Drying corn(pics)

Here's last week's corn drying pics.Tox-O-Wic 570 batch dryer.Had more corn ground than ever before this year,so the dryer got a good workout!Greased and oiled it every 5 batches.Not a lick of trouble with it!

Each batch took between 2 1/2 and 3 hrs (depending on weather and time of day).Corn moisture was 22.5 and falling slightly toward end of harvest.Dried it down to 14.5 and dumped it hot.Turn on bin fan a few hrs. to cool it down and good to go.

Pretty eerie sight drying at night.LOTS of steam!

I'm still learning this 'drying corn' thing. I'm using a bin and the samples just don't seem to indicate progress.

How hot are you running and how much is a batch?

And why do people tell me batch dryers are a headache? I'm starting to think I want one!

Thanks for shareing .. you just don't see pictures where it's STEAM like that ... enjoy them ..
Do you sleep in the camper .. so if something goes wrong your there ??

Again like the pictures with the steam ..

Mark

glad to see all of them Oliver's still earning their keep
Ron

I just bought the camper this summer for the sole purpose of parking it at the dryer.Wanted to stay near the dryer as things can(and do) go south in a hurry.Got pretty cold a few nights,but nice & warm in the camper.Had the moisture tester, weight scale, radio,tools,farm papers,etc inside.Ate lots of meals in it too!

Best $150 I've spent!

Thanks!

Dan, batch dryers are not a headache, or atleast they dont have to be. proper maintenance and care make life a lot easier. Dryers are a headache when left sit for 4 years, and are expected to start and run on a moments notice....

I service grain dryers and grain equipment....harvest is full of "it run last time we used, that has been 3 years ago, it should run now" What other piece of equipment will do that???

I've only used a batch dryer,so can't say it's better or worse than a continuous flow or bin dryer.We always get good test-weights(57-59lb)from our dryer.I think they're easy to use once you get the hang of it.

A batch is 500 bushel.Plenum temp is adjusted to 240F and the grain gets to about 85F.

Just like anything,maintenence is the key to good service and we get great returns on the routine maint we perform.

Is that camper trailer in the background for,ummmm, the help?? lol J

Yeah,that'd be me.The one that gets over-worked and under-paid!(LOL)

opps, sorry, no offense! I ment the other "migrant" farm help! Happy Turkey day. J

Just curious- anyone know the cost per bushel for propane, etc.? Course, it would vary with how wet it was to start with, but just curious about a ballpark figure.

But then, it might be like keeping track of how much it costs to restore a tractor- nobody really wants to know!

Good to see those Olivers still at it. Had an 88 Diesel about a lifetime ago[1960's]. Any thing before AGCO is good in my opinion. JH

For rough figuring I use 1/100 of a gallon of propane per bushel, per point removed

I use a Tox-o-Wick also. Model 570 like yours. Mine appears slightly different. The fan/burner assembly up front is one big square unit. Close to the late 70's early 80's unit. I run round a 200 degree plenum temp which for me is around 12 - 15 pounds of pressure of LP gas. Tractor running at 540 rpm. 500 bushels at 24 % moisture will dry to 14.5 in about 1 1/2 hours. Dry it to about 15.5 % then shut the heat off and then cool it down dropping it another point to 14.5%. They are great dryers. The corn is constantly moved which sort of polishes up the grain. Bees wings blow away. Mine has the opt. grain cleaner on it which removes fines. At near PTO speed they will load in 15 minutes and unload in the same time. I like out of bin drying as you know what you are putting in the bin. I like to use another gravity wagon like you are doing. Some people just funnell the corn from the discharge spout to an auger. Problems occur when a the auger tractor quits or the dryer is unloading too fast. The gravity wagon provides a cushion. The gravity wagon saves time too. I can push the dry load into the wagon faster and begin to fill the dryer while the bin is still being filled from the gravity wagon. They still make this dryer. It has become quite modern with cage fans and can be ordered with electric motors. I had a Behlem 500 dryer and this is much much better.

So about 8 cents a bushel, to bring it down 5 points with $1.60 propane. Obviously worth the money, it it saves your crop. Thanks.

You get the ballpark on propane, but it also cost a little to move it, electricity, time, ect.

If corn is 20% or less, you can get by with just air in the bin and dry it, which is cheaper yet, but takes more time. To be safe, need a fan that will do at least 1 cfm per bushel of corn in the bin

In town here it cost 4.25 cents/ per point of moisture, cheaper to do it at home if you are set up.