Abstract: An aspirator and method for separating fines and foreign matter from dry, free-flowing granular material, characterized by a vertical drop of the unclean granular material in a separation plenum into an opposing upward air stream and a plurality of vertically-spaced, horizontally-extending transverse air streams. Suspended fines and foreign matter are conducted from the granular material in the separation plenum through a plurality of vertically-spaced outlets into a manifold for discharge from the aspirator. The apparatus and method avoid bunching, recompaction and congregating of the granular material during the separation process, to thereby increase throughput and optimize separation efficiency.