Temperature and moisture in the storage of bulk grain

Abstract

Methods employed in, perhaps, the majority of stores for bulk cereals in the United Kingdom could well be conducive to mould developments in the grain. More than ninety‐five percent of cereals are stored on farms, and last year's grain is in many of the containers when the new harvest is under way. The requirement is to harvest these cereal berries and to retain them in bulk for as long as possible, with as little capital outlay as possible, in maximum safety. A large bulk of grain dried down to, say, ten percent moisture with the Heat/Drier, will not remain in a deep bulk without deterioration. The temperature rises and the bulk will show also a high and increasing moisture content. But a similar bulk can be installed after it has been thoroughly chilled and will remain good for many months, even when moisture content reaches eighteen percent or more. To add heat to grain (which is often warm from weeks of hot sunshine before harvest) must be a retrograde step. Many farmers now tip grain on to a floor, ventilated from below through ducts. A gentle air‐flow will remove moisture and warmth, since the cortex of the berry releases these two factors only slowly. The temperature is reduced still further by evaporation. Because the berries are of different size and shape and because some rubbish gets forced up, the air‐flow is uneven. Intermittent blowing gives the heap time to rest and subside.