Engineering Notes Index

Minnesota/Wisconsin Engineering Notes
Winter 1997

Assess Drying System Performance

Bill Wilcke, Minnesota Extension Engineer

Winter is a good time of the year to evaluate your grain drying system's performance during the past season and start thinking about possible changes for next year. In many cases, farmers have added acres, increased yields, and traded combines two or three times since they bought their last grain dryer. No wonder that old dryer doesn't seem to have enough capacity any more! In other cases, farmers have joined corn co-ops or signed contracts for specialty grains and their old drying system just doesn't give the grain quality needed to meet contract specifications.

If drying capacity is insufficient, potential solutions include:

• Replacing the old dryer with a newer, higher-capacity model.
• Adding a second dryer in parallel (beside) the old dryer.
• Changing cooling methods to get grain out of the dryer sooner, at a higher moisture content. (Unload grain hot and cool it in a cooling bin or in storage.)
• Adding a large, aerated wet holding bin ahead of the dryer and adding more automatic controls so the dryer can run more hours per day.

If grain quality is inadequate, potential solutions include:

• Replacing the old dryer with a new dryer that gives better grain quality. (Most new dryers are designed to produce better grain quality.)
• Switching to a gentler drying method.
• Changing cooling methods. (Slower cooling gives better quality.)

An excellent reference to use when you are planning changes to your grain system is Grain Drying, Handling, and Storage Handbook, MWPS-13. Click here for ordering information.

After you have studied some planning references and assessed your needs, contact the extension service and visit elevators and other farmers to get some ideas. Finally, contact some equipment dealers and start shopping around for the best deals on equipment and service. You are likely to get a lot better prices and have a lot more options now than you will next fall.

This page is part of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department web at http://www.bae.umn.edu/