How to Test Weight & Moisture for Grain-Bin Capacity

Farmers work hard to bring in large harvests, yet are sometimes caught off guard when their yields exceed their storage capacity. In cases like this, they are often left scrambling to beg, borrow or buy extra space. At the same time, they would rather be in need of storage capacity than have a surplus of it. Moisture adds weight and volume to harvested grain, and does not threaten the health of the grain in and of itself. However, under storage conditions, excessive moisture invites mold and pests, both of which lead to rot. When estimating the total amount of grain that a storage bin will hold, a farmer must evaluate the weight, mass and volume in light of the moisture content.

Instructions

- 1
  Check with your local U.S. Department of Agriculture extension agent to confirm the maximum moisture content of the crop in question. Barley has a threshold of 14 percent, while corn's maximum is 15.5 percent, for example. Long-term storage -- over six months -- may call for lower moisture content.
- 2
  Take a sample of the harvested grain, weigh it, and then oven-dry it at a temperature appropriate for that species. For example, rice dries best at 266 degrees F, with all moisture but chemically bound molecules evaporated. Subtract the dried weight from the original sample weight. Convert the difference to a percentage of the wet weight. Compare this to the maximum recommendation.
- 3
  Divide the harvested grain into either triangular or conical piles, if moisture content is acceptable. If it is too high, the grain will have to be fan-dried and aerated.
- 4
  Measure the pile dimensions and calculate volume. If the piles are pyramids, multiply .333 by the product of length times width times height. If they are conical, multiply .262 by the product of the diameter squared times the height. The volumes are expressed in cubic feet.
- 5
  Compare the total volume of the piles with the aggregate storage capacity of your grain bins to assess your depository needs. If bin volume is not known, multiply length times width times height for rectangular receptacles and .785 times the diameter squared times the height for cylinders.

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