you are not going to cool much

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[yellow belly]

look on opico site they may have instructions to down load

 

[Peter lynch]

By having a high grain temp on the 1st load it will keep cooking. When the moisture is about 15 to 15.5 turn the grain temp down until the flame cuts out. The crop will now cool, the heat in the grain will take a little more moisture out.
on the second load when the grain temperature reaches the point you set it at the grain will be dry the dryer will shut the heat off itself cool it and then you can empty
Aim to cool by 20 degrees but with today being 30 c you are not going to cool much

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Ah right. I did say I was a total novice to this job. Thanks for the advice. I’m hoping it won’t be too steep of a learning curve. Lol. I’ll likely be back pestering you again soon. I have no crop ready yet so it’ll likely be 2-3 weeks before I have wheat to do.

 

[super4]

what fuel does your dryer run on gas or oil?

 

[Peter lynch]

what fuel does your dryer run on gas or oil?

Gas

 

[Cowcorn]

Gas

Have you got a gas tank ? I believe that unless you have everything just right the can be be hard to get filled .
Use a master oil drier here and all the advice in the above posts is correct
I will just add that as youre in Donegal and can expect plenty of rain and are probably used to cutting at high moisture that if you have high twenties stuff put a few ton of dry grain in first and start the burner then slowly add the porridge. Oh and remember to open the hatch at the bottom of the central auger every day abd clean out any sods or gunge especially if its been standing unused for a few days .

 

[Peter lynch]

Have you got a gas tank ? I believe that unless you have everything just right the can be be hard to get filled .
Use a master oil drier here and all the advice in the above posts is correct
I will just add that as youre in Donegal and can expect plenty of rain and are probably used to cutting at high moisture that if you have high twenties stuff put a few ton of dry grain in first and start the burner then slowly add the porridge. Oh and remember to open the hatch at the bottom of the central auger every day abd clean out any sods or gunge especially if its been standing unused for a few days .

I have a tank sorted today. Flogas rent the tank for €60/year and they take responsibility for it too. I’d have thought it would have been far more expensive than this considering the price of rent for a welder bottle. U are right about Donegal though we normally get moistures down to 22 or lower Was cutting at weekend at 17-18. Wasn’t planning to dry this and dryer isn’t here yet anyway. Wheat will be next so could be above 22.

 

[DanniAgro]

Hopefully you won't have the joy of drying at 24%, last time, in 2012, I used a tub dryer for wheat this wet it seemed like I was living in the barn for a fortnight!

 

[SilliamWhale]

Hopefully you won't have the joy of drying at 24%, last time, in 2012, I used a tub dryer for wheat this wet it seemed like I was living in the barn for a fortnight!

I went to Finland last year and they were telling me about 40% wheat!

 

[Cowcorn]

Hopefully you won't have the joy of drying at 24%, last time, in 2012, I used a tub dryer for wheat this wet it seemed like I was living in the barn for a fortnight!

Only 24 % ? You lucky beggar, i hope to never see grain that wont register its that high again . But at least a tub drier will convert last ditch salvage into something saleable !!

 

[DanniAgro]

At 40% you'd need an axe to cut it out of the trailer after ten minutes.

 

[Peter lynch]

Hopefully you won't have the joy of drying at 24%, last time, in 2012, I used a tub dryer for wheat this wet it seemed like I was living in the barn for a fortnight!

We’d normally cut wheat between 18-22 so 24 mightn’t be that unrealistic. Could be a baptism of fire

 

[eagleye]

you have three things to set Plenum temp (hot air) usually about 180-190F for wheat/barley feed,
safety cutout usually about 50F higher, then grain temp or the temperature the flame/heat stops and starts to cool. test moisture while on heat until about 1% over what you want then turn grain temp down until heat cuts out, it will continue to lose moisture until cool. recheck moisture it should be about right. For seed use lower air temp.
watch out for high moisture grain

 

[Flat 10]

We’d normally cut wheat between 18-22 so 24 mightn’t be that unrealistic. Could be a baptism of fire

So how come you haven’t had a drier before?

 

[Peter lynch]

So how come you haven’t had a drier before?

Always sold grain at harvest off the combine. Local mill takes it. They aren’t keen on wheat though especially this year. Talking about barley price for it. I reckon id get more if I dried and stored it a while.

 

[Peter lynch]

you have three things to set Plenum temp (hot air) usually about 180-190F for wheat/barley feed,
safety cutout usually about 50F higher, then grain temp or the temperature the flame/heat stops and starts to cool. test moisture while on heat until about 1% over what you want then turn grain temp down until heat cuts out, it will continue to lose moisture until cool. recheck moisture it should be about right. For seed use lower air temp.
watch out for high moisture grain

Thanks for that. Green pickles in it could cause problem too then? How high is too high to be trying to dry it st?