Grain drying questions

[casemx 270]

A couple of quick questions after grain comes out of the dryer and goes into store is it possible that the moisture content can drop a little say 1% ? And when drying milling wheat what moisture do you dry it to? When storing grain in steel bins is it possible that the grain sweats and the moisture increase? Thanks all

 

[Brisel]

Grain dries as it cools. Usually a % or more if it comes out of a high temperature drier at, say 40 degrees. Keep air going through it after drying and it won't sweat.

https://ahdb.org.uk/grain-moisture-calculator-tool though this does not calculate moisture loss on cooling.

https://projectblue.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/Imported%20Publication%20Docs/AHDB%20Cereals%20&%20Oilseeds/Grain/Grain%20Storage%20Guide%20(2023).pdf

 

[Woody j]

A couple of quick questions after grain comes out of the dryer and goes into store is it possible that the moisture content can drop a little say 1% ? And when drying milling wheat what moisture do you dry it to? When storing grain in steel bins is it possible that the grain sweats and the moisture increase? Thanks all

If the grain is cooled in drier before going into store moisture should stay the same but if you’re cooling it in the store it might drop slightly. Milling wheat should be dried to under 15%

 

[Woody j]

A couple of quick questions after grain comes out of the dryer and goes into store is it possible that the moisture content can drop a little say 1% ? And when drying milling wheat what moisture do you dry it to? When storing grain in steel bins is it possible that the grain sweats and the moisture increase? Thanks all

As for the bin it would depend on moisture and temperature of grain,low moisture and temperature it will be fine

 

[Woldgrain Storage]

When storing grain in steel bins is it possible that the grain sweats and the moisture increase?

If hot grain goes into silos from the drier at 30+ degrees it will need cooling ASAP. Try to get the temperature under 10 degrees by Christmas.

Once we get some cool nights there will be condensation on the inside of the roof, which can then drip onto the grain surface. This can cause lumps of turf which then block up the silo discharge, which can be a nightmare to fix.

Don't worry about adding moisture when using ambient fans on silos, it needs consecutive days of condensing fog at ground level. All the nonsense about not using fans in the rain is just an old wives' tale.

 

[Brisel]

If hot grain goes into silos from the drier at 30+ degrees it will need cooling ASAP. Try to get the temperature under 10 degrees by Christmas.

Once we get some cool nights there will be condensation on the inside of the roof, which can then drip onto the grain surface. This can cause lumps of turf which then block up the silo discharge, which can be a nightmare to fix.

Don't worry about adding moisture when using ambient fans on silos, it needs consecutive days of condensing fog at ground level. All the nonsense about not using fans in the rain is just an old wives' tale.

Have you considered fitting extractor fans to the lids of the silos?

 

[Woldgrain Storage]

Have you considered fitting extractor fans to the lids of the silos?

Not really, the roofs are well vented (see photo) and the cross draught from the outside world helps pull air out of the roof space. We circulate each silo after harvest to mix temperatures, avoid any surface crust and kill mites (oilseed).

We did look at a Granifrigor refrigerated mobile fan (no sniggering at the back please), but the energy consumption would have been extortionate. It's just a giant outdoor aircon unit.

 

[Woody j]

If hot grain goes into silos from the drier at 30+ degrees it will need cooling ASAP. Try to get the temperature under 10 degrees by Christmas.

Once we get some cool nights there will be condensation on the inside of the roof, which can then drip onto the grain surface. This can cause lumps of turf which then block up the silo discharge, which can be a nightmare to fix.

Don't worry about adding moisture when using ambient fans on silos, it needs consecutive days of condensing fog at ground level. All the nonsense about not using fans in the rain is just an old wives' tale.

Cool the grain before putting it in the bin keeps it far more simple and less risk of something going wrong

 

[Brisel]

Cool the grain before putting it in the bin keeps it far more simple and less risk of something going wrong

How? You'd need a second drier just to pull the temperature down to the summer ambient temperature of 10-30 degrees.

 

[Brisel]

@Woldgrain Storage I have seen old dairy bulk tank refrigerator units used for low volume fans but that wouldn't look very professional for a commercial store!

 

[Woldgrain Storage]

The big ones can cool 1,000mt in 24hrs (down to 10c), but the power requirement is serious.

https://media.graphassets.com/60jDWzOOQLeCzIsZ0Ohn

 

[Two Tone]

As long as the air temperature being blown into any grain is 5 degrees or more below the temperature of the grain, you Cannot make that grain wetter, only drier.
Even if you blow a fog through it!

 

[DrWazzock]

Theoretically warm damp grain contains enough energy to dry itself subject to the thermodynamic laws of unavoidable inefficiency.
By recirculating the hot damp dryer exhaust air back through a heat exchanger/pump/condenser extracting the heat from it, and recovering the latent heat of condensation you could have a machine that took in warm damp grain and output cold dry grain and cold water.
But like a household heat pump you’d have to input a considerable amount of energy as there is unavoidable inefficiency due to the second law of thermodynamics. Such a system would however be far more efficient and use much less energy than running a dryer and a cooler independently of one another where lots of heat energy are lost to the atmosphere in both cases but engineering practical difficulties would be considerable and capital cost would be eye watering. It would probably help towards net zero though!

 

[yellow belly]

when i have combined hot grain at 15.5 to 16 % cooling it usually takes out enough to get it below 15 %

when using an opico the cooling cycle is a 1/3 of the drying time and takes out 1 to 2 % cooling from 120 f to 70f

 

[marshboy]

who sells manometers for grain air tunnels

 

[Woody j]

who sells manometers for grain air tunnels

Martin lishman

 

[robbie]

Not really, the roofs are well vented (see photo) and the cross draught from the outside world helps pull air out of the roof space. We circulate each silo after harvest to mix temperatures, avoid any surface crust and kill mites (oilseed).

We did look at a Granifrigor refrigerated mobile fan (no sniggering at the back please), but the energy consumption would have been extortionate. It's just a giant outdoor aircon unit.

View attachment 1128181

I thought you was talking about my mate for a moment!!!!!

 

[Lincsman]

who sells manometers for grain air tunnels

Make your own.. 3 foot of clear hose in u shape, connect one end into tunnel, put water in tube so its 5 inches on each side of the u. Switch on fan and measure the difference in hight.

 

[T Hectares]

who sells manometers for grain air tunnels

I bought one from Pelcroft
But I like @Lincsman idea !

 

[casemx 270]

Thanks all some useful information