Small or DIY grain bin system ideas

I will likely get more into graining as I try to expand. Just cannot afford a huge investment here. I calculate that if I have about 5000-6000 cubic ft of space, that should get me going for now. For reference, a 20ft diam x 12ft tall bin is about 3700 cubic ft. I would probably need to store up to 2 different grains. Drying system will be important.

I am a design engineer by trade so to design efforts and manufacturing part should be a big hurdle but I may also consider a kit if that is cheap enough. I would likely look to do more smaller units and then get rid of them as I expand.

The concept may be worthwhile to use a temporary system as shown. There are several methods of creating a short wide covered system. Spoilage is nasty and can only be prevented with properly dry grain. Google temporary grain storage. Some interesting ideas. By the way, bushels are common designation for volume in the vernacular of the farmer. Jim
One idea

Thanks for the reply. I would probably go with something a little more permanent or just higher end. I know the radial force on the skin would be pretty high on a taller unit but was thinking something wide and short would both be easier to build, and much safer for KS tornadoes. Looks like if I expand to a 30ft diam, eye ball height would easily cover me.

However, I am not sure of the easiest or best way to design in the floor system and drier. I know some more modular units use the funnel bottom and stilts but I might prefer an all concrete base for simplicity. Either will require a solid foundation anyway.

I think maybe the drying and load/unload systems are what are perplexing me most right now.

I just can"t wait to see how this thread expands.....possibilities are endless.

Bare in mind that short and wide storage means longer augers, more hand labor cleaning the storage units out, and farmstead sprawl. Also more concrete for floors, pads,and etc. Just my thoughts.
Loren, the Acg.

I guess the thought I had in mind was that I can put a "lift" on them when needed. If I design the base for say a 20ft height, I can just add to them. Probably not ideal and I see that most are built with the top first and lifted, I might do it backwards. I am used to building bridges with a crane though. Looks like they forgo that expense.

You are reinventing the wheel, and doing so the long hard
way.

Visit the grain bin manufacturers, build what you need, and do
it right.

If you are on a budget and have more energy and time than
money, buy a used bin for scrap metal price, take a few rings
off, move it to your location, and reassemble on your concrete
pad.

If you don't like concrete and steel rings, then build a wooden
grainery, they require a lot of shoveling and pain in the rear,
but if you are a wood builder than might work for you.

As an builder, you seem bent on making this all more
expensive and complicated than need be.

3500 bu 'government bins' are about 300 bucks used, costs
more to take down and reassemble, but are the shoestring
way to do this. Most of the cost is in concrete and augers and
labor, the actual bin is the cheap part so new or used,
understand where the money will go, used needs to be very
cheap to make worthwhile.

Metal bins are built upwards, with bin jacks, you do not add on
to the top!

Good luck, its fun to plan, fun to design.

Paul

This may not sound nice,BUT DON'T try to reinvent the wheel.Bin designs are all the same for a reason,ease of filling and removing of grain.Fat short bins do not empty easily without a lot of labor or expence like Loren said.My dad and a few others thought your way and then later had to raise them.It is no fun and is extremly dangerous to try to do.A 20 ft.or better side wall bin doesn't cost much more then a 12 ft.wall bin and it is-will be there if you need it and won't cost any more(labor concrete)to put up. You are being PENNY WISE-POUND FOOLISH,but it is your money to do with as you see fit.

Sorry Paul,we were typing at the same time and said almost the same thing.

What crops, and how much drying do you need? What climate
are you in, do you have a long dry warmer fall after harvest, or
does it get humid, or does it get real cold real fast?

It makes a difference on the design. Makes a -big- difference.

Drying for small amounts of grain is the most difficult spendy
part of small grain growing.

Will you have the same amount of the 2 crops, or do you need
2/3 storage of one crop, and 1/3 storage of the other? Will both
crops need drying? So will you need one storage bin, one
drying bin? Will one need to be bigger, or both the same size?

It will cost you a lot to build a small storage, and then rebuild it
bigger or throw it away and start over. It is much cheaper and
more efficient to build one big bin vs several small ones, you
will regret building a few small to get started, and then have
more and more added. It will cost much more each year as
well.

Build one 3000bu bin if that is what you can afford, and then
build a second later. Do not plan to rebuild a bin in a short
time, that is badly expensive.

Bin with an aeration floor (perforated metal) with a fan to blow
air through is pretty common and affordable. This will keep
grain in condition, and will allow very minor drying of a crop.

However, if you are getting 20% or more corn and need to dry
it down to 14%, then you need a much more complex and
expensive system. You need to heat the air, and you need to
mix the crop to bust up hot spots that develop.

There are many ways to do it, but all are expensive and need
a lot of maintenance. Do you want a stand alone drier, or an in
bin system, or a top of bin system, an electric setup, or a
tractor pto powered setup? Many options, all have good and
bad points, really depends on what your conditions are.

A cone bottom bin as you reference are much easier to empty,
but they cost a lot more, are a lot taller, and are very difficult to
dry or blow air through in the bin.

What are you trying to do, and are you looking to be fast,
cheap, or easy with it?

Paul

Don't be sorry, always feels good if someone shares an opinion.

Paul

You might consider flat storage in a machine shed.
Several around here do that and it works ok. the
advantage is that when not storing grain you can
store other stuff. Dividers are easy to fab and are
easily movable to accommodate different volumes of
crops over the years. Loading out requires a tractor
with front loader or back blade or skid loader. For
convenience a bin is better, but for adaptability
flat is better.

Man, I really appreciate the replies and will concede that I certainly [u:40353f1ea2]don't[/u:40353f1ea2] have it all figured out, just brainstorming at this point. Obviously if I can buy used units on the cheap, that may work well.

I am looking to store oats and teff grain. The teff will present a challenge due to size and might take some rethinking.

One of the primary reasons for this storage is drying. I could get in a pinch where I need to get it out quick, regardless of moisture and would want to dry before selling as well as protect against spoilage.

I am honestly [u:40353f1ea2]not[/u:40353f1ea2] familiar with drying systems to even know what might be a good or economical solution but any heating would likely come from gas firing and any automation of moving, augers, etc, I would likely run as electric unless we are talking just transferring product in which a PTO or gas engine auger would seem most appropriate.

I was thinking a perf floor type design. I am not all smiles about a suspended system as they can be dangerous but that could end up working well. I would sure like to visit or see pics of different designs.

I do agree, no need to reinvent if there is something cheap that will get me going.

I stumbled on this grain dryer set-up some time ago. May be of interest to you.

Ben
Small grain dryer

I looked up that Teff grain thing and think you need to do a lot more research,because I don't think a conventiomal drying floor will work because of the grain size being so small.Your fans-heat-airflow may need to be 100% different then on normal grains.Good Luck.

(quoted from post at 16:25:56 04/15/13) I looked up that Teff grain thing and think you need to do a lot more research,because I don't think a conventiomal drying floor will work because of the grain size being so small.Your fans-heat-airflow may need to be 100% different then on normal grains.Good Luck.

Click to expand...

I 100% agree with that. Consider Teff to be like sand. It is going to have to be cycled somehow with a solid bottom bin. I think the oats would be standard enough as they are very similar the wheat and barley. Maybe two totally different systems but I would prefer one common system.

Its called the collective consciousness.

Maybe I could ask how drier systems typically operate? I think I am more familiar with simple air circulation systems that IIRC fan air into the bin at the bottom of a perf floor and the air simply escapes through vents in the roof. I guess I would assume a drier system would be basically the same only would have a series heater with the fan to heat the air?