How long do I soak the beans?
Only soak for 12 hours, preferably overnight. Dump the dirty water, rinse and replace in tray. No more soaking is necessary.
My beans are not sprouting. What did I do wrong?
You may not have soaked them long enough or the temperature in your home is cool. You could try soaking for an additional few hours or rinse more often until the germination begins.
My beans are growing like crazy. How can I stop this?
Your home environment is warm. When the roots are twice as long as the bean, refrigerate. How do I refrigerate? Place your sprouter in fridge directly or place in container. Rinse once daily.
The roots keep growing through the screen. What should I do?
Gravity says "grow down". The easiest thing to do is agitate the beans every time you rinse by shaking the screen side to side or move the beans about with your hand when rinsing.
How often should I rinse?
During the germination process, rinse morning and night. When refrigerated, rinse once daily.
My sprouter has developed a film. Is it dangerous?
Our water today has many minerals in it from the purification processing. Try to use filtered water. The film on the sprouter is easily cleaned with a soft sponge and mild dish soap.
How do I clean the screen?
The screen is stainless steel. An SS or copper scrubber will loosen up the grime. Some people soak it in vinegar as a natural acidic cleaner. Clean it once a month or as needed.
My sprouts are turning brown. What's going on?
You have left them too long in the tray and they have "overgerminated". Cook 'em up or dump and start again.
How much water should I use when sprouting?
Only soak for the first 12 hours. Use enough water to touch all the beans completely. It is not necessary to fill the tray so that the water covers the beans.
What else can I sprout other than Mung beans?
Here is a thorough list from Wikipedia as to what you can sprout.
• Pulses (legumes; pea family): alfalfa, clover, fenugreek, lentil, pea, chickpea, mung bean and soybean (bean sprouts), adzuki. • Oilseeds: sesame, sunflower, almond, hazelnut, linseed, peanut.
• Umbelliferous vegetables (parsley family) - these may be used more as microgreens than sprouts. carrot, celery, fennel, parsley.
• Cereals: oat, wheat, maize (corn), rice, barley, rye, kamut and then quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat (these last three are used as cereal even if botanically they are not)
• Brassica (cabbage family): broccoli, cabbage, watercress, mustard, mizuna, radish, and daikon (kaiware sprouts), rocket (arugula), tatsoi, turnip. • Other vegetables and herbs: spinach, lettuce, milk thistle, lemon grass
Can I cook my sprouts?
Cooking kills food. Primarily it will destroy the natural enzymes in sprouts. Eating them raw is the best way to garner nutrition from the sprout. Cooking is not forbidden though and some nutritional value (proteins/carb/vitamins) may still be there after cooking.
How can I start selling the sprouter in my community?
We are always looking for people to sell our sprouters, either at health shows, bazaars or farmer's markets. Contact any of the distributors and they will set you up or put you in touch with someone who can.
My local health store isn't selling your sprouter. Can they sell it too?