How long can grain sit in silos before being used?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Indefinitatly?

2

As far as I’m aware, as long as it’s kept dry (somewhere around 10% moisture), it can be stored as long as necessary. The only exception I know of is with HMSC (High Moisture Shelled Corn), which is usually around 20% moisture. It can be stored for a long time in a Harvestore silo, which is completely sealed to prevent air and water from entering. If the silo is left open, or the access door removed frequently, the grain will spoil fairly rapidly. I have also seen HMSC kept in a conventional concrete stave silo, but the corn must be run through a roller mill before going in the silo, and a certain thickness must be removed per day to keep the corn from spoiling.

Hope this helps.

Randy

3

As long as the elevator has aeroration (spelling?) fans to keep the air flowing through the grain and there isn’t any kind of moisture seeping into the silos or bins there won’t be anykind of spoilage.

4

I own a tenant farm in Nebraska and it has been my experience that for the most part, soybeans and corn are usually held from harvest to as late as July. Most grain is sold and moved before then though to make room for the next years load. I do agree that it could be held longer, though the fees continue, and the chance of wetting and other issues would be a big consideration in holding it much longer.

Hope this helps.

BM

5

Thank You, But could grain be held for years?

6

Joseph got pretty good results holding it for as long as seven years. (See Genesis 41.)

7

Even if it doesn’t spoil, it will lose nutrition over time – depends a little on what you’re going to use it for. For high quality feed, a year is about it (assuming all of the above is true!). For other uses, a couple of years and you begin to get some loss…

8

Yeah, but that was old style grain. The new modern stuff doesn’t do as well.

9

Then perhaps the old style grain is the best?

Be gentle, I know nothing about grain.

10

Actually, I prefer the Heineken grain[}:)]

11

grain kernals found with mummies in Egyptian tombs have been sprouted and grown – so thats 2500 to 3000 years. I have 20 year old wheat that grinds and tastes just fine.

dd

12

“But could grain be held for years?” peterson6868

commercial warehousemen are fully capable of storing grain for years…
there are losses associated with long term storage, and buyer preferences focus on “current crop year” purchases…however, there are sizeable inventories of grain which have been in store for several years, particularily in the toledo switching district.