An apparatus, method and system for wet or dry processing of plant material is provided. The apparatus has an enclosure attached to a frame. The apparatus includes: (a) a cylindrical rotatable drum for receiving the plant material, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; (b) a cutting module for cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more said slots; and (c) a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.

The apparatus may further include a controller having a processing unit and a memory, the memory containing instructions for directing the processing unit. The controller may be operable to selectably control operations of the rotatable drum, the cutting module, and the plurality of nozzles.

The cutting module may include a plurality of cutting reels.

The cutting module and the rotatable drum may be coaxial. The cutting module may include a plurality of blades rotatable about the drum.

A food recycler can include a case having a case volume between 8.79 liters and 35 liters, a control system, a user interface in electrical communication with the control system, and a bucket being configured with a bucket volume, wherein a ratio of the bucket volume to the case volume is between 0.0717 and 0.2857. The recycler can include a motor in communication with the control system, the motor being configured adjacent at least in part to the bucket, a gearbox configured below the bucket and in mechanical communication with the motor, a filter system having at least one filter and configured to receive air from a top portion of the bucket and a drying component configured to remove water from waste food items.

A food recycler can include a case having a case volume between 8.79 liters and 35 liters, a control system, a user interface in electrical communication with the control system, and a bucket being configured with a bucket volume, wherein a ratio of the bucket volume to the case volume is between 0.0717 and 0.2857. The recycler can include a motor in communication with the control system, the motor being configured adjacent at least in part to the bucket, a gearbox configured below the bucket and in mechanical communication with the motor, a filter system having at least one filter and configured to receive air from a top portion of the bucket and a drying component configured to remove water from waste food items.

A liquification system for an organic waste management system includes a hopper that is oriented vertically such that organic waste added to the hopper is biased by gravity toward a bottom end of the hopper; an agitator that is disposed within the hopper and is movable in a first rotational direction that moves organic waste downward and in a second rotational direction that moves organic waste upward; a motor configured to selectively move the agitator in the first and second rotational directions under control of the controller; and a side grinding and drainage system disposed toward the bottom end of the hopper and preferably on a tapered portion of the hopper for grinding and liquefying organic waste.

A cryogenic grinding system, method, and apparatus for processing a sample. The system includes a cryogen source, a containment vessel for containing the sample and the cryogen, a blade for grinding the sample, and a controller. The controller controls at least one of: a quantity of cryogen introduced into the container; a grinding duration of the at least one blade; or a grinding speed of the at least one blade based on at least one of: a user input via a grinding system input, a mass of the sample placed in the containment vessel; or a temperature within the containment vessel.

A process for converting spent grain into flour by drying and milling is disclosed. The process includes the steps of introducing a quantity of wet spent grain into a container for removing moisture by the action of gravity. After the gravity drying, the wet spent grain is transferred to a press to mechanically remove additional moisture. The wet spent grain is placed in a fluid bed processor where the grain additional moisture is removed through heating and fluidization. Some embodiments may include a dust collection system in connection with the fluid bed processor, wherein the dust collection system incorporates a separator for separating the grains. Once dried, the dry spent grain is introduced into a mill to be ground into the proper flour consistency. The resulting flour product can then be used for a variety of foodstuff applications.

A process for converting spent grain into flour by drying and milling is disclosed. The process includes the steps of introducing a quantity of wet spent grain into a container for removing moisture by the action of gravity. After the gravity drying, the wet spent grain is transferred to a press to mechanically remove additional moisture. The wet spent grain is placed in a fluid bed processor where the grain additional moisture is removed through heating and fluidization. Some embodiments may include a dust collection system in connection with the fluid bed processor, wherein the dust collection system incorporates a separator for separating the grains. Once dried, the dry spent grain is introduced into a mill to be ground into the proper flour consistency. The resulting flour product can then be used for a variety of foodstuff applications.

A food recycler can include a case having a case volume between 8.79 liters and 35 liters, a control system, a user interface in electrical communication with the control system, and a bucket being configured with a bucket volume, wherein a ratio of the bucket volume to the case volume is between 0.0717 and 0.2857. The recycler can include a motor in communication with the control system, the motor being configured adjacent at least in part to the bucket, a gearbox configured below the bucket and in mechanical communication with the motor, a filter system having at least one filter and configured to receive air from a top portion of the bucket and a drying component configured to remove water from waste food items.

A food recycler can include a case having a case volume between 8.79 liters and 35 liters, a control system, a user interface in electrical communication with the control system, and a bucket being configured with a bucket volume, wherein a ratio of the bucket volume to the case volume is between 0.0717 and 0.2857. The recycler can include a motor in communication with the control system, the motor being configured adjacent at least in part to the bucket, a gearbox configured below the bucket and in mechanical communication with the motor, a filter system having at least one filter and configured to receive air from a top portion of the bucket and a drying component configured to remove water from waste food items.

A method includes separating, in a first stage of separating, crushed ore material by size into a first fines stream and a first coarse stream; grinding the first coarse stream in a second stage of grinding; feeding the product of the second stage of grinding back to the step of separating; feeding the first fines stream from the step of separating to a recovery circuit; producing a rejected stream from the recovery circuit of crushed ore material that does not meet the target mineral size; separating, in a second stage of separating, the rejected stream from the recovery circuit into a second fines stream and a second coarse stream; grinding the second coarse stream in a third stage of grinding; and feeding the product of the third stage of grinding back to the recovery circuit.