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I CAN HAZ CROISSANTZ?

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Sprout Ladder

Not at all like Jack's Magic Beanstalk
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By all accounts, sprouts are good food. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Nothing will do more for your health and vitality than regular injections of fetal stem cells or feeding on the souls of your prey.

You can buy sprouts, usually of the pre-slimed variety. Fresh is best, but it's terribly troublesome. Usually I forget and don't do it, or end up with a sprout glut on an irregular basis. Making a steady supply seems like a lot of work.

So: This semi-automated sprouting machine consists of an elevator-belt conveyor: a conveyor belt with cleats attached to the belt at regular intervals. The entire belt is tilted up to an almost-vertical angle and enclosed in a clear plastic housing. The lower pulley is submerged in a tray of water. A seed dispenser is aimed at the lowest cleat. A spray nozzle is fitted near the top of the housing. The whole thing would be about 8"x12" x 18" tall.

The belt would be powered by a wind-up clockwork or perhaps a water-powered timer, turning about 1 rev/day. Ideally the seed dispenser and rinse would also be on the same clock cycle, leaving the user to fill the water and seed tanks, and enjoy fresh sprouts from the top of the belt each day!

afinehowdoyoudo, Mar 18 2008

Brussel sprouts http://en.wikipedia...iki/Brussels_sprout
Children simply love these, and can't eat enough of them. [Ling, Mar 18 2008]

How it's done now http://www.avrdc.or...ungbean/sprouts.pdf
[ConsulFlaminicus, Mar 18 2008]

The Sprouts of Wrath http://www.sproutlo...oks/rankinbooks.php
oblig. Robert Rankin ref. He likes sprouts. [Ling, Mar 18 2008]

[link]






       Not Brussel Sprouts, then?
Ling, Mar 18 2008
  

       I think this is about alfalfa sprouts, or possibly mung bean sprouts. Both of which are sprouted seeds, the alfalfa being popular in California health food, bean sprouts being popular in Chinese food.   

       In English food, "sprouts" refers to Brussel Sprouts (Ling's link), a sort of miniature cabbage with a nasty flavor, especially when overboiled in a metal pot.   

       As for the idea: maintaining sterility is going to be a bugger. You'll soon get a mold/mildew infestation, which is a greater risk than many sprouters realize, and it will go around the belt and ruin everything.
baconbrain, Mar 18 2008
  

       Well, I was going to bun as it seems to be a decent idea, until [baconbrain] added some sensibility to it. I sprout my alfalfa in a small jar with a cheese-cloth lid. It must be washed with fresh water everyday until fully sprouted, so if [iron_horse] guarantees fresh water daily, I'll sprout a bun. +
xandram, Mar 18 2008
  
      
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