FINCHforum

hi everyone, been a very long time since i've been on here but in all honesty schoool does not leave much in the way of a social life especially this time of year......... . well i decided to come back on here because i had a little spare time and im wondering what i can do to make sure my seed sprouts do not develop mold. i know that there are products available but im not sure where i can find them so is there a way i can do this without products? or where can i find them without needing to ship?
thanks

I put a few drops of Apple Cider Vinegar in the water while I soak them. Then I rinse them well and use them. I would only soak the seeds overnight. Any leftovers were rinsed a couple of times (3-4) during the day. All seed was used or thrown out on the second day. I never had any problems, but if in doubt, throw it out. You NEVER want to risk giving your birds sour or moldy seed!

Thanks Debbie, do you think regular vinegar would work? I never use apple cider vinegar nor have I ever tried it lol. Also I plan on freezing them so I'm going to drain them and let them dry for 24 hours and the weather is insanely dry here because it's winter so they should dry up quite well.

As far as I know, it must be Apple Cider Vinegar....I'm not sure what the difference is between the two, but regular vinegar lacks what acts as a bacterial retardant?.....Maybe someone else knows what makes ACV special?

I put a few drops of Apple Cider Vinegar in the water while I soak them. Then I rinse them well and use them. I would only soak the seeds overnight. Any leftovers were rinsed a couple of times (3-4) during the day. All seed was used or thrown out on the second day.

As far as I know, it must be Apple Cider Vinegar....I'm not sure what the difference is between the two, but regular vinegar lacks what acts as a bacterial retardant?.....Maybe someone else knows what makes ACV special?

Well, any vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid in water, and the acidity is what gives it its disinfectant properties. Distilled vinegar (white vinegar) is just 5% acetic acid, and can be used for pickling or for disinfecting kitchen surfaces. Apple cider vinegar has other organic acids in it that give it its flavor, and with most store brands it is also 5% (but not always).

A few drops of vinegar, whether it is apple cider or white, added to the soaking seeds is going to make a really very dilute solution, and may not be acidic enough to have an effect on mold or bacterial growth.

Debbie, the secret to your success may be how meticulous you are in using the sprouts quickly.

There is information in the Finch Information Center (this site) on rinsing the sprouts with dilute bleach after soaking, and then rinsing off the bleach. Advantages of that method, I think, are that the sprouts get exposed to a 5% concentration of bleach (there is very little dilution), for a very short time (no soaking into the sprouts) before being rinsed off.

hahah im takeing chemstry 30 right now so the acetic acid talk is making sense to me lol. thanks for the explanation, ill have to check it out

You caught me - I was a chem major!

Hahahaha I knew it!!!! Only someone in chemistry would give me an explanation like that! And that's very interesting to know. I love chemistry and steadily making its way to my favorite subject right after biology.

I soak a bucket of seed add 5mls of bleach,soak for 24hrs and then rinse ,wash and strain,put the seed in a foam box with a reptile heat pad at the base,seed sprouts in 24hrs and does not go mouldy .I then freeze it and pull out small portions as needed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xdo4XkE ... 4011653171

I found this very helpful for me. I just ordered my stuff to make the sprouted seed.

Diamond Sparrow wrote:I soak a bucket of seed add 5mls of bleach,soak for 24hrs and then rinse ,wash and strain,put the seed in a foam box with a reptile heat pad at the base,seed sprouts in 24hrs and does not go mouldy .I then freeze it and pull out small portions as needed

Thanks, but how much water do you put in the bucket?

I normally give the seed a quick wash before soaking it also.
I had enough water to cover the seed about to do another bucket over the next few days,