Estimate grain drying cost per bushel based on moisture points removed, energy costs, and shrink to make informed harvest timing and marketing decisions.
Grain drying is one of the most significant post-harvest costs in corn and other grain production Whether you are a beginner or experienced professional, this free online tool provides instant, reliable results without manual computation. By automating the calculation, you save time and reduce the risk of costly errors in your planning and decision-making process. This tool handles all the complex arithmetic so you can focus on interpreting results and making informed decisions based on accurate data. Accurate estimation helps you plan ahead, compare scenarios, and optimize outcomes for better overall results in your specific situation., often costing $0.03–$0.06 per bushel per point of moisture removed. The expense includes energy (propane, natural gas, or electricity), shrinkage from moisture weight loss, equipment depreciation, and labor.
This Grain Drying Cost Calculator estimates the total drying cost per bushel based on the number of moisture points removed, the energy cost per point, and the economic value of shrinkage. Shrink is a real cost because the bushels you deliver after drying weigh less than the bushels you harvested — you lose sellable weight when removing water.
Understanding your drying cost helps you make better harvest timing decisions (harvest early and dry, or wait for field drying?), negotiate fair drying charges at commercial elevators, and evaluate investments in on-farm drying and storage systems.
Many producers underestimate drying costs by looking only at the propane bill and ignoring shrinkage, which can be the larger component. This calculator includes both energy and shrink to give you the true economic cost of drying. It also helps compare on-farm drying against commercial elevator charges, and evaluate whether waiting for additional field drying saves money despite the risks of delayed harvest.
Points to remove = Initial% − Target%; Shrink% = (Initial% − Target%) / (100 − Target%); Energy cost = Points × $/pt/bu; Shrink cost = Shrink% × Price/bu; Total drying $/bu = Energy cost + Shrink cost + Other
Result: $0.95/bu total drying cost
Points to remove = 25% − 15% = 10 points. Energy cost = 10 × $0.04 = $0.40/bu. Shrink = (25 − 15) / (100 − 15) = 11.76%. Shrink cost = 11.76% × $4.50 = $0.53/bu. Other costs = $0.02/bu. Total = $0.40 + $0.53 + $0.02 = $0.95/bu.
Total drying cost has three main components. Energy is the most visible — the propane or natural gas bill that arrives after harvest. But shrink is often a larger cost because it represents actual grain that you harvested but cannot sell. The third component is overhead: dryer depreciation, electrical power for fans, labor, and maintenance.
When all three are combined, drying cost frequently reaches $0.08–$0.12 per bushel per point of moisture removed. On corn harvested at 25% and dried to 15%, that's $0.80–$1.20 per bushel — a significant expense when corn prices are $4–$6/bu.
On-farm drying gives you control over timing and cost but requires capital investment in equipment. Commercial elevator drying is convenient but typically charges a premium above actual cost, especially through aggressive shrink factors. Many elevators apply 1.3–1.5% shrink per point when actual physical shrink is only about 1.18%.
The drying cost calculator helps inform harvest timing. Every extra day of warm, windy fall weather can remove 0.5–1 moisture point at zero energy cost. But delayed harvest risks stalk lodging, ear drop, wildlife damage, and early snowfall. Use the calculator to determine your drying cost at different moisture levels and compare that against the estimated risk and field losses of waiting.
When you remove moisture from grain, the grain loses weight because the water evaporates. Shrink is the percentage of weight lost. If you start with 1,000 bushels at 25% moisture and dry to 15%, you lose approximately 11.8% of the volume — you end up with about 882 bushels of dry grain. The lost 118 bushels represent real economic value.
The standard formula is: Shrink% = (Initial moisture − Target moisture) / (100 − Target moisture) × 100. This accounts for the fact that you're removing a percentage of the total weight, not just the moisture content. The divisor (100 − Target%) converts the moisture removal into a weight-loss percentage.
It depends on weather risk, field losses, and drying costs. Early harvest avoids stalk lodging, ear drop, and weather damage but incurs drying costs. Waiting reduces drying cost but increases harvest risk. Often, the break-even is around 2–3 moisture points — if field drying will take more than a week to save those points, the risk usually isn't worth it.
At $1.50/gal propane, energy cost is roughly $0.03–$0.05 per point per bushel. At $2.00/gal, it rises to $0.04–$0.07/pt/bu. Dryer efficiency varies — newer continuous flow dryers are more efficient than older batch in-bin systems.
Most elevators charge a flat fee per point of moisture removed, typically $0.04–$0.07/pt/bu. Some also apply shrink at 1.2–1.5% per point (exceeding the actual physical shrink). Always compare the elevator's total cost to your on-farm cost, including their shrink factor.
Yes, natural air (or low-temperature) drying uses fans to push ambient air through grain in a bin. It's much cheaper on energy (electricity for fans only) but requires suitable weather conditions (cool, dry air) and more time. It works best for removing 3–5 points of moisture in fall conditions.