Running a feed mill is a delicate balance between supply and demand, science and art, love and labor. Between making the mash and packing the final pellets in their bags, a feed mill owner can use all the help he or she can get. Fortunately, renting a chiller can help you achieve the high quality of pellet you are looking for. How does this happen?
The Perfect Amount Of Humidity
Running a feed mill, you know there is a fine dance between hot and cold that your grains and mash have to perform in order to become good pellets. It starts with the grains, especially corn, which can lose bulk through moisture loss and become more difficult to make into pellets if is too moist. The chilled air is naturally dehumidified so that evaporative cooling can take place, so that you can the grains to prepare the perfect mash. Your grains should have 2% moisture in order to make the pellets of the highest quality. There will be fewer stress cracks and the pellets will be fresher.
Preserving Grains
Cooling grains quickly before putting them in a silo goes a long way towards prolonging the shelf-life of grains and pellets. You are dealing with ingredients such as corn and rye, which can attract bugs and mycotoxins if they are allowed to sit in an un-insulated silo without treatment. The humidity from the air can wind up in the grains as it sits in the silo, which can cause mold as well.
Normally, if you find your silo of grain infested with insects and mold, you might have to treat the grain with chemicals, but you can prevent this expense by using a grain chiller before you store them. You will be able to store the grain with less expense later down the line.
Why Rent?
Ok, so having a chiller at your feed mill is a good plan for preserving the quality of your pellets. But why rent one? Well, renting a chiller is custom made for feed mills. It allows you to test out chillers for their ambient air qualities and fit in your workflow. Does a particular chiller fit the building at your mill? Does it dry and cool your grains quickly enough for your liking? These are things that you sometimes can only take an educated guess at until you rent it and try it out.
Asides from the flexibility in trying designs, there is the grain itself. You may also have to buy in bulk right at harvest and then hold on to large quantities for months at a time. You will need a chiller, or more likely a second chiller, to deal with overload efficiently right when the grains come in, but you may not need the chiller for the rest of the year. Even if you are cooling your whole silo to prepare it for the grains, you only need to hang onto it for 3 weeks. For the rest of the time, it may simply be taking up space. If you are renting it, you have it when you need it.
Then there is the maintenance. Chillers do occasionally need to be checked out, and a feed mill owner may find it handy to let the rental company guarantee that it has been properly maintained. This lets you focus on making your pellets.
Ultimately, you will need help picking the best chiller for your feed mill. That’s why J.C Younger has been renting out chillers specific to industry needs since 1956. If you think your mill needs a chiller and you want some help picking the right one, contact us.
