Grain storage, explained
Practical, numbers-first articles on keeping stored grain safe — moisture, aeration, spoilage and drying — for Australian growers and storage operators.
Aeration
Automatic vs Auto Protect: Choosing a Fan Mode for Long-Term Storage
Automatic and Auto Protect both run fans only on suitable air. The difference is how much they run. Here's when to use each.
Cooling Fans vs Drying Fans: What Your Aeration Can Really Do
Most silo fans are built to cool grain, not dry it. Airflow per tonne decides which job your fans can do — here's how to tell.
Retrofitting Aeration Control to Your Existing Switchboard
You don't need new fans or silos for smart aeration. How a controller retrofits to your existing starters — and what to do without a suitable board.
Why Running Fans 24/7 Costs You Tonnage and Power
Leaving aeration fans on around the clock feels safe, but it dries saleable grain, can re-wet it on humid nights, and runs up a power bill. Here's the maths.
When Should Aeration Fans Run? Reading Outside Temperature and Humidity
The best time to run silo fans is when outside air will cool the grain without wetting it. Here's how to read the weather for aeration.
Technology
Choosing a Grain Monitoring System: 10 Questions to Ask
Not all grain monitoring systems are equal. These 10 questions help you compare options on what actually protects your grain and your tonnage.
LoRaWAN for Farms: Connecting Silos Without Cables
LoRaWAN sends small sensor readings kilometres on a battery. Here's how it works on a farm, what it's good at, and how it gets data to your phone.
Monitoring & spoilage
CO₂ in the Headspace: The Earliest Warning of Spoilage
Insects and moulds breathe out carbon dioxide long before grain heats or smells. Measuring CO₂ in the silo headspace can flag trouble days to weeks earlier.
Grain Temperature Targets for Insect Control in Storage
Cooling grain is one of the most effective ways to slow stored-grain insects. Here are the temperature bands that matter and how to reach them.
Hot Spots in Stored Grain: How They Start and How to Catch Them
A hot spot can turn a sound silo into a downgrade in weeks. Here's how they form, why they feed themselves, and the signs to watch for.
Moisture Migration: What Happens Inside a Silo Over Winter
Grain at a safe average moisture can still crust and spoil at the top. Moisture migration explains why — and aeration is how you stop it.
Why One Temperature Probe Isn't Enough
Grain is a good insulator, so a hot spot a metre from your probe can go unnoticed for weeks. Here's why multi-level sensing matters in a silo.
Moisture & money
Equilibrium Moisture Content Explained: Why the Air Dries (or Wets) Your Grain
Equilibrium moisture content is the reason aeration can dry, hold or re-wet grain. Here's what it means and how to use it to time your fans.
How Much Moisture Loss Is Costing You at the Weighbridge
Every point of moisture your grain loses in storage comes off the tonnage you're paid for. Here's how to work out what over-aeration is costing you.
Safe Storage Moisture for Wheat, Barley and Canola in Australia
Receival limits, long-term storage targets and why canola needs a lower moisture than cereals — a quick reference for Australian growers.
Drying
How Long Will It Take to Dry My Grain? Airflow, Weather and Tonnage
Drying time depends on how much water you need to remove, how much air your fan moves, and how much water that air can carry. Here's how to estimate it.
Set-Point Drying: Drying to a Target Moisture Without Over-Drying
Set-point drying runs aeration until the wettest layer reaches your target moisture, then stops. Here's how it works and why it protects tonnage.
Crop storage
Keeping Wheat Safe Through an Australian Summer
Wheat harvested hot and stored through summer is at its most vulnerable. Here's how to cool it, keep it dry and protect its grade until delivery.
Storing Canola Safely: Moisture, Oil and Heating Risk
Canola stores well when it's dry and cool, and badly when it isn't. Here's why its moisture limit is 8%, why it heats, and how to aerate it.
Storing Malting Barley Without Losing Germination
Malting barley is bought for its ability to germinate. Heat and moisture in storage erode that quickly. Here's how to protect it.
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