Storage of sprouted grain

[Feldspar]

I suspect I'm not alone in having a fair bit of sprouted barley and wheat which was harvested last week. I've not really experienced this before when it's been even vaguely my responsibility. Therefore, what are the important tactics and must-do / don't do things to do with sprouted grain? Can you put it straight onto an air floor and dry and cool it, or does it need to go through a high-temperature drier to cook it or knock the sprouts off? Is there more of a risk to grain harvested at the beginning of the last dry period compared to grain harvested late last week after the sun cooked it a bit in the field?

A rough idea of what some the now ex-malting barley looks like:

 

[bobk]

Sell it... quickly , best place is in someones silage pit.

 

[agribuggy]

I'm in the same situation 200 t of wheat that was supposed to go into storage but I think they will not except it . so not sure what to do or where I can sell it getting really fed up with wet drawn out harvests

 

[JCfarmer]

The only thing I can suggest is hire in a mobile dryer, running it through one should rub most of the sprouts off, clean it and shine it up.

 

[Drillman]

The only thing I can suggest is hire in a mobile dryer, running it through one should rub most of the sprouts off, clean it and shine it up.

Try and get one with dust extraction as well. Does wonders for the bushel weights.

 

[Feldspar]

The only thing I can suggest is hire in a mobile dryer, running it through one should rub most of the sprouts off, clean it and shine it up.

Is the risk of just drying it on an air floor that it becomes completely ruined because the sprouting continues, or is it just that you'll get deductions for sprouting when you sell it? We combined most of it below 17%. Is that low enough to be able to tell that the sprouting would have stopped?

What are the normal thresholds for sprouted grain (@crazy_bull / @Grain Buyer)? I had heard 6%. What are the marketing options if the number of sprouted grains exceeds this / some other threshold?

 

[Badshot]

It's just feed barley now isn't it? When I had sprouts on wheat it came in at about 19-20% went on the drying floor, just dried it with ambient air, did use a grain butler though, was a nasty smell for a week or two but it went out as feed wheat OK.

 

[JCfarmer]

Our old masters dryer just has the grills you put in the centre but does a very good job of cleaning and getting bushel weights up although drying alone improves bushel weights. Last couple of years I have left the blank plate in. Only gauze on the outside of the dryer doing any cleaning. Surprising how it shines up the grain, I seriously think it would be worth a go Feldspar even if you took 29t to a neighbour maybe to try?

 

[Grain Buyer]

dry it down, most of the sprouts will drop off. I like the idea of giving it a whizz around an opico if you have one. Flog it onto a boat for Dec/Jan time, don't worry.

 

[Green oak]

I suspect I'm not alone in having a fair bit of sprouted barley and wheat which was harvested last week. I've not really experienced this before when it's been even vaguely my responsibility. Therefore, what are the important tactics and must-do / don't do things to do with sprouted grain? Can you put it straight onto an air floor and dry and cool it, or does it need to go through a high-temperature drier to cook it or knock the sprouts off? Is there more of a risk to grain harvested at the beginning of the last dry period compared to grain harvested late last week after the sun cooked it a bit in the field?

A rough idea of what some the now ex-malting barley looks like:
View attachment 207990

Don't look to bad to me. Spot the beetle.

 

[Feldspar]

This is a seriously rookie question I know, but what would the mobile drier tactic achieve? Are you trying to actually make it go for malting by knocking off the sprouts? Wouldn't the germination have been affected in any case in which case swilling it around in an Opico isn't going to make much difference.

If the mobile drier tactic is used, should it be done sharpish or is there no particular hurry?

Cripes, I have a lot to learn about selling and storing grain...

 

[Grain Buyer]

no mate, your malting spec is buggered. A mobile dryer will knock it about a bit and due to the movement, might just shine it up to a cleaner feed sample.

 

[JCfarmer]

Run through mobile dryer they wont be any the wiser it has sprouted and improve the sample no end but it won't turn it into whisky I'm afraid.

 

[Feldspar]

no mate, your malting spec is buggered. A mobile dryer will knock it about a bit and due to the movement, might just shine it up to a cleaner feed sample.

Thank you for summing up the prospects of making a malting grade in non-technical language. Comprendo!

 

[KennyO]

Needs to be able to germinate in the malt steep (not the field) for malting.

Any handling will help knock sprouts off and make it look better for feed.

 

[tr250]

Will a livestock man buy it straight off you now perhaps Clive for his new beef unit

 

[Feldspar]

Will a livestock man buy it straight off you now perhaps Clive for his new beef unit

My homework at some point is the read the intensive beef thread which seems to have become rather long.

Question is, with prices as they are and a glut of grain at the moment and people struggling to store it, and if it's possible to dry and store it until the boats come in, is it sensible to get rid now?

 

[Honest john]

I suspect I'm not alone in having a fair bit of sprouted barley and wheat which was harvested last week. I've not really experienced this before when it's been even vaguely my responsibility. Therefore, what are the important tactics and must-do / don't do things to do with sprouted grain? Can you put it straight onto an air floor and dry and cool it, or does it need to go through a high-temperature drier to cook it or knock the sprouts off? Is there more of a risk to grain harvested at the beginning of the last dry period compared to grain harvested late last week after the sun cooked it a bit in the field?

A rough idea of what some the now ex-malting barley looks like:
View attachment 207990

Don't know what you are concerned about.
At 14% it will be fine.
Does not matter how, air diesel or gas, cheap as possible.
I have dried much worse than that with Amb air.

 

[Kidds]

Don't look to bad to me. Spot the beetle.

First thing I saw

 

[crazy_bull]

As has been previously said, if you can knock the sprouts off in a tub dryer that will help no end. The sprouted tolerance on feed wheat is 6% I think also the same for barley. But to be fair I have seen worse. Get it nice and dry, and from where you are, send it into anyone of the Eastern ports or up into East anglia to the pig food jobs.