Upgrade to gas sample/hobby roaster?

[Tex]

Ha ha! A full container is something like $1700, spare parts? Buy them in advance with the roasters. The cube500 or cube600 is the one built by the coffee roaster builder nut. I've got a pretty extensive collection of his roaster photos. We have a slight language barrier, so I need to meet him in person next year. It's pretty clear to me from the photos, he knows roasters. (custom builder, no web site)

I'll see about sending warrior my photo file on the cube guy, really cool! My Taiwan shop grinder is on the way, and if the 1k roaster info is in there I'll post the on the cr-101 from You-Wei.

For a hobbyist, the huky500 ought to be about right, it's got all the functions you would want in a small package and price. I'm thinking Mr. Li would cut the price some on a bulk order, maybe in the hottop range. He sells a special stove with a pressure gauge, and a digital temp. package.

OK, I'll just ask the builder to guess which parts are going to break. On second thought, if he knows which parts are likely to break, why not improve the design before he builds them? Now I'm all confused again!

[hankua]

Spare parts is a good question, and I've got a few thermocouples coming. Pro roasters are built to be run on a daily basis.  What parts on a commercial coffee roaster would likely need replacing when used by a hobbyist? Repair work is a concern as well, having the ability the fix things would be almost necessary, just it case.

[hankua]

800n roaster details:
1. cast iron drum with perforated back, then machined. (found a low spot the lathe missed) with a steel sleeve welded to the outside front of the drum, machined on the inside to mate with the drum creating a flat union.
2. The drum is adjustable on the spindle fore and aft, and a tilt adjustment outside the back hub.
3. The hub inside the drum looks to be bronze, with  fins brazed to the drum wall and another set on top going in the opposite direction
4. The burners sit on a height adjustable bar, very easy to make a change. Very precise metric pressure gauge and needle valve for controlling gas flow.
5. Drum speed is adjustable from the control panel.
6. There is a hollow 3/4 curved shell over the drum, with a stainless cover attached.
7. separate bean cooler with stir bar and fan, works really fast.
8. single thermocouple on the front of the roaster w/pid on control panel. Instructions are difficult to understand.
9. air control valve knob with 1-5 settings. More precise air valve, chaff collector, and fan is an option. (from the 1K machine I think)
10. Three fans, and one motor.

[hankua]

Roasting is going slow as expected...... Apparently I got pretty lazy using the Behmor and was not really paying attention, which is not going to happen with a manual roaster, multiple controls and a logbook.

I moved the burner bar up a little to have more control of the heat using the pressure gauge usable range of @100-200 mmaq. 60mmaq is around the lowest setting, some people turn the burner off after drop in and back on when the roast bottoms out. That's a little advanced for now, and did not work. Staying with the basic manufacture guidelines for the present.

No problem roasting a full pound to 2c in less than 15 minutes, but am focusing on 1/2 lb roasts with future blending in mind. Minimum capacity is 200 grams and the 1/2 lb roasts went 10mins to a nice city roast, 10-12min to 2c. Plenty of room for adjusting the process while roasting.

I invited a local geek Ascholten over to check out the roaster and we knocked out 6 roasts in a short period of time. Aaron has more experience roasting and having two people keep up with the controls is easier at least in the beginning. I got the idea for this when someone posted about renting roaster time on a pro roaster, and decided to try letting local geeks use the 800n. 2-3 folks sounds about right where everyone can have a chance to work the controls, and evaluate the roasting process.