BIO-SET Sprouter
We no longer offer this item. We used to say...We Sproutpeople don't much like "no-rinse" multi-tiered Sprouters like the Bio-Set. But... Enough of our customers have requested this type of Sprouting Device, to keep us offering it. Please read about it before ordering one.
Bio-Set Assembly
From bottom to top: Solid white drip tray on bottom, growing tray, growing tray, growing tray and the white reservoir tray on top.
There are Bio-Sets on this planet that have Black, instead of White trays. All of them have clear growing trays.
Bio-Set is made of plastic.
You MUST have the white siphon cap in place for Bio-Set to function. Every Bio-Set comes with 4 - one for each growing tray and one for the reservoir tray. Treat those little caps well and don't lose them!
The best loved European tray sprouter, Bio-Set is supposed to do some of the work of sprouting for you - by helping with the Rinsing and Draining. It has 3 growing trays.
Bio-Set isn't like our other tray sprouters. It is a siphon sprouter (like Biosta - a sprouter we no longer sell), which works on the principle of retained high humidity. We are big on Rinsing, Draining and air-circulation, so we are generally at odds with this concept.
According to the manufacturer's directions: Water enters the Bio-Set by filling the top tray - the reservoir tray as we call it. The water then siphons down to the lower trays - one by one - through the siphon holes, and ends up in the drip tray at the bottom of the stack. The concept is this: Water is retained in the grooves on the bottom of each growing tray, creating humidity, theoretically conducive to sprouting.
The Bio-Set is 8 1/4 inches tall, 6 inches in diameter. It has three 1 1/2 inch tall, clear growing trays, a white drip tray and the top reservoir tray - where you add water - also white. The bottom of each tray is full of grooves. Water remains in those grooves and because of the sealed nature of the device, creates the high humidity desired. In theory your seeds will germinate in this very humid space. The problem is that, when your seeds are small (Leafy Sprouts like Alfalfa and Clover, small Brassicas like Broccoli and Mustard, etc.) - they sit in the grooves, and therefore in water. In our experience, a seed that sits in water will rot before it germinates.
Though we are generally opposed to this concept - it can work. Big seeds (like Beans and Grains do quite well, because they are too big to sit under-water in the tray's grooves. Little seeds can work too, if you are either lucky, less demanding (willing to accept a high percentage of un-sprouted seeds), or willing to Rinse and Drain each tray manually 2-3 times daily like our favorite European tray sprouter Bio-Salad or our favorite tray sprouter of them all - SproutMaster. Bio-Set is also good at growing Grass, and growing Radish into Micro-Greens, but the roots of those plants will cause problems for your Siphon Caps. The Siphon Caps can get so intermingled with the roots that they either get lost or broken when you try to get them out.
Growing Capacity Per Tray : 1.5 Cups of Sprouts. Each tray can yield approximately 6-8 ounces of Leafy Sprouts or 12 ounces of Bean or Grain sprouts.
FOR USE WITH THESE SEEDS/CROPS
These seeds are the Best match for Bio-Set:
Beans - All (see Mung Beans - under Seed Specific Sprouting Instructions, further down the page).
Mung Beans - We suggest that you stay with small and sweet Mungs when using Bio-Set.
Grains - All, except for Amber Waves of Grain (because of its small seeds).
Possibilities:
Leafy Sprouts: Alfalfa/Clover and Mixes - If you really want to grow these little seeds you should consider Rinsing and Draining the tray manually - by tipping it after every Rinse, to get as much water out as possible - as you would with Bio-Salad or SproutMaster. If you want to grow vertical Leafy Sprouts use SproutMaster.
Brassicas - Broccoli, Radish, Mustard, Cabbage, etc. If you really want to grow these little seeds you should consider Rinsing and Draining the tray manually as you would with Bio-Salad or SproutMaster. Remember: Keep these Brassicas from forming a mass.
Exotics - Garlic, Onion, Fenugreek These really will do better if you do your Rinsing and Drain manually. Alliums that sit in water produce an amazingly strong smell which virtually no human being likes in their house! Fenugreek is big enough to stay out of the grooves, but may not thrive in such a humid climate.
Nuts, Seeds and Pseudograins - Almonds, and Peanuts will work best. Sunflower and Pumpkin may not do well in the high humidity. The little seeds - like Quinoa and Amaranth will be drowned in the water - so you'll need to Drain manually if you are growing them.
Pre-Sprout - Acceptable and Possibilities:
Grass and Greens - Because the Bio-Set holds moisture well, it makes it possible to grow grass and greens without soil. Doing so always requires extra attention but as long as you keep the seeds moist all through growing, it can be done. WE ARE NOT suggesting this as a good way to grow these crops but we are saying that it is possible. Experiment Freely! The major problem is that the roots will grow around the tray's siphon cap - in a big way. Be sure to find - and very carefully extract the white siphon cap before discarding the root mass - you need those caps for Bio-Set to work!
Do Not even bother trying Sunflower Greens - they taste terribly bland when grown without soil (our opinion).
Pre-Sprouting is best with big seeds that won't fall into the tray's grooves.
Impossible:
Micro-Greens - I hate to tell you that anything is impossible, but since Micros are grown from small seeds, and they need to stay in one place to grow vertically - I just can't see them working in a Bio-Set. The one exception to that is Radish - the biggest of the Micro-Greens seeds.
Notes
Cleaning
Scrub well between crops with soap and water. Be sure to get into the grooves on every tray! Rinse well! We do this every crop because a clean sprouter produces better sprouts.
Scrub and soak in some disinfectant. We don't do this often because regular soap does the trick nicely, but a sterile sprouter is a great place to begin a crop.
* If you have a Biosta (we don't sell them anymore) you can follow the instructions on this page pretty much word for word. The only differences between the two is that when you add water to Biosta it goes directly into the top growing tray while water added to the Bio-Set is added to the reservoir tray.
Adjust accordingly. Biosta is also larger, having about twice the capacity per tray as Bio-Set.
I love these! I just incorporate the rinsing into my day. Morning, afternoon and bedtime. I rinse, drain well and re-stack.
It is terrible with broccoli and alfalfa so I do those in jars. But radish, adzuki, sunflower all preform well in this sprouter.
NOTE: I do NOT use this sprouter as the manufacturer recommends. I tried that. It was a huge FAIL. But when I rinse the individual trays manually (allowing the siphon drain to drain excess a couple of times per rinse ( and I also prop the trays along the edge of my sink with one side elevated to send all of the excess water to the drain before I re-stack them).
I love these! I just incorporate the rinsing into my day. Morning, afternoon and bedtime. I rinse, drain well and re-stack.
It is terrible with broccoli and alfalfa so I do those in jars. But radish, adzuki, sunflower all preform well in this sprouter.
NOTE: I do NOT use this sprouter as the manufacturer recommends. I tried that. It was a huge FAIL. But when I rinse the individual trays manually (allowing the siphon drain to drain excess a couple of times per rinse ( and I also prop the trays along the edge of my sink with one side elevated to send all of the excess water to the drain before I re-stack them).
We have awful problems with drain flies and fruit flies. The flies are very attracted to my sprouts. The Bio-Set worked so well that I bought a second one and stacked it together with the first. For small seeds I bought small clay trays (the kind that go under garden pots) and placed them in the Bio-Set. When I pour water through the Bio-Set, the water comes up to the edge of the tray, but does not flood it. The clay tray absorbs enough water to keep the sprouts growing. The Bio-Set keeps the flies out. Mung beans work great without any modifications. I love my Bio-Set.
We have awful problems with drain flies and fruit flies. The flies are very attracted to my sprouts. The Bio-Set worked so well that I bought a second one and stacked it together with the first. For small seeds I bought small clay trays (the kind that go under garden pots) and placed them in the Bio-Set. When I pour water through the Bio-Set, the water comes up to the edge of the tray, but does not flood it. The clay tray absorbs enough water to keep the sprouts growing. The Bio-Set keeps the flies out. Mung beans work great without any modifications. I love my Bio-Set.
I have had a sprouter like this one for more then 17 years. I paid just over $12.00 for it at my local health food store. The price asked for it now is truly ridiculous. I was looking to get another one, but not at these prices.
