When viewed from above, stored corn may appear dry and stable. The grains in the bin do not form a sealed block; instead, the conditions inside can change and air moves through the gaps between the kernels. Temperature differences can slowly cause moisture to shift from one part of the bin to another. This is important since spoilage generally begins in specific areas. A warm spot or a damp area can appear before anyone is aware of it, even if the rest of the grain still looks okay. It is essential to understand how these hidden areas develop if corn is to be stored safely.<\/p>\n
The process starts with differences in temperature; in cold weather the grain near the wall of the bin cools more quickly than the grain in the middle and the cold air alongside the wall sinks while the warmer air in the center rises.<\/p>\n
As the warm air rises, it takes the moisture with it. When it gets to the grain at the top of the bin, part of that moisture can be absorbed by the kernels. As a result, the upper section of the bin can become wetter than the average moisture level in the bin.<\/p>\n
It follows that one moisture test carried out immediately after harvest does not give the full picture. The corn might enter storage at a moisture level that is acceptable, but later on, uneven temperatures can lead to the formation of wet spots inside. These patterns can vary with the seasons. Therefore, attention must be paid to the grain temperature during storage.<\/p>\n
Corn stored for a short period does not require the same level of management as corn kept through winter, spring, or summer. The safe storage moisture content for corn is generally in the range of 13 to 15 percent. This will depend on the storage conditions and on how long the corn will remain in storage. The longer the corn is stored, the drier it should be. The longer the storage period and the warmer the temperatures, the greater the risk of mold, insects, and decay. After harvesting, the grain should be cooled if the weather allows. It is recommended that stored grain be cooled down to about 70\u00b0F (21\u00b0C) at first and then cooled further as the falling fall temperatures drop.<\/p>\n
The winter temperature targets differ from region to region. In certain areas the grain is cooled down to around 25\u00b0F (-4\u00b0C). In other areas a temperature range of 30 to 40\u00b0F (-1 to 4\u00b0C) is typical, but there is no one ideal temperature that suits every region and season. The primary aim is to keep the corn cool and to maintain as even a temperature as possible.<\/p>\n
While the bin is being filled, broken kernels, weed seeds, dust and other fine materials usually end up close to the center of the bin and as a result the airflow among the kernels decreases. Since these materials are generally wetter than the rest of the grain they also have different drying conditions. Consequently some parts of the bin cool more slowly than other parts and in some areas proper drying may not take place. Thus relying solely on average moisture levels gives an incomplete picture.<\/p>\n
Corn that has been stored tends to change over time and so it shouldn’t be checked just once and then ignored.
\nThe fact that the temperature is rising should serve as a warning. Heat can be produced by biological activity in the kernels as well. Further signs are condensation under the roof, crusty surfaces, clumps, unpleasant musty or sour odors, visible mold and a greater number of insects.<\/p>\n
Temperature cables, together with moisture sampling and routine inspections, are useful for detecting changes; it is more important to look for a pattern than to note a single change. Any section of grain that warms faster than the surrounding grain, or faster than weather conditions would explain, should be examined.<\/p>\n
Aeration involves passing outside air through the grain mass in the bin, so that it moves through the gaps between the kernels. It forces the external air through the grain in order to cool the stored corn and decrease the temperature differences. Once the temperature of the grain has become even, the natural air movement which draws moisture upwards tends to slow down and at the same time the cooler temperature also inhibits the growth of mold and reduces insect activity.<\/p>\n
You cannot use aeration to dry wet corn, since the normal aeration airflow will only reduce the moisture content slightly and safe storage still requires that the corn be brought to the correct moisture level before it is stored.<\/p>\n
Effective storage of corn isn’t about reaching a single moisture level; it’s about managing changes.
\nMoisture, temperature, the season, the weather, airflow, the presence of fines and the length of time the corn remains all have an effect. The practical aim is simple: use corn that is dry enough for the storage period intended. It should be kept cool and temperature differences should be avoided. Attention must be paid to any changes in conditions and to the early signs of spoilage.<\/p>\n
If you do this, the likelihood of hidden wet areas developing into serious spoilage will be reduced.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Bin Can Look Fine While Trouble Is Developing When viewed from above, stored corn may appear dry and stable. The grains in the bin do not form a sealed block; instead, the conditions inside can change and air moves through the gaps between the kernels. Temperature differences can slowly cause moisture to shift from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":319,"featured_media":10925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/319"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10924"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10933,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10924\/revisions\/10933"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}