How is grain shrunk to standard moisture?

The dry-matter method keeps the bone-dry weight constant. Corrected weight equals wet weight times (100 minus wet moisture) divided by (100 minus standard moisture). For corn delivered at 20 percent and sold at 15.5 percent, multiply by 80 divided by 84.5, about 0.947.

What are the standard moisture levels?

Common US marketing standards are 15.5 percent for corn, 13 percent for soybeans, 13.5 percent for wheat, and 14 percent for grain sorghum. These are the moistures at which the crop is priced and stored without spoilage; wetter grain is shrunk to this basis.

What is handling shrink and why is it added?

Handling shrink is an extra percentage, often around 0.5 to 1.5 percent, that elevators deduct to cover invisible losses from drying, dust, and handling beyond the pure water removal. It is applied to the moisture-corrected weight, not the gross weight.

How are bushels calculated?

Bushels equal the net corrected pounds divided by the crop's standard test weight per bushel: 56 pounds for corn, 60 for soybeans and wheat, and 56 for sorghum. So 9470 net pounds of corn is about 169.1 bushels at 56 pounds per bushel.

Does drying always reduce my paid weight?

Yes, because removing water removes mass you were paid for at the wet weight. The corrected weight reflects the true marketable dry substance plus standard moisture, which is what determines the honest value of the load.

Grain Test Weight & Moisture Corrector

When grain comes in wetter than the marketing standard, its weight has to be shrunk to the standard moisture before it can be priced fairly. This tool applies the dry-matter shrink method, adds any handling shrink the elevator charges, and converts the net weight to bushels at the crop’s standard test weight.

How it works

The dry-matter method holds the bone-dry weight constant while restating the grain at the standard moisture:

corrected wt = gross wt × (100 − wet moisture) / (100 − standard moisture)
net wt       = corrected wt × (1 − handling shrink %)
bushels      = net wt / standard test weight per bushel

Because only water is removed, a load delivered above standard moisture always loses weight: the wetter the grain, the larger the shrink. Standard test weights are 56 lb/bu for corn and sorghum and 60 lb/bu for soybeans and wheat.

Tips and example

A 10,000 lb load of corn at 20 percent moisture corrects to 10,000 × 80 / 84.5 = 9,467 lb at 15.5 percent. Apply a 1 percent handling shrink and the net is about 9,372 lb, or roughly 167.4 bushels at 56 lb/bu. Always confirm the standard moisture and shrink your buyer uses, since contracts vary, and probe several spots in the load for a representative moisture reading before correcting.