Wheatgrass sprouting odor problem

[brucesquatch]

I recently switched to sprouts and hay with a rare use of pellets for my 6 breeders and their little buns and they have had no problems switching to sprouts and even the occasional use of pellets, they just seem to get it. However...

My wife has a VERY sensitive sniffer (she once detected a gas leak that the repair man could barely find) and is freaking out about the smell from the sprouts.

Here are the conditions...
• Grown in a rack (pictures forthcoming...) with drainage and all
• In our basement, near a heat vent for the furnace that is mostly closed (warm, but not too warm)
• The water catch bins seem to get brown stuff in them every time I water, even when I change the water.
• There seems to be some slip or residue in the water, a tiny bit in the sprouting trays, but none of it looks like mold that I recognize as mold.
• The smell is a combo of sour and 'pit toilet' for lack of a better term
• I have tried adding peroxide, boraxo. The peroxide seemed to do nothing, the boraxo seemed to make it worse...
Any thoughts?

Bonus Question:
• I have been sprouting about 3 cups of dry sprouts but every batch is leaving about 1/2 cup not sprouted...any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Frecs]

I had to move my sprouting outdoors because my mother could not stand the smell of the sprouts even when it was going "right"...some people just need nose plugs!

BUT, that aside...

1. The brown in the water is dirt from the grains...some folks like to rinse the grains until the water runs clear. Honestly, I don't fret it.
2. Many folks will use just a tablespoon per gallon of bleach in their initial rinse water. This is to kill any mold spores that may be present on the grains. Do NOT use vinegar as vinegar will prevent sprouting. Ask me how I know...no, don't ask...
3. It should not smell like a latrine...it should not smell fermenting...it should smell like bread rising
4. Are you cleaning the trays between batches?
5. How often are you rinsing the trays? How often do you change out the water used for rinsing? Does the rinse water you catch sit open between rinses? Is there mold or moisture issues in your basement?

As for the bonus question: sounds like you are working with seeds that old and have lost some of their viability.

 

[brucesquatch]

Thanks for the info...

I do clean the trays after each use, because they have a sort of slimey coating on them. I do not have a moisture problem in the basement, but it is still a basement. I tried to use the water for as long as possible, but I am now switching to watering twice a day with the same water then dumping and refreshing it.

I am also tweaking other things to see what works.

Other ideas anyone?

 

[DogCatMom]

Just a general question from my own "salad seed sprouting" experiences. What's the air circulation like? If there's air just sitting, sort of dead-like, that could also contribute to an odor perception of...staleness. Maybe a small battery-powered fan would help, the kind people use to cool rabbit cages in summer heat.

 

[brucesquatch]

I placed the whole operation between my furnace and hot water heater for warmth, but it also has a partially opened heat register within a few feet, so my impressions have been that there is decent air movement...the basement has never had a moisture problem or felt stuffy before...

I have started adding a splash of bleach to the soaking bath. Also, I inverted my drip system so that the newest seeds are at the top and the sprouted seeds at the bottom. The other change I have made is to place more holes in the trays so they drain faster and send the water to the next tray more evenly...

The seeds that aren't sprouting problem is strange. I measure out a set amount from the bag of seeds, soak them, add them to the tray and they all seem to sprout. However, only about a quarter of the tray creates a 'mat' of roots and such, the other seeds sprout, sort of, but do not make a thick mat, they are just loose.

Any thoughts...