Prepare your grain store for this year’s harvest

One of the most frequently asked questions by arable farmers is: “How do I cool my grain if I’ve already brought it into the grain store”?

The answer to this question is “with great difficulty”.

Plug&Cool advises customers to prepare their stores long before the grain is harvested.

The store should be clean and tidy and ready for the loaders to bring in the grain.

But it’s not only just about keeping things clean and tidy – the grain also has to be kept at the correct temperature throughout the storage process to maintain its quality.

The best way to do this while the store is empty is to invest in some grain cooling pedestals.

Farmers must do this before the grain is brought in so they can position them correctly.

It’s recommended that you space your pedestals at least 3m away from your barn walls, and then 6m apart from each other.

This will give you maximum aeration through your grain pile with either the Plug&Cool 1.1Kw, 1.5Kw or the most powerful grain fan, the Plug&Cool 2.2Kw fan.

Once the pedestals are in place and the grain has been filled in around each one, the fan can be placed onto the black top pipe and switched on to begin the cooling process.

Pedestal set-up © Gibbons Engineering Group Ltd

Monitoring your grain temperature levels

To help save some time, man power, and energy use, farmers often look to automated fan control to switch off cooling fans when they’re not needed.

Plug&Cool offers the Multi-Zone Control Panel. Manufactured at its workshop by qualified electrical engineers, the Plug&Cool panel houses a customised Robydome AVC300 Automatic Ventilation Controller.

There’s no need to rush into a decision about automated control though, as this is a much bigger investment in grain temperature control.

The control panel can be added to your wish list and brought later in the year.

© Gibbons Engineering Group Ltd

Keeping grain cool at the right temperatures is vital for a successful harvest so it’s a good idea to prepare your grain store with the correct equipment.

Using a hotspot aeration spear is a good idea if you have a smaller barn, but if you’re storing large quantities of grain, having a pedestal and cooling fan system in place is your best bet for a successful yield.