Re: Grain bins

Posted by JD Seller on May 03, 2015 at 17:41:52 from (208.126.198.123):

In Reply to: Grain bins posted by Dave H (MI) on May 03, 2015 at 15:38:24:

David the Tox-O-Wik portable dryer would really be a good combination for you. It can dry 500 bushels at a time using just a tractor and propane. You dry and cool it in those batch dryers. IF you take the moisture down to 12.5-13 percent the corn will store easily for 12 months or more on flat storage with out additional aeration. I have a good friend that stores 15000 bushel in his pole barn on just a concrete pad after he dries it in a Tox-O-Wik dryer.

With a bin I would not try to dry corn without heat in your situation.. If you do decide to try it you need to harvest under 20%, more like 18%. Then once you start the fan you have to let it run until the moisture front moves up through the entire bin of corn. The fan will start drying the corn at the bottom ( air floor needed). The released moisture will actually move up the column of corn. Meaning the corn right ahead of this moisture front/line is actually wetter than when you put it in. This layer is usually a few inches thick. With dry corn below and corn still with the harvested moisture above. The drying time involved is depended on the weather and starting moisture of the corn. That can easily be a month.

The reason you do not want to shut off the fan even for rains is the corn at the moisture front can start to heat and then it can spoil an stop the air flow to all the corn above the spoiled spot. So you not only ruin the corn at the front but a column above that spot. With the fan running even during a rain the air flow keeps the corn from spoiling. What little moisture is brought in from any rains will just move up and out quickly with the air flow.

You can tell when your about done by reaching down into the corn from the top. The corn will be lose until you get to the moisture front. Then it will be harder to push through and maybe sticky/wet feeling at the front. You can also probe the corn with a pole and feel the front too.

The danger is that guys try to cheap out and shut the fans off too soon. Also they try to run the fans only when it is "dry". So they start the drying and then stop it by not running the fan long enough.

The long and short of it is drying corn takes time an money. Faster drying takes more money and better equipment. The old saying you can do it quick or cheap but not both really applies here.

I would recommend one of two ways for you.

1) Just buy a batch dryer and dry whatever crop you have right at harvest an be done with it. The bushels in a shorter crop years means less drying. The advantage to this is your not locked into a permanent investment. You can sell/move a batch dryer easier than a bin. The disadvantage is it takes more time and labor at harvest.

2) Buy a smaller bin, 24 footer, with heat and a stirator. You can fill is with your 3000-5000 bushel of corn and start it drying as you harvest. It will be done in 3-4 days with just some daily checking. Then you done until spring warm up requires some aeration. The advantage is quicker harvesting with less labor. The disadvantage is a more permanent investment.

The air drying on the cheap is a disaster waiting to happen for a part timer that lives away from the bin/corn storage.

I did air dry for years. The difference is I was grinding every day out of the bins. This moved the corn all of the time so spoiled spots did not have much time to form. I also was ready at anytime to dump the entire bin if it started to go out of condition. I also made darn sure all air dried corn was moved or fed by April first. The spring and summer humidity and heat can/will cause issues to happen FAST.

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