Ask the Doctor: Navigating Seasonal Grain Storage

When you load a bin with grains, fines and foreign materials accumulate in the center core which leads to non-uniform airflow in the bin. Non-uniflow airflow leads to over-drying in the wall side region and under-drying in the core region. 

To avoid non-uniformity, you need to core the bin, which is the process of removing 2-3 loads out of the bin based on the size of the bin after loading is completed.  

In this way, it removes all the fines and foreign materials and allows more uniform airflow through the center core.

Hydrating grains depends on when you plan to sell them. If you plan to sell in the fall, hydrate in the fall. If you plan to sell in the spring, hydrate in the spring.  

Using the Auto Hydrate mode of BinManager during the October/November months, you only need 3-5 weeks to hydrate grains to the proper moisture levels. Past 5 weeks of storage you start to run the risk of spoilage by caking or mold damage.  

Note, you cannot hydrate grains without a grain management system like BinManager, only dry.  

To avoid condensation, we need to cool the grain based on the ambient weather. The ideal condition is keeping grain temperatures in the range of 0-10°F below the ambient temperature.  

For example, if the average ambient temperature is 60°F, we need to keep the grain temperatures in the range of 50-60°F. When the ambient temperature goes below freezing (32°F), we can keep the grain temperature in the range of 35-40°F.  

Always try not to freeze grain to avoid complications. If there is no controlling the freezing of the grain, don’t worry. All you need to do is follow the proper rewarming procedures to avoid the formation of ice.