Moisture testers

[walterm]

And now, boys and girls, you see why our grandfathers and great grandfathers revolted against the "line companies" and set up the Pools a hundred years ago. All those stories we used to hear and quietly snicker at behind the old men's backs really weren't bullshit after all. In the end the Pools were no better than the line companies but they did provide competition to the families. The concept was revived with the farmer-owned terminals but the original shareholders have taken their money and ran, the families added those terminals to their warm embrace, and so here we are.

The grain commission might as well fold for all the good they do. Send in your harvest samples, get your wheat graded 2 Red. Then take the same samples to the elevators and bingo, it's 3 RS. "But the GC said it's a 2." "Oh no we have to go by our grading." Pick at each load's sample with the magnifying glass and tweezers - what the hell did I bother collecting all those pails of samples for at harvest? Waste of time and gas running all over the country with samples.

God I'm glad retirement is near.

There are ways of helping farmers and saving or maybe getting back our industry to producers but not so sure the will of the ones we have let in charge at produce level is there. Wonder how our forefathers that realized and made a reality of CGC (In the Interest of Producers) and farmer owned elevator system got together there was a lot more of them back then and no communication like today.

[Oliver88]

Agree 100%, had the BEST system and smashed and burned most of them! Hauled 4 or 5.5 miles, 3 ton was enough truck.

The highways would definitely be better off with that system.

[oldjim]

And now, boys and girls, you see why our grandfathers and great grandfathers revolted against the "line companies" and set up the Pools a hundred years ago. All those stories we used to hear and quietly snicker at behind the old men's backs really weren't bullshit after all. In the end the Pools were no better than the line companies but they did provide competition to the families. The concept was revived with the farmer-owned terminals but the original shareholders have taken their money and ran, the families added those terminals to their warm embrace, and so here we are.

The grain commission might as well fold for all the good they do. Send in your harvest samples, get your wheat graded 2 Red. Then take the same samples to the elevators and bingo, it's 3 RS. "But the GC said it's a 2." "Oh no we have to go by our grading." Pick at each load's sample with the magnifying glass and tweezers - what the hell did I bother collecting all those pails of samples for at harvest? Waste of time and gas running all over the country with samples.

God I'm glad retirement is near.

[fjlip]

I forgot about those balance beams !

The memories !

I am glad tho I had a chance to haul to the elevators in our local town before they shut em all down !

We had UGG, Pioneer, Cargill, and Sask Wheat Pool within 5 miles !

For our Farm those were great times !

Agree 100%, had the BEST system and smashed and burned most of them! Hauled 4 or 5.5 miles, 3 ton was enough truck.

[walterm]

Wouldn’t this be a novel project for the Canadian Grain Commission, to have all licensed elevators be required to electronically report calibration with proof of calibration, date time and employee sign off , verification, settings or calibration changes, etc.

The monies that are made or lost are way more substantial on moisture/protein/oil/falling number etc. now than scale ticket/ electronic scales ( which used to be a problem - remember the balance beams?)

This is worthy work for the CGC, provides value and protects the Canadian system with open and full disclosure. Would the producer lobby groups (commodity groups) support such activities ?

What about in this day and age and with equipment and computer programs that are available today have all equipment directly integrated into computer soft ware. If you think the scale issue is fixed you are mistaken. Ask your trucker how often weights are miss printed on tickets and do you ever check and compare what is the actual reading on bench scales compared to your cash tickets? You might be surprised at how much human error there is. They can always makeup if in your favor but highly unlikely they will say anything if in their favor.

[Rareearth]

Wouldn’t this be a novel project for the Canadian Grain Commission, to have all licensed elevators be required to electronically report calibration with proof of calibration, date time and employee sign off , verification, settings or calibration changes, etc.

The monies that are made or lost are way more substantial on moisture/protein/oil/falling number etc. now than scale ticket/ electronic scales ( which used to be a problem - remember the balance beams?)

This is worthy work for the CGC, provides value and protects the Canadian system with open and full disclosure. Would the producer lobby groups (commodity groups) support such activities ?

[walterm]

Where is it that any equipment other than the 919 is allowed and who/when was it allowed. Only been the last couple years that they have showed up. Also the protein machines have moisture built in why not use them if they don't have to use 919? Sure is weird stuff going on these days. Guessing the guys that want to totally get rid of regulation and run self regulation are getting their way.

[BreadWinner]

The elevators have learned to use it to their advantage $$. The local Richardson terminal had a 919 and a electronic tester both on the bench. The electronic one was to test the oats coming in and it always tests 1 point higher on oats than the 919. They know it but the company says they have to use the results from the electronic one. The company isn’t stupid they can make money on shrink and drying.

[Livewire]

I had a problem with moisture on oats I was selling last summer. The mills electronic tester showed .5-1.0 percent higher than my 919 and put it over the 13.5. The we’re going to reject some loads but somehow agreed to take it with a discount - that’s pretty steep. So I took a sample to the grain commission and they got 13.5 on their 919. The mill got 14.2 on theirs. I held my ground and they realized how pissed I was and dropped the discounts.

[walterm]

Cant beat the 919!

919 was standard and universal used for years who/why was it changed to allow other equipment? Protein machines have always been an issue with me.

[MBgrower]

Cant beat the 919!

[Oliver88]

Ask the grain companies how you can get on the list for a monthly certified calibration sample.

I'm sure they get a sealed sample from a certified lab with a known result.

They calibrate from that.

I don't know what their allowable tolerance is.

What about protein?
Is a calibration done in a similar way and interval?

[shtferbrains]

Ask the grain companies how you can get on the list for a monthly certified calibration sample.

I'm sure they get a sealed sample from a certified lab with a known result.

They calibrate from that.

I don't know what their allowable tolerance is.

[hobbyfrmr]

My friend has been delivering oats 400km to the mill. He shipped 6 loads all dry. Load 6 and 7 were from the same bin. Load 6 dry, load 7 half the btrian was dry the other half was out by .5%. They called him to reject the load. He managed to accept a moisture discount and they sent the entire load to a grain dryer down the road.
I dried as much as I could. Brought my samples to the large farmer’s elevator for 919 testing to compare notes . I was .2% lower. The farmers employee told me they spent $10,000 on 2 new electronic testers. They were totally inconsistent with the 919. After weeks of recalibrating downtime the farmer told the manufacturer “do not send them back to me.”
My mill delivery results were same as farmer elevator and everything worked out this round.
Its the same old screw around every year.

[HappyFarmer]

I'm glad someone brought this up because its driving me crazy after this fall. Our Viterra elevator every single test I have take has been a point to 1.5 points higher than my 919. I take the same 250 gram sample to my 2 neighbor brand new 919 and another one newly calibrated 919 and both were exactly the same as mine. Some are saying that if you warm the sample up to over 11 degree and test it in the 919, the difference isn't as drastic. I don't know.