Dwayne,....
We have common ground, though my experience was not so much grain farming related as "End User, Delivery Chain".
We hauled a gazillion tons of raw grain into Ports all through Latin America in the 1960's. The Lower and 'tween decks were washed down, and lined with burlap and battens. We would than go to the grain elevators ( upriver from NOLA just a bit), and drive the vessel right down to her Plimsoll line with "Raw Grain".
At any number of ports in the Carib, we'd unload. Sometimes with pretty fancy clamshell buckets off a pier, sometimes with stevedores shoveling big old canvas slings full, and our own winches, tackle and booms flying it out, sometimes into barges, sometimes into rail cars, sometimes (rarely,) trucks.
After stripping the burlap and Battens (PART of the saleable / vended cargo) ALL hands would turn too, washing down the holds with the hatches open, whilst making way to pick up a return cargo.......the bilges would be FULL of grain, and Surprise, surprise,.......
Dead Rats.
It was always fun, "Washing Down" after a good twist off in a fair tropical port, and the "overtime" welcomed. Picture a crowd of bairly sober, just laid sailors with salt water hoses and brooms.
I worked below decks,though, and one of my MAIN duties was maintaining a uninterrupted flow through our bilge pumps.
It took the better part of a MONTH to get all of the obnoxious debris clear.
Valving off and pulling a "Strainer" that needs a small chain hoist to lift, ....full of fermented grain and jellied rat remains was always an un-welcomed task.
GTC
