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Skywalker, the ALM chinese one pound roaster
Nirecue
Top  #276 Print Post
Posted on 09/26/2024 12:02 PM
V2 Details possible price point at ~$800-$850

i.imgur.com/fqgTuy7.png

This was provided by one of the Skywalker vendors.
Edited by Nirecue on 09/26/2024 11:24 PM
 
renatoa
Top  #277 Print Post
Posted on 09/26/2024 2:41 PM
Air probe in this type of roaster is a non-sense. Would fool people even more, not understanding why air is cooler than beans, and graphs not looking as those posted on the forums for other roasters.
And effectively not providing any useful information for the roast progress driving.

The updates worth about $100 less or more, they are only a pretext to align the roaster price to the market level, losing any attractiveness.
For $1000 I would rather get a Kaleido instead.
Or a Smola for $800, already on market for 5 years and mature build.
Edited by renatoa on 09/26/2024 2:52 PM
 
billsey
Top  #278 Print Post
Posted on 09/26/2024 9:35 PM
I agree, sounds more like they just wanted an excuse to raise the price point, it's too good of a deal as it sits. The new motor seems like the biggest plus, but I don't know how big of a difference it would make.
 
renatoa
Top  #279 Print Post
Posted on 09/27/2024 2:15 AM
The older motor has the first gear, next from the motor shaft, made from plastic, this is the typical build if you want silent motors.
Some people says that such choice also acts as a safety "fusible" to save the motor from burning, if overloaded or locked shaft. But this is nonsense, imo, because that plastic gear can't be found to replace... so the whole motor replacement is required.
Some conspiracy theory addicts could see this as a planned obsolescence component Grin

Mine already broken, due to seized bearings... long story, will detail later in the mods thread.
Replaced the motor with a worm gearbox, full metal gears, different beast... and $10 smile

I don't see the reason for the choice of a brushless type for the motor, they requires an additional dedicated speed controller also ... and bring no benefits for the actual task.
Please note that brushless is too broad a label that also covers stepper motors.
 
renatoa
Top  #280 Print Post
Posted on 09/27/2024 2:17 AM
More leaks about V2...
...
and updated price related notice... even worse Grin

Quote

V2 Updates Possible December release ~$850
*Edit: Price as per OEM rep: "the retailed price is not less than $850"

...
source facebook skywalker group.
~~~
renatoa attached the following image:
skywalker_v2.jpg
 
UmMerkur
Top  #281 Print Post
Posted on 10/06/2024 6:51 PM
Figure this an okay place to ask.

I got a Skywalker as an intermediate while I work on my DIY roaster.
Did a commissioning roast (City+, profile 22 assist), let it do its cool down, and then did a real roast (this years crop, SM Espresso Monkey blend) on profile 22 assist again to Full City+ (just a few snaps of 2nd crack). Went well, no hitches or weird smells. LOTS of smoke though.
I used the smoke "absorber".
However, after resting for a day the coffee had an awful acrid chemical smell to it. It's downright disgusting. Nasty. Despicable. Gag worthy.

Went back and smelled the commissioning roast (it got tossed in a bag) and it kinda had the smell too.

Is there something that needs to get burned out? Because holy moly it's a nasty smell.

Edit: 350 gram charge
Edited by UmMerkur on 10/06/2024 6:59 PM
Behmor 1600+, Fresh Roast Plus 8, Poppery II; Lelit Bianca V2, Eureka Mignon Specialita', V60, Breville SGP
 
HarryDog
Top  #282 Print Post
Posted on 10/06/2024 7:25 PM
No smell that I could detect, did 2 Pre-heats with cool down in-between before first roast and drank it 4 days later. I get a green nasty acidic taste if I don't roast it long-hot enough. For me this is something you just have to roast past on this roaster.
 
UmMerkur
Top  #283 Print Post
Posted on 10/06/2024 11:28 PM

Quote

HarryDog wrote:

No smell that I could detect, did 2 Pre-heats with cool down in-between before first roast and drank it 4 days later. I get a green nasty acidic taste if I don't roast it long-hot enough. For me this is something you just have to roast past on this roaster.


I did two empty pre-heats and let it sit at temp for a minute each time. First was smoky but second was not. So I guess there may have been something to burn out.
I'll try another roast tomorrow and see what happens.
Behmor 1600+, Fresh Roast Plus 8, Poppery II; Lelit Bianca V2, Eureka Mignon Specialita', V60, Breville SGP
 
renatoa
Top  #284 Print Post
Posted on 10/07/2024 2:20 AM
Many roasters have been reported as arriving with charred stuck beans inside, from the factory tests.
Did you checked if the drum drum is completely empty ?

Also, I can't praise enough... do not use factory preheat, with power at 100% and no airflow !!!
It's lamp aging acceleration on steroids, more than the roast itself !
 
renatoa
Top  #285 Print Post
Posted on 10/07/2024 1:58 PM

Quote

htmlbarist wrote:

The glass that covers the resistance exploded while it was cooling, do you know where I can get a replacement?


Is this the cure for bulb exploding issue ? Or just a protection ? confused
https://homeroast...post_79175
Seems that enclosing the bulb inside another glass, without any airflow, should worse thermal regime... Shock
...
 
UmMerkur
Top  #286 Print Post
Posted on 10/07/2024 6:09 PM

Quote

renatoa wrote:

Many roasters have been reported as arriving with charred stuck beans inside, from the factory tests.
Did you checked if the drum drum is completely empty ?

Also, I can't praise enough... do not use factory preheat, with power at 100% and no airflow !!!
It's lamp aging acceleration on steroids, more than the roast itself !


I did check for charcoal and didn't find any. I'm going to try another roast tonight (with older junk beans just in case) and see if the nasty smell is gone.

Noted on not using the pre-heat function, I'll do it manually with airflow.
Behmor 1600+, Fresh Roast Plus 8, Poppery II; Lelit Bianca V2, Eureka Mignon Specialita', V60, Breville SGP
 
renatoa
Top  #287 Print Post
Posted on 10/08/2024 6:41 AM
You can continue to start preheat using the PH button, but immediately after starting please reduce the power and add some airflow.
The lamp will thank you ! smile
You can use the values you intend to use at start of roast, like 70% PWR - 65% AIR, just an example.
This way there is no additional step to dial something after loading beans.

Another reason to do this, is the charge moment behavior.
If preheat is left operating as from factory, the charging will be seen as a loss of heat, which actually it is, and power will jump to 100%, not so recommended for the charge moment.
If preheat params is under user control, no change will happen at charge, and is your task to dial the roasting parameters, after closing load door, and pressing R double time, to start time counter.

A big minus of this control panel is the lack of charge/drop auto-detection, would be easy to implement, I did them in my roast assistant.
 
UmMerkur
Top  #288 Print Post
Posted on 10/11/2024 6:31 PM
Okay, help me out here, I'm sick of wasting beans.

SOMETHING is causing my roasts in this machine to smell like death. What am I doing wrong?
I have never smelled this smell from any of my roasts before in my Behmor, FreshRoast, pan, oven, whatever.
Not even going all that dark, FC+.

Profile 12 in assist mode. Preheat to 200, charge, immediately switch to roast on the controller. I hit the button just before I charge to make sure it doesn't try to go to 100% power. It overshoots a bit on temp anyways.

Minimal tipping or scorching seen.

ETA: 350grams, 12 minutes to drop.
Maybe I'll take it completely apart and see if there's some Styrofoam stuck in there or something...
Beans smell pretty much fine straight out of the roaster, but after sitting for two days start to smell bad. And when ground smell like death. A really nasty acrid smell that I didn't know coffee could smell like.
Edited by UmMerkur on 10/11/2024 6:51 PM
Behmor 1600+, Fresh Roast Plus 8, Poppery II; Lelit Bianca V2, Eureka Mignon Specialita', V60, Breville SGP
 
HarryDog
Top  #289 Print Post
Posted on 10/12/2024 4:02 AM
I don't know what to think about smells like death? I have never had this type of smell from my SW but this is a agricultural product it can go off for lack of a better term, could this smell be the beans?

I think that it might be best to pull the front off and inspect the inside. If you see gunk in the roaster you might want to clean it, I use Cafiza on my coffee products to help clean them up. If you think this is coming from the roaster cleaning the inside and soaking the drum might be a good idea?
 
renatoa
Top  #290 Print Post
Posted on 10/12/2024 6:13 AM
Could be a heavily fermented new experimental anaerobic processing...

Maybe they fermented in the same cask used for sauerkraut confused
Kidding... smile
Edited by renatoa on 10/12/2024 7:51 AM
 
UmMerkur
Top  #291 Print Post
Posted on 10/13/2024 1:57 PM

Quote

HarryDog wrote:

I don't know what to think about smells like death? I have never had this type of smell from my SW but this is a agricultural product it can go off for lack of a better term, could this smell be the beans?

I think that it might be best to pull the front off and inspect the inside. If you see gunk in the roaster you might want to clean it, I use Cafiza on my coffee products to help clean them up. If you think this is coming from the roaster cleaning the inside and soaking the drum might be a good idea?


Reminds me of a burning car smell. Not pleasant. Or burning nylon.
The smoke coming out during roasting did smell a bit acrid.

I thought it may have been the beans so I tried some others but same result.
I'll take it apart and take a look, but from what I can see through the chutes it looks totally clean. No gunk. Cafiza is great.
Behmor 1600+, Fresh Roast Plus 8, Poppery II; Lelit Bianca V2, Eureka Mignon Specialita', V60, Breville SGP
 
renatoa
Top  #292 Print Post
Posted on 10/13/2024 2:59 PM
Ah, got it !
This is burnt chaff smell, it's indeed hard to breath such toxines.
No signs of burnt chaff in the tray ?
For me this happened in the beginning, when I was roasting naturals using a normal power level. Normal meaning as in the factory profiles, i.e. 65%
Reduced power to 60% and no more conditions for chaff to start fire.
Less airflow also helps, will compensate for reduced power, and less oxygen required for combustion.
 
UmMerkur
Top  #293 Print Post
Posted on 10/13/2024 5:36 PM

Quote

renatoa wrote:

Ah, got it !
This is burnt chaff smell, it's indeed hard to breath such toxines.
No signs of burnt chaff in the tray ?
For me this happened in the beginning, when I was roasting naturals using a normal power level. Normal meaning as in the factory profiles, i.e. 65%
Reduced power to 60% and no more conditions for chaff to start fire.
Less airflow also helps, will compensate for reduced power, and less oxygen required for combustion.


Maybe, I have some washed I can try. What I've tried has been mostly natural or blends with naturals in them.
I do see some ash on the heater tube - white residue, can see it burning during the roast on the tube - but the chaff in the tray looks pretty normal.

Edit: the weird thing is that the beans smell pretty much normal during roasting and right after (maybe a hint of something off) but the smell doesn't really emerge until a day later and especially once ground.
Edited by UmMerkur on 10/13/2024 9:24 PM
Behmor 1600+, Fresh Roast Plus 8, Poppery II; Lelit Bianca V2, Eureka Mignon Specialita', V60, Breville SGP
 
renatoa
Top  #294 Print Post
Posted on 10/15/2024 7:04 AM
We have the first clue about the wear of the machine... this is the most abused I know in our SKW users community: 15 kg per month, 9 months old.
Not a small production machine, imo...

Also, a notice... the deposits are on the outer side of the lamp, those facing towards the drum.
If this means something for somebody... confused
Anyway, deposits seems not related to the filament burning, nor bulb explosion.
~~~
renatoa attached the following images:
55ca7280-7b1d-4e82-b000-61e890196268.jpg c4ae14c1-91bd-4bb1-91e5-292d8716b41e.jpg
 
Dan N
Top  #295 Print Post
Posted on 11/05/2024 10:40 AM

Quote

Dan N wrote:

Today I preheated to 400F then cooled down under Artisan control with no shutdowns or glitches.

My issue was most likely the USB connector or cable. My Arduino Nano clone has a USB-C connector which is a known weak point. I didn't see any broken solder or looseness so just plugged everything back in and ran it. I'll add some strain relief before the next roast.

Found the problem: the usb connector on the back of the roaster is loose; if the cable pulls it downward the connection is lost
 
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