Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

[CoffeeRoasters]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

It should be available well before the end of the year. The prototype was finished except they are making a change to the outer cooling to make it more efficient. I expect it to go into production by the end of the month so could be as early as 3 months away.

You can set the air pulse so it only works when you hit the button or you can program it to pulse at the times you like so you dont have to worry about it once you decide what is ideal for the profile. Its good because it gives you complete control to operate it fully manual or you can program it to come on and pulse at the intervals you want.

Coffee Tech Engineering believe that applying air for short bursts at set intervals is a better way to enhance sugar and body development. There are lots of oppinions on air control and a lot of it is subjective to what the roaster prefers. I did see their lab and they do complete a lot of scientific testing on the roasting process and apply it to their machines. The owner has an incredible knowledge of the roasting process and heat conduction, it was very interesting to listen to him.

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

Waaa...I just wanted a button to manual air pulse.

[beanflying]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

[smiley=tekst-toppie.gif] excellent news for those of us that like to play with our roasters. Early days I know but late this year for potential delivery at this stage?

[CoffeeRoasters]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

Hi there snobbers,

I just returned from visiting some of our suppliers OS so though some of you may be interested in this great product that will be launched soon.

I visited Coffee Tech in Israel and did some roasting on a new prototype soon to be launched. Coffee Tech are no longer manufacturing the Torrefattore 1kg but instead are adding the a 2kg Torrefatore Manual to their range. I did some roasting on the prototype and it was sensational. For those that want that complete manual control this is a brilliant machine.

Basically it will have the same body as the Solar 2kg but everything can be manipulated by the user.

You have control over each of the elements plus a PID controller that regualates the temperature inside the drum. The airflow control is quite unique as there is a switch to turn it on but you can also manually set the intervals it comes on and the duration of the pulses (ie on every 2 minutes for 6 seconds as an example). This is a great control and whilst you have the manual control you can also program the airflow for easier profiling. The machine also allows roasting using various methods as the airflow is pushed rather than sucked through the drum. This also has benefits for the eveness of the heat distribution.

The machine includes a sampler and will be available in the same colour configurations as the Solar. Coffee Tech are just making some improvements to the cooling system so it is not quite ready yet but not far off. We roasted on varying sized batches with great results.

There is already a lot of interest in this machine so just drop me line if you would like to be updated as to its launch and availability. The price will be about the same as the Solar however we will probably be a special promotional price on launch. Its basically plug and play when you get it, 20amp sigle phase and fluing is all that is required. No tricky or expensive gas installations/regulations. This machine will interest those that are less interested in the automation of the Solar but want complete control.

Please a picture of the prototype.

Cheers, Mark

[CoffeeRoasters]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

Hi guys

Just to clariify to avoid any confusion.

The profiles you create are based on the drop temp and finish temp and batch size. Those are the only variables you need to adjust and the timing of the roast will depend on this. The machine comes with three recommended settings for light, medium and dark roasts. Based on my experience on the machine, these are very good starting points for most beans. It just makes your profiling easier as you have a start point to work with. When adjusting the temp for the profiles you only need to adjust by a few degrees on the PID controller to make a difference. The temp controller is very accurate.

The control you have during the roast is the finish temp. You can adjust this so long as the roast hasnt finished. For example if you are finding it is going too quick you can reduce the finish temp setting or alternatively you can skip through the cycles on the controller to cool when you want. When I am working out a new profile I watch the roast closely and if it is going too dark for my liking I will adjust back a couple of degrees on the finish temp or switch to cool as soon as I am happy and record that temp.

On the question in regards to the roast curve, it doesnt go in a straight line as once it reaches the finish temp it switches to another mode and roasts without the element for a while before going into cooling. During this stage the temp goes up slightly due to the heat of the beans then levels off or drops back slightly as the blower is running clearing out some of the heat whilst seperating any remaining chaff from the roast. The actual finish temp is usually not long after 1st crack and then its roasts for a while kind of like fluid bed with the blower running/pulsing and using the heat of the beans. It trys to replicate what one might do with an airflow control after 1st crack eg. dropping the heat to low flame or cutting it completely and then using the airflow control to manage the rest of the roast rather than just applying full heat for the entire roast.

Here are a few comments from the manufacturer:

"The solar is the only machine in the world that combines between "drum roasting method" to "fluid bed roasting method". Laboratory tests proved that inserting few seconds of fluid bed roasting every few minutes of drum roasting produces superb uniformity in the batch, thanks to the exact ratio between conductive heat to convection heat transformation. This with the Infra-Red radiation treating not only the beans that are with direct contact with the drum, but also the "flying" beans.
This means that in the solar roasting process, we activate no less than four heating methods at once, being a great help for achieving uniformity, full aroma and flavor developing.
The "in drum cooling" is so powerful and effective even more than the outer cooling group, this ensure blocking the roasting cycle immediately, preserving the maximal amount of sugar, oil, aroma and flavor, the "in drum cooling" reduces the drum temperature to the correct point for inserting new batch.
The drum and the heaters have minimal thermal mass, so they loose the heat as soon as the cooling starts."

It is designed specifically for cafes and the like in mind. People in these situations most people want to be able to get up and running as soon as possible after they have invested in the machinary. They want something easy, quiet and safe to use, has a compact footprint, that produces a comparable or better results to the coffee they were buying and is low maintanence. It is not the roaster for everyone but is ideally suited to its target market.

Cheers...Mark

[Dimal]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

I think it is what it is a simple to drive cafe roaster and not a shop roaster with tweakability. Anyone want to sell me a HG 2 or 5 for $1.50  ;D

Stand in line "bean"..... :P ;D

Mal.

[beanflying]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

I think it is what it is a simple to drive cafe roaster and not a shop roaster with tweakability. Anyone want to sell me a HG 2 or 5 for $1.50 ;D

[WSullivan]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

My understanding is the only variables that were adjustable were start temperature (drop temp), finish temp and bean mass.

Thats what i thought, i agree, in a cafe, perfect!!! nothing like a roaster churning out beautiful beans in the background as you sip on quality espresso...
8-)

[robbo.gshs]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

I did a roast on the Solar with Mark a few weeks back and I was quite impressed. It is extremely simple to use, whisper quite and I was quite impressed with the results. My understanding is the only variables that were adjustable were start temperature (drop temp), finish temp and bean mass. Having said that these can keep you amused for quite awhile and you can use your time saved managing roasts focusing on cupping, blending and the like. If you are roasting and trying to run a coffee shop they are brilliant as they allow you to focus on your core business and still produce brilliant reproducible roasts of coffee but ... if you are doing this as a hobby or as the entry to a roasting business the lessons learned, flexibility, control and meditative process something like the HG may be more in tune with your mind set. I still am unsure which camp I lie in and I dont even run a coffee shop.

[WSullivan]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

Not according to the PDF brochure

You can also overide manually through the controller to finish the roast process sooner but the idea is that you work out your ideal drop and finish temps and then the roaster does the rest.

I sent an email enquiring about the Solar, asking about tweakability and the like, he sent me an email saying that the drop temp and finish temp were the only variables adjustable, the finish temp is entered into the PID controller, i would only imagine that the heat is 100% till approaching the predetermined finish temp on the PID? hence my comment on batch size and finish temp being the variables that adjust roast times.....plus this comment......

If you want a hobby roaster where you can tweak all parts this is not the roaster for you

I could be 100% wrong with all this

Im not talking this roaster down.....at all, it looks like an awesome bit of kit!, just wondering how it works thats all.......

[flynnaus]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

wouldnt it profile look almost like a straight diagonal line without any variation at first crack?

Not according to the PDF brochure

"In fact you can create any personal profile you can think of"

As Mark said, you cant tweak the profile once roasting is underway.

[WSullivan]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

Thanks that clarifies the cooling thing a little for me and like you mention the roast quality seems great by yours and other reports too. Just needs more control variation now  

I agree, sorta like the Hottop B and P variants......so by this Im guessing that overall roasting time is determined by the drop temp and batch size?wouldnt it profile look almost like a straight diagonal line without any variation at fc?

[beanflying]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

Thanks that clarifies the cooling thing a little for me and like you mention the roast quality seems great by yours and other reports too. Just needs more control variation now

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

I got some outcome resting as we speak. I dont have any smoke suppression for mine. I roast in the garage, and simply have a flexible ducting stuck in the window to pipe the smoke outside. The breeze does the rest.

About the only thing I would ask for is an air pulse button.

Other than that, you get repeatability, without too much hands on.

[TC]

Re: Solar Autoroast and Torrefattore 2kg discussion thread

For those that queried the cooling on the Solar just to explain a bit about the Solar 2kg. The Solar is specifically designed for cafes and bars that want to roast in house. It is designed for ease of use and repeatability. If you want a hobby roaster where you can tweak all parts this is not the roaster for you. Cafes that use it rave about the ease of use as it enables them to run a busy cafe without having to labour over the entire roast adjusting flames to match a profile. The quality is also that of a good drum roaster...it develops the body and sugars as a drum roaster would whilst also retaining some of the benefits that a fluid bed roaster has such as eveness and consistency of the roast.

The repeatability is brilliant, you get a consistent roast everytime. I can vouch for the quality of the roasts achieved and when we demonstrate to people they are amazed. Once the roaster reaches the finish temperature the element switches off and it roasts similar to fluid bed for a period with the heat contained in the beans before switching to cooling. The advantage of being able to cool inside the drum also eliminates the puff of smoke you get when dropping the beans which can quickly fill up inside a cafe. The average roast is about 17mins for medium then I usually leave in the drum to cool for 5-6 mins before dumping after which you can continue cooling using the outside cooling tray which you would be suprised how effective it is.

You can also overide manually through the controller to finish the roast process sooner but the idea is that you work out your ideal drop and finish temps and then the roaster does the rest. When I get some time I will send a link to the Solar in operations with the filter which is 100% effective neutralising the smoke and smell. An ingenious bit of engineering with very low upkeep.


I would also like to add that the Solar is extremely low maintenance. No greasing of bearings or cleaning required other than emptying the chaff. But as I said it is designed specifically for cafes in mind in order to increase labour efficiency via ease of use and low maintenance and also to ensure consistency. Its size is also very compact and fits on a benchtop. It does not produce a lot of smoke and the cafes that have installed them have not had any issues with neighbour complaints and most are in built up areas.

I would welcome anyone to visit us for a demonstration you will be very suprised.

All the best for the long weekend  

Cheers, Mark

We have plans to have a demo Solar Autoroast in residence at Talk Coffee in the very near future. This will be a good opportunity for CSers and cafe owners to come visit, roast and take the outcome home or back to work to try...

These roasters are very, very good  8-)...

Chris