A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roaster

[Javaphile]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

I just finished the first roasting session with the roaster in its new home and using Natural Gas. I roasted up 7 different beans totaling 2.8kg. I stuck to my usual 200g batch size to see if the roaster would still be capable of doing that large a batch.

Guess what?

It worked!! WooHoo!!!

I was able to roast all 7 varieties with great times using less than maximum flame, albeit just barely below max on a couple of them. ;D

The oil tubes worked as expected, but also as expected I need to work some kind of a cup into the top of them to make it easier to add oil while running. Each barrel needs literally just a few drops a couple of times over the course of a 2 hour roasting session. If you add too much it will run down the back of the barrel assembly and smoke up a storm. Because the holes are so small its a bit tough to hit them with individual drops. Having a cup on top of them would make it a breeze.

Everything worked beautifully and the roaster appears to be quite happy with its new home.


Java "WooHoo!!" phile

[JavaB]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Congratulations Java "at last its finished" phile.

Good to hear all your hard work and effort has at last paid off...

What sort of roast times did you get?

[Javaphile]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Congratulations Java "at last its finished" phile.

Good to hear all your hard work and effort has at last paid off...

What sort of roast times did you get?

Well its not quite all finished yet as detailed a couple of posts up, but its back to being fully usable on 2 barrels and all nicely hooled into its permanent fittings.

My times were right in line with what seemed to work best with the LP, 1st crack at 8-10 mins and pulling at 13-15 minutes.

The biggest difference with using the Natural Gas instead of LP was that it was much easier to adjust the heat for proper progression of the roast from 1st crack until the end. With the LP it took extremely minute adjustments on the gas valve to achieve the proper flame height. With the NG Ive got half of the full range of the valve to adjust the flame through the same height range that with the LP was perhaps 1/50th of the valves range.

Turning the flames down to a minimal height where they wont overheat an empty barrel is also now a breeze. With the LP it was a constant battle to have the burners high enough to stay lit but not overheat the barrels. With the NG this is no longer a problem. They tame down to a minimal flame very easily with no fiddling at all. I love it!!

Edited in later Starting weight was 2.8kg. Roasted weight was 2.396kg with 26g of beans in the chaff collector. Giving a weight loss of 13.5%. Roughly 2/3rds of the beans were pulled just prior to or at the first snaps of 2nd crack. 1/7th were pulled 20-30 seconds into the rolling 2nd crack, and the remainder at the start of the rolling 2nd crack. This is a bit low for weight loss but had been expected as half the beans were 2 years old and another quarter were a year old. Add that on top of 6 months of low humidity (winter) and there ya go.

Total roasting time was just shy of 2 hours to do 14: 200g batches using 2 barrels. Warm up and cool down occupies another half hour.


Java "Digging his new roaster." phile

[jacob]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

I may have overlooked it somewhere, but whats the deal with the flaps on the rear of the square channels going down to the caff-collector?

[Javaphile]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

I may have overlooked it somewhere, but whats the deal with the flaps on the rear of the square channels going down to the caff-collector?

Ya know, Im not quite sure of that myself. Those flaps are opened by the airflow control flap thats inside of the square channel that controls the amount of airflow through the drum. When the interior flap is opened all the way for maximum airflow through the drum it touches that exterior flap. Opening the interior flap more opens that exterior flap.

The only thing I can think of is that its for reducing the airflow through one barrel when the others have the airflow set really low or cut off entirely. It also makes it easy to see if the barrels shaft is plugged.


Java "Getting ready for another big roast" phile

[jacob]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Thanks

[Javaphile]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

No problem.


Java "The happy roaster" phile

[zapty]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Hey javaphile, I just started on a similar trip having bought an old 3 barrel Probat sample roaster that Im going to get working (hopefully).
Am just arranging delivery of it to my place...
Looks like Im going to have lots of fun.

[Javaphile]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Sweet Zapty! Looks like youre in for some fun times and great roasts! These machines are mechanically very simple and as such are easy to repair should something not be right with it when you get it.

From the looks of the picture it should be pretty easy to get it all up and running as it appears to be in great shape and even has the original trier!

Any idea of the age of the roaster? With the attached grinder it looks like its from roughly the same era as my Gothot.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

FYI Probat is the company that bought out Gothot back in the 1950s.


Java "Loves the old tech!" phile

[Sullo]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

*turns green and polka dot envy colours*
I wonder if we have some of these monsters in Sydney somewheres

[zapty]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Hey javaphile, I think it is some decades old, maybe 1950s (that would make it app my age).
I bought it sight unseen from a local (Dutch) bidding site. I had been looking for one of these babys for some years but recently gave it up as Id never come across one down here in Holland.
Last friday night I suddenly got the urge out of nowhere to have a look at the usual sites.
Lo and behold at the first site this shows up, if I hadnt been off the shrooms and buttons for a long time I would have bet I was hallucinating. I contacted the seller and immediately offered what he asked for it, afraid anybody else would see it and start a bidding war. Yes, I offered what he asked for it, the price was so incredible that again I thought I was hallucinating.

Im now making arrangements for pick up and then comes the fun part.

[Javaphile]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Hey javaphile, I think it is some decades old, maybe 1950s (that would make it app my age).

That would put it at the same age as mine. Mine appears to have been made in 1951.

I bought it sight unseen from a local (Dutch) bidding site. I had been looking for one of these babys for some years but recently gave it up as Id never come across one down here in Holland.
Last friday night I suddenly got the urge out of nowhere to have a look at the usual sites.
Lo and behold at the first site this shows up, if I hadnt been off the shrooms and buttons for a long time I would have bet I was hallucinating. I contacted the seller and immediately offered what he asked for it, afraid anybody else would see it and start a bidding war. Yes, I offered what he asked for it, the price was so incredible that again I thought I was hallucinating.

Im now making arrangements for pick up and then comes the fun part.

Sounds like a great deal! A great example of how persistance pays off.

There are a lot of single and even double drum sample roasters floating around, but the triple barrel roasters seem to be very few and far between, and none of them that Ive seen were in as good a shape as yours appears to be. If the mechanics of it are in half as good a shape as it looks itll last you the rest of your lifetime!

How much was it if you dont mind my asking?

Once it arrives youll know it wasnt all a flashback! ;D


Java "Triple Roasters of the world unite!" phile

[zapty]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Im a lucky man, I realize that. It does look to be in very good shape, will wait and see. Arranged pickup but delivery will be up to about two weeks depending on when the (affordable) transporter will be heading out this way.

[Javaphile]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

It looks to be in almost new condition! Incredible considering its age!! I wouldnt have been able to wait for a shipper, nor trust them to deliver it in undamaged condition. Id have been out the door in a flash to go pick it up in person!! ;D


Java "Road Trip!!" phile

[zapty]

Re: A (Epic?) journey in search of my perfect roas

Well Ive read your roadtrip and wouldnt have expected anything less from you.
Driving in Holland is different though, lots and lots of traffic and traffic jams, especially heading from my place to the place it is located at.
I am not a big fan of driving in this country at all....
Heres another one of my antique but workable roasters (it roasts 500 grams at a time but is murder on your arm muscles):

A picture of the Maggiolino I use as my number 1 roaster right now is here:
http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1134076855/135#135