Page 8 October, 2020
Grain Conditioning Grain conditioning is the process of increasing the storage life of grain and minimizing grain spoilage and quality loss. The major conditioning operations are in-bin natural drying of grain to reduce the grain moisture, followed by aeration to cool the grain. Sometimes over-dried grain can also be rehydrated to acceptable moisture levels to minimize shrink loss. A conditioning strategy guarantees that you get the most from your grain. Grain bins equipped with a proper aeration system can be successfully used to dry grain using natural air. Natural air in-bin drying is the highest quality and most energy-efficient process. Appropriate and automated fan control strategies are required to optimize the drying performance with uniform drying, energy efficiency, and minimum under/ over-drying. Continuous fan operation may result in high operating costs (due to excessive energy
consumption) and significant spoilage and/or shrink loss. Grain aeration lowers grain temperature to increase safe storability and protection against mold and insects. Once the grain has reached target drying it must be cooled as soon as possible, and should be uniformly cooled to 1.7-4.4°C or 35-40°F for winter holding. Do not freeze the grain as it may result in significant condensation in the following spring/summer. It is important to ensure that grain temperature is uniform throughout the bin to avoid air current movement and potential condensation. In a typical bin, dry air passes through the grain from the perforated plenum located at the bottom of the bin and absorbs moisture before exiting through exhaust vents located at the top. A higher airflow rate will remove a larger amount of water from the
