If you’re still holding grain and have decided to continue to hold it through the summer, then it needs to be checked very often now that warmer temperatures are here. I will never recommend that grain be held for periods of up to one year, but it can be done safely if you are willing to over-dry by at least a couple points of moisture. Ideally, over-drying is performed way before May and the natural cooling available in the winter months is maintained in the grain mass.

Warming is discouraged because the cool grain mass minimizes the activity of both storage fungi and insect pests. However, if telltale signs of spoiled grain such as a musty smell are recognized, fans should be run to help break up heating in those isolated areas where spoilage has started and that grain should be moved and probably sold.

Do not mess around with a questionable bin! Get that grain out of there immediately and use marketing tools to continue hedging your bet on a better price for that commodity. Watch out for your health and your life too. A layer of carbon dioxide can form at the surface of the grain and since carbon dioxide does not have an odor of its own, victims can lose consciousness within moments. Loss of life is nearly inevitable if this happens. Your rescuer may also give his or her life in an attempt to save you, so if you are unprepared, that’s not fair to them either.

Do not enter a suspicious bin or ANY bin alone. Use fire rescue approved harnesses and other gear to prepare for unsafe conditions. Also, remember that you can not see a bridge of grain at the surface. Never enter a bin unless you know the history of the bin. If grain has been removed, do not enter that bin unless you can clearly see the cone that always forms from drawing grain through the center well of the bin. Be Safe.

Bill Casady
573-882-4370