Removing Surface Moisture
One of the latest ideas to be proposed for the steam flaking operation is to cool the flakes with a horizontal cooler or a vertical cooler. The procedure only removes the surface moisture. There is no actual drying of the grain below its original moisture-however, there will still be a moisture increase compared to the original grain. The equipment is standard, off the shelf hardware that is used in the feed manufacturing industry. Feed mills that produce flaked feed for the dairy and horse industries are using this procedure.

Mark Heimann, engineer of the CPM Roskamp Champion Company, of Waterloo, Iowa thinks there may be a need for flake cooling at selected feedlots. CPM, Roskamp Champion is a merger of California Pellet Mill Company and the Roskamp Champion Company. Roskamp, an old-line manufacturer of roller mills and other feed manufacturing machinery. The merged company manufactures, sells and services pellet mills, pellet mill coolers, and roller mills of various sizes.

What type of cooler is needed?
Mr. Heimann says horizontal, vertical, or counter-flow coolers are applicable to cool/dry steam flaked grain. Here are his comments:

1. Counter flow offers the best ambient air drying and cooling. (No heat added.) 2. Horizontal are easiest to equip with heaters for additional drying. 3. Vertical coolers occupy less floor space. Pre-heaters can be installed in the air intake stream. These pre-heaters are steam coils for horizontal and vertical coolers only, according to Mr. Heimann.

Does the Removal of Moisture have an Advantage?

Uniformity of the ration moisture
One of the advantages to a customer is the moisture level of the ration is stabilized. But the downside is the feedlot will have their positive shrink factor reduced. A uniform moisture in the grain fraction makes ration calculations more precise. Mr. Heimann's report says the dryer/cooler removes 5-8% moisture and within 10 degrees of the air that is used for the cooling/drying process. The volume of the cooling air flowing through the flakes can regulate the amount of the moisture removal.

Better Storage of Flakes
Flakes are famous for molding in the feedbunk if the bunk management is not closely monitored. Cooled dryer flakes will have a longer shelf life in the storage and in the feedbunk.

Elimination of Retrogrades of the Starch

There is some evidence that the starch that was improved by the flaking process may regress to a lower available value for the cattle when it is stored in a pile or bin for several hours. R. L. Montgomery, a senior nutritionist at Garden City Kansas, first proposed this. Cooling or drying the flakes back a few points of moisture may help remedy a retrograde problem if one truly exists.

Production of a Tougher Flake
My experience is the cooled flakes are easier to keep intact. Hot and wet flakes in a pile get mushy and break up during mixing and delivery to the feed bunk. The appearance in the feedbunk is always a plus for the customer's satisfaction.

Storage of Flakes for Hours or for One Day
One of the challenges at feedyards with flaked feed is having flakes ready for the morning feeding. Either flakes are stored over night or a crew comes in early to start the flaking process. With dried flakes there is a potential of having a days supply on hand. This has particular value for maintenance and down time. Having cooled flakes would give the flaking crew a day off.

For Feedlots with Expanded Cattle Numbers
If a feedlot is considering an expansion of pens and cattle numbers without increasing the milling capabilities then considering cooling flakes for several hours of storage may be an alternate alternative instead of adding flaking, milling capacity. ©