CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

[Koffee_Kosmo]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

As long as the heat source can be controlled inside the bean mass I cant see any problems with it

Chad can you hear bean cracks over the motor noise?

Nice job
KK

[seedlings]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

As long as the heat source can be controlled inside the bean mass I cant see any problems with it

Chad can you hear bean cracks over the motor noise?

Nice job
KK

The motor is noisy, BUT - the "final" prototype will have the motor enclosed in an insulated chamber to isolate it from heat and noise. May have to add a small fan to get cool air into the motor... well see.

CHAD

[seedlings]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

Hi Chad great work. I watched your video it looks like you may need to have a longer bean chamber. As you probably know when the beans get roasting they will jump around more and fly out of the top.

In that test video I used a 5cm (2") diameter opening, covered with screen at the bottom of the chamber. The actual hopper has perforated plate at the bottom, which keeps the beans from the erratic dancing. Plus, airflow is continuously variable, but still hard to do while filming

CHAD

[martybean]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

It sounds great and looks like it should work.

[seedlings]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

Heres a better idea of how the front will look.  There will be some gaskets above and below the hopper.  Slow progress....




CHAD

[Koffee_Kosmo]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

Hi Chad
I may have a mod for you to better control heat and air flow (at the heat tube)

It is a Hi Clone insert I am sure you can get them in the US (a car part)
By inserting it at the bottom of the heat tube you will create a controlled turbo effect of the moving air over the heat coils
The turbo effect will also give air stability to the bean mass as it passes through

It is my belief that this mod will work a treat

You should at least consider the possibility

KK

[seedlings]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

Great idea, KK, just as long as its not galvanized. Is it aluminized steel, or aluminum?

CHAD

[Koffee_Kosmo]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

It is stainless steel
and comes in a variety of diameter sizes

KK

[Dimal]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

I wouldnt give these "rip-off" merchants any of my hard earned money though. Nothing to stop you from knocking up something similar out of what ever material you like Chad...

Mal.

[seedlings]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

I wouldnt give these "rip-off" merchants any of my hard earned money though. Nothing to stop you from knocking up something similar out of what ever material you like Chad...

Mal.

Im waaaaaaaaay over "budget" as it is even after I eBayd some items to "raise capital" for this monster - mostly on items that didnt work for this roaster. Im still going on a prayer that it will come together with only what I have on hand, so yes, home-style fabrication would be the way I go! I have plenty of roofing aluminum flashing and its got do do the rest of the job!

CHAD

[Koffee_Kosmo]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

Chad

I am quite happy to give you any photos or scans and any angles of my unit that you require

Be aware that the angle vanes work one way

PM me if you like
Always happy to help a fellow CS er
KK

[Bill]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

Thats a nice looking project you have there, Seedlings. Im just curious as to why you havent gone with a "sprouting cone" type design instead.

[seedlings]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

Thats a nice looking project you have there, Seedlings. Im just curious as to why you havent gone with a "sprouting cone" type design instead.

You mean, like Sivetz uses?  http://www.sivetzcoffee.com/drawings.htm

I wanted a removable hopper like the www.sonofresco.com, but dont want to waste heat up the vent.

Plus, cylinders are much easier to fabricate than cones. Especially hard without fabrication equipment. Although my first roaster did use a cone.

CHAD

[Bill]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

You mean, like Sivetz uses? http://www.sivetzcoffee.com/drawings.htm

I wanted a removable hopper like the www.sonofresco.com, but dont want to waste heat up the vent.

Plus, cylinders are much easier to fabricate than cones. Especially hard without fabrication equipment. Although my first roaster did use a cone.

CHAD

Yep, like the Sivetz, or on the home roaster front - like the designs that RoasterRob has built.

Im not sure I understand what you mean by "waste heat up the vent".

True, probably harder to fabricate.

Doesnt a sprouting cone design require less airflow to loft the same quantity of beans? Therefore a smaller (and quieter) motor can be used, which has to be a good thing, doesnt it?

Actually, I saw a "sprouting cone" type of fluid bed roaster in a store in London when I was there last week. I shouldve taken a picture of it. I really liked the design. The roasting chamber was glass so you could see the beans. The roasting chamber wasnt removable, but it had a lever to dump the beans out the bottom. Hard to explain on here, but it looked like a very clever design, but would be a bit difficult for someone to duplicate at home without access to some fabrication equipment. It had a cyclone type chaff extractor attached to it too. I didnt see what make it was, but Id love to get my hands on one. No doubt itd cost a fortune though.

[seedlings]

Re: CoffeeAir - 1kg Indoor Electric Roaster Trial

Im not sure Rob in New Zealand uses a cone, does he?  I was under the impression he uses a flat perforated plate because he likes the asymetrical flow rather than the "pretty" flow.  Rob said it seems more effecient to him.

To quote RoasterRob on 1/22/2008:
"The beans flow very smoothly across the roast chamber, this is an assymetrical type RC (havent used the cone one yet). Blower is a 1.1kw cheapo vacuum cleaner motor bout 5" dia and only 4" high. We have fluidised 3kg with one blower."

-heres the source, http://www.homeroasters.org/php/foru...71&rowstart=40


By "waste heat up the vent" I mean the heat that goes out the top of the roasting chamber, and into the sky or a vent hood.  Im trying to recirculate the heat, therefore requiring less energy.

CHAD