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Post by chadmart1076 on Aug 6, 2014 19:01:20 GMT -5
So, like many, I was trying to find a decent way to winnow my cocoa nibs... and in the end I think I have a good one. I'll post a picture or video soon.
I was looking around my garage and I saw a large vase. It has a top that is smaller in diameter than it's bottom, and it is round (not oval). It is probably 18-24" tall and the opening at the top is maybe an 8-12" diameter. I thought, "I wonder if I could get a cyclone effect going in that thing?" And I did!
I used a hair dryer on low speed and set it at the top, blowing into the bowl against the side and slightly down so that it would create a cyclone effect inside the bowl. The cocoa nibs and husks started to move and the husk was hitting a higher point on the edge of the bowl than the husks were! I did the first batch all at low speed, and in the end I think I had zero loss of usable nib! Sure, I lost the "dust", but in terms of solid nib, I don't think I lost any. I checked the husks that were littering the ground (luckily I had the foresight to do this outside) and didn't see any solid nib. The best part? I didn't see ANY husk in my nibs.
I've done this method a few more times since that first time, and I now crank the hair dryer up to high to speed up the process. In that case I do lose some nib, but way less than I would using the "traditional" method of winnowing. I also am finding that I do have some husk... but only the stuff that is really thick... heavier than the nibs.
What other fun or interesting home-made winnowers have you guys come across?
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