shredded bark > meat mincer?

[der-seemann]

I was wondering if an electric meat mince would work well to process (soaked) shredded root bark.
This could be a very good alternative to processing the dry bark in a blender. Anyone tried it already? I don't have one, but considering to buy one for 35 € with crazy 2800w power and give it a try.

 

[Noflers]

Do you have the link to the mixer you're talking about?

I have about 5K of whole roots that were gifted to me. They were obviously not harvested sustainably and I made a fuss about it but they aren't even the person that harvested them...

Anyway. My idea for powdering it started with cutting the roots into 1-2" pieces, then an old hand crank meat grinder. Then i was going to soak the shreads in water and freeze. From the freezer i would go straight into a blender.

I always wondered why nobody blends the bark while it's frozen and/or acidified. Much less dust this way and i feel like lyseing the cells would be more complete.

 

[der-seemann]

I tried soaked root bark in a blender, but that was a mess as the fibers are to long and to strong and will wind up around the blade.
Just look on ebay or Amazon, you'll find some cheap machines like this.
I would start with the biggest blade , then make a second run with the medium and finally the smallest.
Then normal acid extraction...

 

[Nydex]

Well a string of muscle is not as durable as a string of moist plant fiber, so I would imagine the mechanism would get clogged up quick...So far the most effective way I've seen is dry bark in a coffee grinder. Those machines turn it into fine dust, which is how you want it for an extraction.

Instead of risking it with the meat grinder, why not go the safe route and pay the same amount of money for a decent coffee grinder and be sure it'll do the job just fine? Just my thoughts though. :thumb_up:

 

[fathomlessness]

The tried and tested way is always garden mulcher -> then run it through it one more time -> blender with water. Freezing at stages before during or after is a good idea to ease degradation.

 

[numinoid]

A hand-crank grain, or flour mill works for me.

Lots of satisfying work, and a sense of accomplishment and bonding with a process that results in... liberation!