How can i store/dry grain?

jackrussell101

Member
Mixed Farmer
I'm a livestock farmer and I have no grain store but I do have a shed that is waterproof with good walls and concrete floor.

Is it possible to just use some of those pedestal electric fans to store/dry grain?

What percentage moisture could you get away with at harvest going on like this?

And how many pedestal fans would you need for 150 tonne?

Thanks in advance...
 

SRRC

Member
Location
West Somerset
Go to https://www.evansandpearce.com/
Useful guidance about depths and number of pedestals etc
I'm assuming you are using the grain yourself then providing you cool it adequately 16 to 17% MC storage is not an issue. They don't dry grain, the airflow isn't enough.
It may seem an extravagance but an auto fan controller is essential to make the best of cool periods, it'll pay for itself in no time.
 

jackrussell101

Member
Mixed Farmer
Go to https://www.evansandpearce.com/
Useful guidance about depths and number of pedestals etc
I'm assuming you are using the grain yourself then providing you cool it adequately 16 to 17% MC storage is not an issue. They don't dry grain, the airflow isn't enough.
It may seem an extravagance but an auto fan controller is essential to make the best of cool periods, it'll pay for itself in no time.
Thanks.

Yes it would be to feed my own beef cattle.

So basically if I was lucky with the weather I wouldn't have to worry too much about drying it? It would be most likely barley so is a drier crop than wheat isn't it?
 

SRRC

Member
Location
West Somerset
If it's winter barley then it's often a July harvest which will usually see better weather than Spring Barley which will be later in August.
You need to recognise that storing grain at over 16/17% is a risk, but if you pay attention to it by regular temperature probing, fan management etc then that risk is small.
Isn't too dry grain an issue if you are rolling it?
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
+1 for Evans & Pearce. Other suppliers are available. If you want a bit of drying, I recommend fans that blow rather than suck, or better still ones that you just turn around to do either. 3 phase is best for volume but for anything other than very basic cooling, you want the highest power fans possible. I agree about a controller for the fans.

Drying takes a far higher airflow than cooling, so you will need lots more pedestals if you want to take a % or two out. Make sure that the shed has reasonable ventilation so you are not just recycling warm moist air.
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
+1 for Evans & Pearce. Other suppliers are available. If you want a bit of drying, I recommend fans that blow rather than suck, or better still ones that you just turn around to do either. 3 phase is best for volume but for anything other than very basic cooling, you want the highest power fans possible. I agree about a controller for the fans.

Drying takes a far higher airflow than cooling, so you will need lots more pedestals if you want to take a % or two out. Make sure that the shed has reasonable ventilation so you are not just recycling warm moist air.
What you say is right but for 150t on floor in a shed for home feeding? Seems OTT, i think crimping or propcorn would be cheaper and easier. Can't see OPs location but if you can cut sub 16% i wouldn't worry myself. Spread it thin on floor and turn with a handler if it goes in on a hot day?
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
I'm a livestock farmer and I have no grain store but I do have a shed that is waterproof with good walls and concrete floor.

Is it possible to just use some of those pedestal electric fans to store/dry grain?

What percentage moisture could you get away with at harvest going on like this?

And how many pedestal fans would you need for 150 tonne?

Thanks in advance...
Propcorn it if all for feed and will keep fine. Higher moisture barley is a better feed in my opinion. Much less dust, fine particles when bruised.
 
150 tonnes would need 2 pedestals if deep but 3 if shallow
then blow at night to cool grain
if it’s combine at less than 17 % and you keep it cool you can keep it for 3 to 4 months
get it below 10 deg c and it will keep longer
if you combine it on a hot sunny day the grain can be 30 deg c cooling to 6 deg c could remove more than half a percent

I have differential controllers on pedestals that kick in when the cool air is 5 deg c less than the grain

the higher moisture grain is the cooler it needs to be

in hot countries their moisture requirements are much lower than the uk as once we get cool air in October it is possible to get grain below 10deg c
 

GrantMo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Moray
Propcorn it if all for feed and will keep fine. Higher moisture barley is a better feed in my opinion. Much less dust, fine particles when bruised.

^this.
Find a good splash of propcorn keeps the mites out of it.
Just get a big bruiser in after it’s cut, should be about £12/tonne for the bruising and another £6-8 for the propcorn depending on moisture. We used to propcorn the whole barley ourselves and then bruise every day through winter with an electric bruiser, would never go back to that again 😫
 

czechmate

Member
Mixed Farmer
Thanks.

Yes it would be to feed my own beef cattle.

So basically if I was lucky with the weather I wouldn't have to worry too much about drying it? It would be most likely barley so is a drier crop than wheat isn't it?

Not such a good feed but easier to grow and you will always harvest oats dry.
I grow a full range here and storage is more difficult than the U.K. with the summer heat, the crop that gives me the least storage bother is oats.
 

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