Grain Moisture Shrink Calculator
Grain loses weight when it dries, because the water leaves it. This shows how much weight a load loses when it goes from its starting moisture down to the level you want. Change any number and the answer follows.
- Free
- Works offline after your first visit
- Saves on this device
- No sign-up
- Updated
How it works
The dry part of the grain does not change while it dries, only the water does. So the weight left after drying is the starting weight times the dry share at the end, divided by the dry share at the start. The weight lost is the starting weight minus what is left.
As a share of the starting weight, the loss is the starting moisture minus the target moisture, divided by 100 minus the target moisture. Moisture is a percentage of the grain's total weight, so 18 means 18%.
Worked example
A load of 50,000 lb dried from 18% moisture down to 15% loses 1,765 lb, leaving 48,235 lb of grain. That is a shrink of 3.53%.
Questions
Why does grain lose weight when it dries?
Water is most of the extra weight in damp grain. As it dries, that water leaves and the grain weighs less. The dry part of the grain stays the same.
What moisture should I dry to?
It depends on the crop and where it is going. Ask your buyer or storage manager what level they want before you dry.
Is the shrink the same as the money I lose?
Not exactly. Shrink is weight you no longer have. What it is worth depends on the price you are paid, the cost of drying and how the buyer scales the load.
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