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For those wondering what the story is with a Silo: when you store grain in a bin, generally it is "dry"(there is a certain level of moisture content required to be considered dry enough for a bin). In a silo, the moisture content is higher. When you pile up a giant pile of stuff, and it has water in it, it ferments. This is how silage is made. Fermentation will create heat, and gasses as a byproduct. The heat dissipates when the fermentation is complete, and in a normal silo that unloads top down, the gases that get released simply vacate out the top over time as they release. That is not to say there is no danger- when we filled silo back in the day, we either had to climb RIGHT AWAY to level and set the unloader up when we finished filling, OR we had to wait several days to make sure fermentation was complete and the silo aired out. We never waited like that, we just took care of it right away and had no issues. In a bottom unload Harvestore, the top gets "sealed" when you finish. this is to prevent rain etc from spoiling the feed from the top down, but also can trap gasses etc because there is no vent. Opening the top, allows the vent. Provided these guys waited a decent amount of time after starting the blower up, there was minimal risk for gas exposure in what they were doing with the shovels. the risk was all initially when the top got opened, OR if they had been foolish and gone in too soon. Smelly rotten feed isn;t the danger, it's the invisible fermentation gasses that got trapped in the sealed up Harvestore.
Perhaps you could discuss the difference between a silo and a grain bin. Are silos being replaced with silage pits now that plastic is available? Also, didn't see the use of any safety equipment in case of a fall. What are the toxic gases? Fermentation products, or more? Could you also discuss silo-fillers' disease? How much of an exposure does it take to get substantial lung damage? Thanks!
Did you here about the guy who fell in the grain bin? I think he fell in feet first and hit the fan and that was it. His parents judged our dairy cow show in Michigan about 1 month after it happened. (It was a few days ago).
The fan is outside the silo or grain bin... how could he hit the fan, unless he fell off the top outside the bin or silo? The only thing inside the silo or bin that could kill you (other than toxic gases) is the unloading auger if it's running... Confusing... Later! OL J R :)
We always opened the first vent while standing on the ladder, then went back down a few steps for a few minutes to let it vent. Never got enough gas that way to even be uncomfortable. But we only stored silage, not grain. I think that ws the technique taught by Harvestore when they built it.
My late grandfather had to clean out one of his concrete stave silos back in the '80s. It wrecked his lungs. He passed in late 2013 due to respiratory failure.
It would be nice to have a full explanation of what's happening and the dangers that are involved in this video, especially for those who tune in to learn how farms work. But thanks for the update.
been there done that! I recall once that damn auger inside the last 3 feet snapped off, we had rotten build up crap from the base about ten feet up on the walls as a result, that was a pain in ass to clean up
Why you're never supposed to do that job alone... supposed to have a safety line and someone outside to make sure you stay conscious and can pull you out (from a safe position themselves, hence the safety line) if you pass out. A couple guys died working on the space shuttle back in the early years because of that... the rear compartment of the shuttle with the main engines, plumbing, and fuel pumps was purged with pure nitrogen gas as a fire prevention measure before the shuttle was launched... some guys went in there to do some work and ended up passing out from lack of oxygen (breathing pure nitrogen) and ended up dying in there. They changed the procedures after that to prevent similar accidents. Later! OL J R :)
Thanks for this lesson. Is there any reason you would not pressure wash or steam genny the lower area once the grain is out? That "stuff" at the end of the video looked nasty...
know what you are talking about, rotten corn smell I would describe closest to the smell of a septic tank or human sewage in general, smells like money gotta love it!! lol
I always hate the off-gassing of my popcorn at the movie theater and it’s just a quart not 20,000 bushels must be awful but not as bad as 20,000 Clintonals or Obumals Thanx from the left coast near the Krapitol of California
+How Farms Work Farming can be a dangerous business and ignoring common safety practices is one reason for that. There are stories of entire families being killed in manure pits due to methane gas, not to mention the explosion risk.
+hlyautey it's a farm we do what we do, and know our limits. pretty sure it ain't this dude's first time. the shits no fun, but we sure as shit don't need OSHA involved. I've got sick as hell from that shit, yeah it's dangerous, but ain't nobody else gonna do it for ya
The biggest downfall to them is nobody cleans out around the gearboxes on them. Clean them out every year an you shouldn't have any problems but we have pulled a lit of them out an putting in a normal unloader for a harvestor
awd3264 Nitrogen dioxide would be a bad gas because it could cause irritation some time after exposure. I guess fermentation is inevitable when you store anything in a closed in container. On the positive side I cannot imagine insects surviving under those conditions.
no gas mask? I would be afraid the gas buildup would put pressure on the lid, especially in hot weather, forcing the lid off like as small explosion. please take care.
That's what the bags in the top are for... they allow air to enter and leave the silo to prevent pressure buildup or vacuum to develop, which can (and does) implode the silos... They act as a "bladder" to hold air inside the silo, yet keep it (and the oxygen it contains, which will spoil the feed and allow it to rot) separate from the gases inside the silo produced by the silage as it ferments. As more silage gas is produced and comes out of the silage, it pushes up on the bags, which then expel air out the vents on top of the silo. As the gases cool and contract, reducing in volume, air can enter into the bags through the vent and the bags expand to take up the extra space, equalizing the pressure. If the vents get plugged up or the bags don't work correctly, then yes the silo can pressurize and removing the hatch on a pressurized silo could blow it off in your face when you release the locks holding it on. Similarly, if the vents plug up and the bags cannot take in outside air when the silage is unloaded and/or it gets cold and the silage gas contracts inside, a vacuum can be produced in the silo that at some point could cause the silo to implode on itself, as the weight of the outside air crushes the silo in on itself. That's why it's important to make sure the bags and vents are installed and working properly. Later! OL J R :)
It's to preserve it. There are basically two ways of preserving grain or forages for livestock feed-- dry feed, which has had the moisture reduced to the level that bacteria and molds/fungi that would decompose or "rot" it cannot live or function on the stored grain or forage, (called "dry grain" or "dry hay"), OR, it can be stored wet and FERMENTED to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi which would rot and decompose it. Yeasts and some bacteria will grow and ferment the sugars and some starches in the stored grain or forage IF the moisture levels and temperature is within tolerances, and in the process they produce alcohol and carbon dioxide (and some other gases) as well as acetic acid (vinegar), which lowers the pH of the stored material. This process essentially "pickles" the grain or forage, preserving it. For it to remain "pickled", the oxygen in the atmosphere has to be kept out. This is done in trench silos by packing the forage down very tightly, squeezing as much of the air out as possible, so that as it ferments the remaining oxygen is used up and displaced by carbon dioxide and gases produced by the fermenting process. In Harvestore silos, the remaining oxygen in the silo is "used up" and then more oxygen from the atmosphere is kept out by the vent bag system at the top, which allows for expansion and contraction of the gases in the silo by fermentation production and heating/cooling, by allowing air to enter and leave the silo in the vent bags, which keep it separate from the silo gases inside, expanding or contracting the bags like a 'bladder' (same way your lungs work to take in and expel air). In stave silos, which are not sealed and air can enter, there is more waste as the top of the silage is exposed to oxygen and "rots" forming a "cap" or crust that then excludes air from getting to the silage underneath. Silage has benefits for the livestock as well... they like the alcohol just like people like having a beer or other alcoholic beverage. The acidic environment of the stored forage or grain results in partial breakdown (sort of like digestion) of the stored forage or grain, allowing more of the nutrients to be easier to extract and use by the animal consuming it. The "pickling" effect of the alcohol and acetic acid preserves a lot of the nutrients that would otherwise be lost during the drying process, which is why silage is more nutritious than dry hay in most cases. If you've ever eaten a pickle and drank a beer, you've had the equivalent of properly made silage... Later! OL J R :)
