Grinder-Type Moisture Testers Provide Quick, Accurate Readings

Grinder-Type Moisture Testers Provide Quick, Accurate Readings CROP STORAGE Accessories 20-2-13 More consistent and accurate readings are promised by a pair of new portable "grinder-type" grain moisture testers recently imported from Europe. Both units let you test grain still hot from the dryer. The Protimeter Grainmaster 900E, sold by GSF Inc., Des Moines, Iowa, measures both moisture content and temperature. It grinds and compresses a sample inside a chamber on top of the instrument. The unit measures the temperature to correct the moisture reading. An LCD displays the reading. "It's more expensive than conventional handheld grain moisture testers but is much more accurate and reliable because the grain sample is ground and compressed to a known density," says Richard Flaugh, GSF Inc. "It's difficult for handheld units to accurately measure moisture in grain during harvest and after it comes out of the dryer because the moisture isn't distributed evenly within the kernel. The outside skin isn't at the same moisture level as the rest of the kernel. The only way to get a true measurement of moisture is to grind the sample and compress it evenly. "It doesn't take long to pay for the unit because if you overdry you lose money to shrink and extra drying costs. If you underdry, three months later you may have grain quality problems." The unit can take an average of up to nine measurements and has individual buttons for the selection of four frequently used crop calibrations. You can keep a record of important moisture measurements by connecting the unit to a printer. An optional temperature probe can be plugged into the unit to measure temperatures in stored crops. Sells for $875. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, GSF Inc., 6280 N.E. 14th St., Des Moines, Iowa 50313 (ph 515 289-1097).

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