Running Fans

[4GFarms]

How do you guys run areation fans? On all the time or just certain parts of the day/night? Just read somewhere that constant fan running actually causes the grain to deteriorate faster. Would like some thoughts from experienced farmers. We normally dont combine tough grain and are fairly new to the whole process.

[fjlip]

Read article regarding drying, and the air has to be cooler than the grain. But at these temps/humidity, there would be no drying. Only cooling running fans, freeze and hope? Need supplemental heat.

[oneoff]

No one knows for sure what goes on in a bin?

But fresh hot grain in a bin can create a humid a sauna at the roof openings when the fan is first turned on. So much so that the water condenses on the inside roof sheets and runs down the walls. After the grain cools; the moisture loss tapers off dramatically

And everyone agrees (IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER) THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF HOURS OF WASTED POWER running aeration fans

I STILL MAINTAIN THAT SOME EXPERIMENTS ON AN ACTUAL BIN MOUNTED ON LOAD CELLS TO WEIGH the moisture gains and losses would give some solid answers to aeration theories. Those who have been paid to do that type of work aren't interested in such a concept.

So as a farmer; err on the side of making sure it doesn't spoil. The actual theories as to what is happening with "drying fronts" ; fog and drizzle and even rainy conditions etc. are controversial beyond belief.

[burnt]

This is completely different from your situation, but FWIW, I put my corn into the bins wet for years and it works up to 22% without much concern but steady monitoring requires. Gets tricky above that. Full floor aeration, no heat but lots of air. Got caught a couple of years ago when it was 26% and had to feed it.

I used to run the fans non-stop regardless of the weather - because the experts said so - but don't do that anymore. I certainly don't run them when its raining, or when the humidity gets too high. It takes a lot of monitoring.

I don't have a rule as to when the fans run, but work according to the weather. Obviously, it loves sunshine, cold is good, freezing ideal.

One big plus - this years I installed temperature cables so that shows exactly what the temperature is doing inside that bin. Very interesting.

It works for me but I only have a couple of bins so can work with it.

But it would be impossible here without aeration. And I have no idea what canola or cereals would be like to work with. Not much help maybe but it's what I've found out over the past number of years.

Moving some of it out and back in or to another bin helps, but a lot of extra work. Still better than losing it though.

Best wishes.

[4GFarms]

I agree with turning them off when raining and high humidity. We dont have any real tough grain so would be more about keeping whats in the bin in condition. Maybe some feed barley at a point or two higher than dry but nothing majorily tough.

[nicolaas]

get your temperature below 5 degrees for long term storage. May take 5-7 days for a 30000bu bin to lose 15 degrees. If you drop the temp, your grain will be drier. I would not jerk around with starting/stopping the fan at this time of year (only time is if it is raining for more than a day). Turn your fans on again this winter at 20 below for a few, and you will dry it even more. You can loose 1/2- 3/4 a point easily with air at this time of year at low temps just by getting rid of residual heat in the grain I've found. Turn the fans back on in April to finish drying.

[Guest]

has anyone tried a power roof vent ? I would be interested . as soon as we turn on heat , (have a fan with nat gas heater on it ) it rains inside bin . even over night . I use opi cables to monitor temp but doesn't really work that great . usually end up putting everything throught the superB dryer

[Guest]

mius 40 drys good with a fan , dried a bin of flax from 16 once with only that , zero humidity, before we had a dryer