Cold grain temperatures will usually cause low readings, unless moisture has condensed on the surface. With condensed surface moisture, electronic testers will usually give high readings. Moisture condensation occurs when cold grain is removed from storage on a warm, humid day, or when cold samples are taken into a warm, humid room. Cold grain should be warmed in a sealed container before making moisture tests. Testing hot grain from a dryer is difficult, too.
Electronic testers tend to understate the moisture content of hot or rapidly cooled grain.
Grain also loses moisture as it cools. To get the actual moisture content of hot grain, let it cool slowly in a sealed container before testing. Remember, all moisture testers show some variability. Different readings can be obtained when the same sample is tested repeatedly. Because of this, you should test each sample at least three times and average the results.