Grain Moisture Shrink Calculator

Summary

When grain is dried from harvest moisture down to a safe storage level, it loses water weight — and with it, measurable bushels. This calculator uses the standard shrink formula to show exactly how many pounds and bushels are lost, so you can compare drying costs against shrink losses before deciding to dry on-farm or sell at a discount.

How it works

1. Enter the total weight of wet grain (in pounds or tons).
2. Enter the starting moisture content as a percentage.
3. Enter the target storage moisture (14% for corn, 13% for soybeans, 13.5% for wheat are common targets).
4. Optionally enter a drying cost per bushel to see total drying cost vs. weight recovered.
5. The calculator applies the standard shrink formula: Shrink % = (Starting MC − Target MC) ÷ (100 − Target MC) × 100.
6. Results show dry weight, bushels lost, and estimated drying cost.

Use cases

• Estimate bushel loss when corn comes in at 22% and needs drying to 14%.
• Compare on-farm drying cost against commercial drying discounts at the elevator.
• Calculate net bushels delivered after shrink adjustments at grain buyers.
• Project weight loss for soybeans, wheat, or grain sorghum.
• Plan storage capacity needs after accounting for moisture reduction.
• Audit elevator shrink deductions against what the formula predicts.

Frequently Asked Questions