Grain Drying Cost Estimator - Per-Bushel Cost Including Fuel & Shrink
Compare on-farm drying vs. elevator docking to find the cheaper option
Calculate the true per-bushel cost of on-farm grain drying including propane or natural gas fuel, physical shrink loss, electricity for fans, and labor. Then compare against your elevator's drying and docking charges to determine which option saves you more money.
How much will your grain shrink when dried?
Grain Moisture Shrink Calculator →Need to size fuel storage for drying season?
Bulk Fuel Storage Planner →How It Works
-
Enter Dryer Details
Select dryer type (batch, continuous, or bin drying), fuel type (propane or natural gas), fuel price, and BTU efficiency.
-
Enter Grain Details
Input total wet bushels, initial moisture, and target moisture. Select your commodity for accurate shrink calculations.
-
Enter Elevator Charges
Input the elevator's drying charge per point per bushel and their shrink factor to generate a side-by-side comparison.
Built For
- Farmers deciding whether to invest in on-farm drying
- Farm managers budgeting harvest fuel costs
- Elevator operators pricing drying services competitively
Assumptions
- Dryer fuel consumption rates are based on manufacturer-published BTU per bushel per point values for each dryer type
- Propane energy content is 91,500 BTU per gallon; natural gas is 1,020 BTU per cubic foot
- Physical shrink follows the 1.183% per point formula for corn (adjusted by commodity if selected)
- Electricity cost for aeration fans is estimated separately from fuel cost at user-entered rate
- Elevator shrink factor is applied uniformly across all points of moisture removed
- Ambient conditions do not change during the drying cycle (single-point temperature and humidity)
Limitations
- Does not model weather-dependent natural air drying or low-temperature bin drying with variable ambient conditions
- Dryer efficiency varies significantly with ambient temperature, humidity, airflow, and grain temperature — actual fuel use may differ 15-30% from estimates
- Does not include capital cost amortization for dryer ownership in the per-bushel comparison
- Elevator drying and docking schedules may include hidden charges (handling fees, storage during drying) not captured here
- Does not account for quality loss from over-drying (stress cracks, reduced test weight) or under-drying (spoilage risk)
- Labor cost estimates assume a fixed hourly rate and do not account for overnight monitoring or weekend premiums
References
- ASABE D245.6 — Moisture Relationships of Plant-Based Agricultural Products (equilibrium moisture content)
- Purdue University Extension ID-172 — Corn Drying and Storage Economics
- Iowa State University Extension PM-2089 — Estimated Costs of Crop Production in Iowa (drying cost benchmarks)
- USDA-ARS — Energy Requirements for Grain Drying (BTU per point per bushel by dryer type)
- Midwest Plan Service MWPS-13 — Grain Drying, Handling and Storage Handbook
- University of Minnesota Extension — Comparing On-Farm Drying Costs to Elevator Charges
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn More
What Size Grain Bin Do I Need?
How to calculate grain bin capacity using real geometry, account for peaked vs level fill, factor in moisture shrink, and match your auger to the bin.
Related Tools
Grain Bin Capacity Calculator
Calculate bushel capacity for flat-bottom and hopper-bottom grain bins. Enter diameter, eave height, and commodity to get level fill, peaked fill, and partial fill volumes with weight estimates.
Grain Moisture Shrink Calculator
Calculate physical grain shrink from drying vs. elevator-applied shrink. See the hidden margin in your elevator's shrink factor and the dollar impact at current commodity prices.
Auger & Conveyor Sizing Calculator
Find the right auger diameter for your target bushels per hour. See capacity derating by angle and commodity, HP requirements, and time to fill a bin.