Dryer Master Experiences
Brian in Indiana
Brian is a long time Dryer Master user, having used Dryer Master systems for over 25 years now. He dries over a million bushels a year of Non-GMO waxy corn and has a wealth of experience to share.
Brian recently updated his two DM500 systems to two new DM510 systems to go on his two Zimmerman grain dryers, one a AP4500 and the other a Zimmerman VT3026.
Why did you buy Dryer Masters in the first place?
We were looking for a way to take the guesswork out of drying. Because we are a long term storage facility with minimal outbound blending capabilities, we needed consistent moisture and quality going into storage. The Dryer Master has been able to take the peaks and valleys out of our moisture content.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or alter your drying operations from an operational perspective?
We had to learn to let the Dryer Master do it’s job. I tell my operators that every adjustment they make when drying, is probably undermining what the Dryer Master has “planned”. We had to learn not to react to what was happening with outbound samples (unless it’s a long term trend)…for instance, if the outbound sample isn’t correct, that adjustment should’ve been made 2-3 hrs ago. We watch the hourly trend and trust that the DM knows what’s going in and what’s coming out and will adjust dryer speed accordingly to hit the average target moisture. Operators have to understand that the DM is always trying to average to the target…if corn is coming out a little dry for an hour, expect the dryer to speed up and you might see a little bit of wetter corn for an hour. My main advice to operators…”don’t over-react, let the DM d
o it’s job”.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer and/or their Dryer Master?
During harvest, we often can see a 5-10% spread in the moisture of inbound grain. While the Dryer Master can handle those ranges of moisture, we try to “help” it by making the inbound wet grain stream more consistent. We have 3 wet hopper tanks and will divide those into 3 moisture ranges. We then blend those grain streams to the dryer to get a more consistent moisture content on the inbound side of the dryer. This helps the Dryer Master by not making it “react” to those big swings. It also helps us narrow the range that it takes to get to our average outbound target moisture.
Have you fo
und a financial difference in your drying performance using Dryer Master? In what way?
Yes. Anytime we overdry corn or underdry corn and have to recirculate, we are not getting efficient use of our utilities expense or our drying assets. The Dryer Master minimizes those situations and helps us stay within a very narrow +/- range of our target moisture.
How often do you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor? And what is your calibration procedure?
We sample every 30-45 minutes while the dryers are running. We keep a log sheet comparing DM sample to Moisture Meter (Dickey-John) sample. If we have 3 samples in a row that are off more than .5% in the same direction…then we calibrate.
Aaron in Illinois
Aaron has a smaller 1610 Grain Handler dryer that he uses to dry about 200,000 bushels of oats and corn. He has now had his DM510 for 2 seasons and uses the Dryer Master moisture sensor chute with a rotary feed which helps provide a consistent flow of product past the outlet moisture sensor.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
I had not heard anything about Dryer Master but my bin dealer and the Grain Handler folks recommended it.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or help your drying operations from an
operational perspective?
It allows me to be a little freer to do ot
her tasks.
How often do you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor?
All throughout the first day, then if it is staying close to the bench tester, just once a day.
How much difference does it make to have real time moisture information versus having to go out and take a sample?
A lot. I’m able to check the moisture of the dryer discharge no matter where I am.
Do you use DM-Mobile for remote access.
Yes, I use it on my smartphone all the time, day and night.
Brian in Pennsylvania
Brian dries about 250,000 bushels of corn and soybeans with his Grain Handler 1610 dryer. He has now had a Dryer Master DM510 for 3 seasons. In the photo of the DM510 panel, on the right there is a small black device. This is part of the remote wireless I/O setup option. This option simplifies installations where the DM510 panel is located at a far distance from the dryer, or where a conduit run would be difficult.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
It was recommended by the Dealer and Rep from Grain Handler
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
I was surprised how it could compensate for different input moisture after it had run long enough to build the data it needed. Compensates better for large input changes than any other controller I have used.
How often d
o you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor? And what is your calibration procedure? (Note: The photo is of the outlet sensor installation. Brian diverts a portion of the outlet flow to a pipe where the sensor is mounted. The product flow past the sensor is kept constant by the auger that returns the product to the main stream. )
Check / Calibrate several times daily especially if we changed varieties of corn. Also check before overnight. I recalibrate if its more than a couple tenths off. I push the calibrate button mounted near sensor and take a sample over about 20 to 30 seconds. Gives me enough grain to run two tests on my moisture tester. If both tests are close to the same, I average and recalibrate. If the tests are not close, I start over.
Ryan in Ontario
Ryan has been a Dryer Master user since 1999. The first Dryer Master installed was a DM500 model and it went in at their then only drying location. In 2009, with the construction of a new facility at a new location, two Dryer Master DM510s were added for their Dorssers dryer. (For those unfamiliar with the Dorssers dryer it is an Ontario made dryer that you can see at quite a few locations around Southern Ontario.) In Ryan’s case each Dryer Master controls 1/2 of the dryer and so you can have the two sides running at different speeds. Combined, Ryan dries around 750,000 bushels of corn a year.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
The ease of controlling the dryer and improving the output consistency for storage. We also liked the idea that you could run it in an automatic mode which allowed us to focus time on other areas of the business during harvest.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or alter your drying operations from an operational perspective?
When operating the Dryer Master, patience is key. You have to have trust in the system to follow the targets that you set out to achieve. It allows you to focus on other areas of operations during the peak time and yet have faith that the targets will be met.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
It takes a bit of time to have faith that the targets will be met. At the conclusion of the year, it is surprising how close the targets are met when the final report is generated. This goes to show that corrections are made throughout the drying season and in the end you achieve what you had set as a goal going into harvest.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer and/or their Dryer Master?
Patience is key, give the DM time to learn the characteristics of the grain and it will meet your requirements. Keep an eye on all the moisture pods for blockage as this can give false readings.
How often do you typically calibrate your outlet moisture sensor?
We calibrate quiet often and likely too much.Every half hour if we have issues. On average we likely calibrate every 1.5 hours. When things are busy every 2-4 hours. It is nice to be able to go to the screen and know that the physical product is accurate to what the reading is giving you.
Pete in Michigan
Pete is a long time Dryer Master user. He bought his first two Dryer Master systems (DM150 models) way back 1996, one for an older Delux dryer and one for a Redex. He currently has two DM510 models, one on a 2014 model Delux DPX16GT dryer and the other on an older Meyer 2000 bu./hr. dryer. He uses them for drying over 2 million bushels a year of corn, soybeans and soft red wheat.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
I was unhappy with our drying results. We would over dry and also under dry. Also we had acquired another location where the drying was even more erratic due to varying corn moistures and an inability to control the dryer.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
Yes it would adjust the speed when we did not think it should but it was correct and the dry corn coming out of the dryer was much more stable.
Have you found a financial difference in your drying performance using Dryer Master? In what way?
Yes we can ship corn right at the target level of moisture that we want to. The over drying of corn costs much more than most people realize. Also we dry wheat to ship to flour mills that have strict moisture requirements.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer and/or their Dryer Master?
I would stage corn in a wet bin and run air for two days then dry it. This means more wet storage and then drying 24 hours a day when you start to dry. The longer we run the dryer the better job we do.
Any other 
advice or comments you would like to pass on?
We have tried three different dryer controllers that were dryer manufacturer based and the Dryer Master simply works better in my opinion. The experience that they have with other industries and other products gives them much more knowledge than just about grain drying.
Kevin in Indiana
Kevin has two Dryer Master DM510s. The first one he installed about 15 years ago. He then he bought a second one five years ago to go on his new dryer. Kevin’s two dryers are both Zimmerman towers (one is 2,000 bu. and the other 4,000 bu.).
Kevin recently updated his DM510s with DM Mobile, Dryer Master’s remote access application. (DM Mobile is standard on all new DM510s, but it can also be added onto older DM510s allowing owners to add the latest in remote access capabilities to their dryer at a reasonable cost).
What had you heard about Dryer Master before you purchased your first system?
I talked to a guy who owned one and he told me that I would not want to dry another bushel without it.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
I was surprised with how accurate the sensors are & how well they keep their calibration.
The sensors are also very durable, I had one sitting in rotten corn and water all summer and did not know it, cleaned it off and it still worked as it should.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer and/or their Dryer Master?
We found that the Zimmerman dryer will make fairly large swings in moisture at first, 1.5 – 2 pts, but once it found its sweet spot it stayed on target.
Longer Runs = Better
How much difference does it make to have real time moisture information versus having to go out and take a sample?
It is a huge difference being able to walk in the office and know what my moisture is in real-time and be able to keep an eye on it while unloading trucks and all the other things that are going on.
It’s great knowing how accurate it is vs. taking a sample from say maybe 2 columns at best, whereas the sensor (through the printout) gives me summaries every 10 minutes from a much larger sample size, giving me not only more accurate information, but also more useful information, and it’s better than doing it myself.
Do you use DM-Mobile? If so how do you use it (phone/PC/home/at night?), how often do you use it?
Yes, on an iPhone and on a PC
All the time when it is running, I no longer have to make midnight runs to the dryer to check on it, I can check on it without having to get out of bed.
Dryer Master Experiences: Larry in Ontario
Larry dries about 15,000 tons a year of corn, wheat, soybeans and canola and he has used Dryer Masters for the last 3 years.
Larry has a rather unique setup with 2 Dryer Master DM510s on his Grain Handler 4020 grain dryer (40 feet long, 20 sections high). Each DM510 controls one side of the dryer, with each side having its own separate drive. And yes, the two sides of the dryer will often run at different speeds. The picture to the side shows two of the newest Dryer Master sensor chutes with a rotary feed (highlighted with the black circles).
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
To get a reliable controller for the dryer.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or help your drying operations from an operational perspective?
Makes life easier not having to keep adjusting the output of the dryer.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
We had had one on our older dryer (an MC 1195) but with the Grain Handler it seems to want to take control faster and is more consistent.
How much difference does it make to have real time moisture information versus having to go out and take a sample.
It’s a huge difference because at harvest time it gets busy unloading trucks and grading samples. I used to take moisture samples every hour but now with where the inlet and outlet sensors are, they are really accurate, so now if there is a lull with crop coming in I will take a sample, maybe twice a day.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer, their drying operations, and/or their Dryer Master?
After talking to Wolf at Dryer Master we started using 2 wet bins, so we dry the corn that came in yesterday, today (having let it sit a day). Really made the corn easier to dry – especially the first of the harvest. It seems to bring the moisture closer to the tip of the kernel.
Dryer Master Experiences: Anthony in Ohio
Anthony has 2 Dryer Master DM510 systems, the first of which he added in 2007. He runs them on his two Zimmerman dryers, drying about 1.5 million bushels/year of corn and soybeans. This year he will be adding the DM Mobile remote access functionality so that he can check on his dryers at any time from anywhere.
Why did you buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
We purchased DM because any of the factory controls we had tried just did not work. We spoke to a neighbor that was running a DM at the time and they were completely satisfied. The DM was money well spent and I would not run without.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or help your drying operations from an operational perspective?
The DM allows me to be more available during harvest season. I do not have to babysit the dryers all day and night. I just have much more confidence in the DM sensors and don’t feel I have to check constantly.
How often do you calibrate the moisture sensors?
I try and calibrate every chance I get. It seems once the dryers have been running a while I have to calibrate less often. I try to check it every couple hours.
And what is your calibration procedure?
My sampling procedure is this, for the input sensor I take several samples from the leg that is feeding the dryer. I average the moistures and wait about 12 min and start the calibration on the DM.
For the output sensor I hit the green button and take small samples the entire time the light is flashing (30 seconds). I run that sample through the tester about 3 or 4 times and enter in the average moisture.
You run two dryers. How do you allocate product between the dryers?
Normally for the first half of harvest one dryer is drying corn and the other soybeans. When I have them both in corn If we are harvesting inconsistent moistures I try to keep one drying higher moisture and one in the lower. We then unload both dryers into the same bin to get some blending between both of them.
Have you found a financial difference in your drying performance using Dryer Master? In what way?
The DM system has saved us time and money. I have consistent moistures coming out of the bin, we are not over drying like we did with previous controls, and the system is user friendly.
Dryer Master Experiences: Jon in Ontario
Jon is relatively new to Dryer Master but he is great example of how moisture control is no longer just for big elevators, and how more and more it is making its way into smaller operations.
Jon has a DM510 system and has had it for 2 seasons now. He added it as a retrofit onto an MC dryer and dries about 300,000 bushels a year of corn and soybeans.
Why did you
buy a Dryer Master in the first place?
We had been having issues with the original controller, the dryer had to be babysat 24/7. With just myself looking after the elevator during harvest it became very necessary to find a controller that I could trust so that I could get some sleep and be functional the next day.
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or help your drying operations from an operational perspective?
It has given me a lot more confidence in my drying system which allows me focus on other parts of the system which need my attention during the course of the day. Once its up and running I check the calibration once in the morning and once more before I head to the house for the night. With the Dryer Master running I just don’t stress about my dryer anymore.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
I thought it would be more complicated to run than it is. I was completely comfortable running the system within just a couple of hours. The over the phone support is great, everybody at Dryer Master seems to know the system like the back of their hand.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer and/or their Dryer Master?
Give the system time to react if you make changes to the settings. 1-1.5 hours depending on how fast the dryer is running. Too many changes in a short period of time will have you frustrated and chasing your tail. Once the Dryer Master is up and running it takes very little interaction to keep it going. Let it work and find something else to fuss over.
Have you found a financial difference in your drying performance using Dryer Master? In what way?
The biggest financial gain for us would be the accuracy that it can discharge grain at the correct moisture. We have noticed that when shipping grain out, our bins are much more even top to bottom, with no wild swings in moisture. Over and under drying used to cost us every year, now its pretty much a non issue.
Do you use DM Mobile? If so how do you use it (phone/PC/home/at night?)
Yes, definitely. This is a huge benefit to my operation. I use it throughout the day from my Iphone, and also at night from my Ipad or Iphone. I can wake up a couple times through the night, see whats happening and get back to sleep. It has made the harvest season mush easier to get through. My days run much smoother because I’m not completely exhausted from being up all night with the dryer.
Dryer Master Experiences: Myron in Illinois
Myron has worked with Dryer Masters systems for over 10 years. He currently uses two DM510s on two Zimmerman 4500 tower dryers, typically drying around 4 million bushels of corn a year. In the first photo you have the DM510’s sitting side by side, along with the printers that Myron makes good use of. The bottom picture shows a slightly unusual sensor placement (the conduit runs to the back of the moisture sensor).
How does the Dryer Master change the way that you dry, or help your drying operations from an operational perspective?
We can generate a printout tape to evaluate the functions over night or during the day. To monitor moisture ranges.
Did anything surprise you about how your Dryer Master worked when you first used it?
The ease of operation.
What drying tips (if any) would you like to pass on to other dryer owners about how to get the most out of their dryer and/or their Dryer Master?
During start up – give it plenty of time to learn and if possible they work the best if you don’t shut down, and run 24 – 7.
Have you f
ound a financial difference in your drying performance using Dryer Master?
Yes, more consistent for moisture blending.
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