Roaster upgrade in transit

[Rughi]

Roaster MacGuyvers ARE the big boys. Don't let the shiny toys fool you into believing otherwise.

Ooooh...
With that kind of encouragement, the only way my wife's blowdryer will be safely out of my clutches is if I go down to the hardware store and get one of those industrial heat guns. If it'll peel paint, it may roast some coffee.

The poor, long-suffering dear already had to go to the thrift store once to get me a cheap blowdryer, as she always found hers out at the grill, propped up to the air vent of the Big Green Egg. Blowdryers work great for stoking up that fire in a hurry! The nozzle can get a bit sooty and melty over time though...

Roger

 

[Jasonian]

Good tip on the blow dryer.

Heat guns are commonly used as heat-sources for MacGuyver coffee roasters.

Here's an inspiring link for you to spy: http://www.sweetmarias.com/homemade-homeroasters.php

 

[letterk]

OK, Scotto, give us the update. The Behmor is starting to show some age (read: pissing me off with roast times) and I'm looking at the Gene or Hottop. I love the fact that I can roast 12 oz with the Behmor, but the too long to 1st crack and too fast to 2nd is taking the fun, and taste, out of roasting. I've tried all the tweaks and tricks and I think it's just getting old. I always hated the fact that tweaking roasts were, while theoretically possible, practically not. So, I think it's time for something new.

 

[WhosYerBob]

Amazing looking piece of shiny goodness there!

 

[joyfulwoogie]

I really debated hard with myself over this one. The price gave me serious pause, of course. The Behmor is 1/2 the price, but I just knew I wouldn't be happy with it. I am a guy who likes to really tweak roast profiles, and the flexibility just wasn't there. Plus the Hottop has a long history of solid builds, great modularity, and customer service. As an espresso guy, I wanted a really good drum roaster that could do decent dark roasts as well as lighter ones.

We shall see next week when it arrives.

Hey Scotto, I am sure you would be happier with HotTop. I just hope that HotTop lasts much longer than Gene Cafe.

Not many choices out there if one is looking for something better than Gene Cafe. Anything else is more less too unstable to produce consistent results or just way too expensive.

Love to hear about how HotTop roasts.

 

[tsmba]

I wish I could afford a Hottop. I'm looking forward to one of Scotto's excellent write-ups!

 

[Scotto]

I wrote a bit about the Hottop on my blog a few months ago, but have been too busy for updates. The net is that it is a great machine that I am very happy with, with one minor caveat. Without the addition of a thermoprobe (some extra dollars and time drilling), it can be a bit of a pain to use.

The stock thermocouple is bolted to the back wall of the machine, which makes it very unresponsive to temperature changes and a very poor guide for the bean temperature. With the addition of a thermoprobe in the bean mass (a very easy modification), it is an amazing machine that makes coffee that blows the doors off the Gene. The ability to profile the roast is very important, and gives another layer of flexibility to your roasting.

The true drum roast (unlike the mixed air/drum of the Gene) gives incredible body to the coffee, and especially for espresso makes a big difference. Right now I am lamenting the fact that I am relegated to my freezing garage for roasting due to the incredible amount of smoke this thing puts out, but I am working on an indoor solution for venting. This is definitely not a hobby for those who don't like to tinker.

 

[letterk]

The smoke doesn't bother me as I roast in the garage and it's never cold here. The roast size is a bit of an issue. I'm not scared of the tinkering. Shoot, I'm looking forward to it. Maybe the Hottop will be my next roaster.

 

[joyfulwoogie]

I wrote a bit about the Hottop on my blog a few months ago, but have been too busy for updates. The net is that it is a great machine that I am very happy with, with one minor caveat. Without the addition of a thermoprobe (some extra dollars and time drilling), it can be a bit of a pain to use.

Ah!, I joined the conversation a little late...

Scotto, have you ever roasted beans using Behmor?

 

[ouch]

Having just had a cup of coffee roasted in a machine that Scotto gave away, I can only imagine how good his new rig is.

 

[Alpedhuez55]

OK, Scotto, give us the update. The Behmor is starting to show some age (read: pissing me off with roast times) and I'm looking at the Gene or Hottop. I love the fact that I can roast 12 oz with the Behmor, but the too long to 1st crack and too fast to 2nd is taking the fun, and taste, out of roasting. I've tried all the tweaks and tricks and I think it's just getting old. I always hated the fact that tweaking roasts were, while theoretically possible, practically not. So, I think it's time for something new.

I like my Behmor. It can produce a nice roast. It is also hard to detect the cracks sometimes between the insulation and the noise. But the roast times never worked out like they should. I think it is the power in my house. It is the same thing with my FR8. I sometimes have to run the beans twice to get bast Full City. I think I need to find out which outlet in the house has the best juice and use that one.