Carefully read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. All moisture testers show some variability when the same sample is tested repeatedly. An average of three successive readings should be used. Temperature Compensation - Attention must be paid particularly to the tester's temperature compensation. Grain temperature has a large effect on moisture readings.
Some testers have automatic compensation, and some compensate when a button is pushed.
Others require separate measurement of grain temperature with a thermometer and the addition or subtraction of a correction factor to the moisture reading. Condensed surface moisture produces erroneously high readings in electronic testers. Avoid this problem by placing the grain into a sealed container and allowing it to equilibrate to the ambient temperature before testing. When selling grain in warm weather, warm the grain by aeration to avoid erroneous high moisture readings. Hot Grain - Electronic testers will underestimate the moisture content of hot grain that has not reached equilibrium by at least 1 to 2 percentage points.