Winnow/thresh seed from weed?

Mrs. Weedstein

Mrs. Weedstein

Well-Known Member
Any thoughts on an efficient way to winnow or thresh the seeds out of dried colas? Without wasting the seed or the weed? Most of the advice on regular seed winnowing and threshing assumes the chaff is worthless — obviously not the case here!
 
Aussieaceae

Aussieaceae

Well-Known Member
You talking separating the seeds from husks, once you have all the seeds in hand?

If so it's super easy doing a few hundred / few thousand seeds at a time, using something like a large sheet of cardboard or similar.
You want something with a large surface area and easily flexible.

Make sure the seeds and chaff are proper dry. I usually rub the seeds in my hands a bit before seperating too. Just to loosen it all and get the process started.
Then put the seeds in a pile on one end of your cardboard sheet. Then make a slight bow with the sheet, while also keeping it slightly tilted.
The seeds weigh more than the chaff and roll. So the chaff stays on the higher end and the seeds fall into whatever you use to collect them.

Really effective. Have never had to repeat the process more than 2 or 3 times before completely separated. Twice is usually all they need.
Being sure they're properly dry beforehand is probably the most important thing. Very difficult otherwise.

My vocabulary isn't great either, so apologize if I misunderstood your question.
All the best.
 
Mrs. Weedstein

Mrs. Weedstein

Well-Known Member
Aussieaceae said:
You talking separating the seeds from husks, once you have all the seeds in hand?

If so it's super easy doing a few hundred / few thousand seeds at a time, using something like a large sheet of cardboard or similar.
You want something with a large surface area and easily flexible.

Make sure the seeds and chaff are proper dry. I usually rub the seeds in my hands a bit before seperating too. Just to loosen it all and get the process started.
Then put the seeds in a pile on one end of your cardboard sheet. Then make a slight bow with the sheet, while also keeping it slightly tilted.
The seeds weigh more than the chaff and roll. So the chaff stays on the higher end and the seeds fall into whatever you use to collect them.

Really effective. Have never had to repeat the process more than 2 or 3 times before completely separated. Twice is usually all they need.
Being sure they're properly dry beforehand is probably the most important thing. Very difficult otherwise.

My vocabulary isn't great either, so apologize if I misunderstood your question.
All the best.
Click to expand...
Ok I will try that, though perhaps I have more chaff than what you’re used to. I basically crumbled up dry colas, so I’ve got a bunch of chunks of bud amid the seeds and finer biomass. Do you think your method will work in this situation as well?
 
Aussieaceae

Aussieaceae

Well-Known Member
Mrs. Weedstein said:
Ok I will try that, though perhaps I have more chaff than what you’re used to. I basically crumbled up dry colas, so I’ve got a bunch of chunks of bud amid the seeds and finer biomass. Do you think your method will work in this situation as well?
Click to expand...
Yep I reckon. And if you put the dry material on a screen and rubbed it a bit first, it may do a good job of roughing and loosening it all up a bit, prior to doing what I suggested.
And if you tilt the screen, the seeds will roll to one end all the same. I'd at least give it a go.
Putting it all in a tea towel and rubbing them together, same as you would to remove chaff from nuts would work too. Only you'd probably be wasting some material...
Obviously low quality, though the screen might give you some kief too.

Just give the screen / cardboard a bit of a jiggle, so the seeds get a roll.

Good luck! :p

P.S. You just want some friction. For the most part your hands and material is more than sufficient. Wouldn't surprise me if a screen isn't necessary at all as it is.
 
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