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Need help from you corn guys

M

M Nut

Well-known Member
When buying corn by the bushel, do you factor in the moisture content? I am buying corn from a friend, and it was tested at 16% moisture. I weighed my wagons before hand, filled them, and reweighed them. He says the weight of corn is 56lbs per bushel so we divide the weight by 56 and multiply by the agreed price per bushel. I say it is 56lbs per bushel at 0% moisture if I remember correctly?
If so, do I pay for the 16% moisture in the corn or is that subtracted from the final cost?

Last year I bought strictly buy the bushel and felt that was fair. This year it seems like I'm getting the shorter end of the stick.

I'm not disputing the price per bushel, just the 16% moisture in the corn that I'm paying for when I have to pay by weight.

Thanks for any advice, and I'm not going to ruin a friendship over this, but thought if I am right I'd like to at least try and have it be truly fair to both of us.
 
Unless its oven, freeze, or kiln dried any biological product is going to contain some water. Standard corn is 15.5 percent at 56 pounds. Even 'dry' hay has moisture in it. Most of my samples after 6 months in the barn are coming back 9-12 percent. Its the nature of the beast.
 
According to this:
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1649&context=extensionhist
# 2 corn is 54 lb test weight and 15.5%
#1 is 56 lb test and 14%.
I don't feel like doing the math, but is it worth risking a friendhsip (and easy source for the corn you need) over maybe 1 or 1.5%?
Table 4 in that PDF, it takes 56.33 lbs of corn at 16% to equal a 56 lb bushel at 15.5%.
AaronSEIA
 
Thanks for the replies guys! I wasn't 100% sure, and I'm glad I asked before saying anything. I'll gladly pay the agreed price per bushel and feel good about the whole situation. All comments were appreciated.
 
Allan what is your weather..?? 56 and cloudy in Tenn .. Finaly had enough rain to kick the wheat in gear. Supposed to be 70 and sunny by the weekend..
 
The elevator would 'adjust' the corn to 15% around here (or 14.5% if you are storing it) with a shrink & a drying fee.

It probably is fair as is for you, any wetter & I'd want it adjusted a little bit.

--->Paul
 
I assume that you are buyng corn for heating purposes. I buy several tons a year and am pretty selective. The dealer I buy from actually augers it from the transport from the farm into my bin, which is a converted gravity wagon.
What you need to look for is corn less than 14% moisture and the closer to 10% the better. A digital meter is a cheap investment (about $40) and if you do it for a few years you can stick you hand in the corn and guesstimate pretty close.
Anything above 15% is not really useable as fuel and will have to be in a bin with a blower, at least.
If you are buying by the ton you are paying for the moisture in the corn so the lower the better.
If you have questions feel free to e-mail me.

Brad
 
has to be below 15% around here for the grain elevator to buy . isn't there a danger of spontaneous combustion at over 15% ?
 
Not combustion, but it can spoil and rot. The elevators do NOT have to dry it. On paper they will. The ones dad hauls to "dry" it to 13.5% for storage. Dad's 15 and 16% stuff this fall went in the dry bin, never saw the dryer.
AaronSEIA
 
Your alleged "0%" corn would be awful dry and crunchy!

Standard moisture/test weight for corn is 56 lbs. @ 15.5% moisture.

Moisture Shrink (%) =

Initial Moisture Content -
Final Moisture Content
----------------------------- x 100
100 - Final Moisture Content

So... your shrinkage from the 16% to the standard 15.5% at which the test weight is 56 lbs. is just under 0.60%.
Scroll about 1/2 way down
 
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