Drying Canola

[Southpaw]

How tough can I reasonably dry canola. I still have half my crop, all of my canola left t harvest. Today it was testing 15% - 15.5% on the combine monitor. Any experiences!

[lnewman]

I've done it.Youhave to keep the temp low100f . It was
slow process . !5% would be painfully slow but it could
be done.

[seabass]

If you are batch drying I would keep the temp at 120 to 130. If you are continuous flowing I keep it around 150 to 160. Always safer when the grain is flowing.I dried some today that was 14.5 and it took 2 1/2 hours to get it down to 9%.Then another 40 min. to cool.Definitely can dry it down just the $.

[Kodiak]

Franklin Voth has probably forgotten more about drying grain than most of us will ever know. He's been in the dryer business for decades. Here's a nice little bit of info for drying flax and canola.

http://www.fvoth.com/frameset.htm

[Southpaw]

Thanks for the info. We have a Vertec type of continuous flow dryer. In Western MB weather to be not to bad for next couple of days, depends who's weather you watch. Stay safe.

[Kodiak]

Evidently Franklin knows something about computers that I don't. Cutting and pasting the link didn't work. So I cut and pasted his article.

Drying Flax or Canola
• Static Pressure Reduction
• Cool High Moisture Flax and Canola
Coping with Static Pressure Both flax and canola are very dense products so the resistance to airflow through these commodities is considerably higher than in corn or cereal grains. Resistance is known as static pressure.
Static pressure in some dryers, particularly in high airflow dryers, is occasionally so high that air is literally forced back past the fan through the fan housing. This backpressure can also force the burner flame toward the front of the fan housing. This can result in the burner or other components in the fan housing to be damaged. In order to alleviate back pressure prop the back door open with something like a 2X4 or open some other vent on the dryer. There will be some heat loss but the grain will get dried and the possibility of dryer damage will be reduced.
To dry cool high moisture flax or canola try the following: Reduce the air temperature at the beginning of the drying cycle. At a lower air temperature in the dryer the flax or canola is warmed up and some of the higher moisture is removed slowly near the plenum. In a multi-heat dryer the normal course of drying products like corn or cereals is to start with higher heat in order to remove as much moisture as possible and then reduce the heat as the grain gets dryer to avoid grain damage. By reversing the process for flax or canola moisture condensing near the outside screen of the dryer is greatly reduced. When using higher temperatures considerable moisture is removed from the grain near the plenum of the dryer. This moisture migrates toward the outside of the dryer and condenses due to the low airflow and contacting the cool grain. The grain near the outside gets wetter, further sealing the dryer, and increasing the airflow resistance. Eventually, the moisture in the form of water will begin to run out the bottom of the dryer rather then go through the screens as vapor. The drying process time is increased and the operator becomes frustrated. The temperature reduction procedure should allow operators to dry the grain the first time through the dryer and thereby reduce total drying time and frustration
Another helpful tip: Adjust the gas pressure in a dryer that has a Hi/Lo burner for air temperature control, i.e. Farm Fans / GSI, so when the burner goes to low flame that the flame is as low as possible creating a pulsating effect as it oscillates from high to low flame. Care must be taken to adjust the gas pressure so the flame sensing device is still in the flame and also that the flame is not igniting in the burner cup causing back firing and burner damage. The SuperB / GSI dryers have an On/Off burner for air temperature control. On/Off refers to the flame igniting and then shutting off causing a pulsating effect. The GSI dryers have the option of either the Hi/Lo or On/Off burner system for air temperature control. Selecting the option is simply moving a switch to set the desired method of heat control. This allows the operator the best choice for his/her needs.

[Hopperbin]

Thanks Kodiak I will print that info. Not sure you have to worry about being able to dry it. Nieghbour was drying Canola with a FarmFan dryer some years back with a substantial amount of snow in it, the water would run out the bottom of the dryer as the snow melted. Cost of drying was somewhere over a dollar per bushel, but it got done.
My question is how long can one store 16 percent moisture canola.

[seabass]

We had a neighbor store his canola he couldn't test. turned on the fan and froze it solid or so he said and by spring he had to use blasting caps to get it out of the bin. Wasn't to good for the bin. SMRT Would probably dry it soon as possible

[Southpaw]

In the Canola Growers Manual it says that canola at 15.6% and 10C will keep 11 days. At 5C it will keep 28 days

[SASKFARMER3]

In a bag canola will stay at 14.7 for 10 weeks then start drying.

[SASKFARMER3]

Southpaw, hopefully you have gas, and not propane.

Usually spend $5000.00/year extra on propane/year over gas. We usually put close to 100,000bu/year through our dryer. Putting gas in isn't an option Saskenergy says to many dryers on the line already.

Dried 14% canola today 1.5hrs batch drying to 9.5%. 160 heat, 15 minutes cooling down to 70.

[redbaron]

southpaw we also have a Vertec drier. have dried canola as high as 20% not in one shot. Run it through twice. 15% is very doable. We have used heat as high as 180-190 with no problem. We keep it moving and do not cool. We use all tiers for drying and use aeration in the bins to cool and bring down the last part with the hot grain. works very well. Did a lot this fall just like that. Just get it harvested.

[Hopperbin]

Well I have over a week yet to get my new dryer, problem no one can answer is will I get it then or 6 weeks from now, that delay could be a bad thing right now. I had canola heating before and when I was turning it, it was like giving a fire oxygen. Putting it in a airation bin was the answer. So I am guessing Canola growers data is based on canola that is not this cured so could extend the safe storage time plus with air can extend longer yet. If snow in the sample I think outside pile is best for temporary storage

[nicolaas]

have dried 20000 bu of 12.5 - 16.5% the last few days. I set it at 160F, continuos dryer, dry down to 10.5%, and put it in aeration bin at approx 30 degC. Turn on fan and cool down, and it will dry last 1 % as it cools. Maximize your dryer, use all the teirs for drying, and aeration bins for cooling.

[BreadWinner]

Just dried 2000 bus of 17% moisture canola farm fans cf/ab270. Set plenum temp at 170F and dry time 2.0hrs cool 15 min. Came out at 9.0% and 14deg. Have always dryed canola at this temp and have never damaged it.Some say you can go as high as 185F but never tried it.