The Canadian Grain Commission is reminding farmers who are drying damp
wheat this fall to take extra care to protect its protein, milling and
baking qualities.
Ed Lysenko tests grain by baking it into bread for the Canadian Grain
Commission’s grain research laboratory.
Overheating the wheat while drying could partially cook the protein,
ruining the flour’s baking properties. Also, penalties are levied
against payments to farmers selling grain that is above acceptable
moisture levels.
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Lysenko said recirculating batch dryers work best. They keep the wheat
moving in the dryer, mixing it with the hot air, allowing the grain to
dry uniformly. If there is no movement, kernels closest to the heat
source dry first and are more likely to be damaged.
Wet grain in hot air dryers cools as the moisture from the wheat
evaporates into the air around it. The cooling effect decreases as it
dries and as wheat approaches the desired 14 percent moisture level,
the grain becomes almost as hot as the air in the dryer. This is when
damage is most likely to occur.
Commercial dryers at elevators move grain constantly through a dryer
against a current of hot air, uniformly drying each kernel.
Lysenko advised those drying grain with moisture levels higher than 20
percent to reduce the moisture by only a degree or two at a time.
“One important thing is not to crank the heat up,” Lysenko said. “If
you keep it at 60 C, everything seems to work well.”
For safe farm storage, he said milling wheat should be dried to a
moisture content of 14.5 percent or less.
CGC’s website offers these tips for operating hot air dryers:
- Check the temperature in the dryer to ensure it remains constant
throughout layers of grain.
- Stop drying when the moisture level reaches 14.5 percent, because the
last percent of moisture will evaporate during cooling.
- Dry wet grain slowly, dropping the temperature by 10 C for the last
quarter of the heating cycle.
Natural air drying systems offer flexibility and lower operating costs
but rely on weather conditions, and have longer operating times and
more handling requirements such as regular checks of grain and air
flow. Monitoring requires grain probes, moisture meters and manometers.
Natural air drying works best in the low relative humidity of late
August and early September.
Paul Graham of the grain commission said it will test producers’ wheat
free for milling grades. The test confirms whether a dryer is being
operated properly to avoid damaging the wheat.
“What’s driving this is that some damp grain has been taken off and
unless they’re careful, they could damage the quality without knowing
it,” he said.
Wheat samples can be sent for testing to E. Lysenko, Farm Dried Wheat,
Grain Research Laboratory, the Canadian Grain Commission, B-46 303
Main. St., Winnipeg, Man., R3C 3G8.
Samples should be taken before and after drying, placed in separate
bags and tied together.Results will be phoned to producers within three
working days of receipt of the wheat, followed by a letter of
confirmation.
