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In Memory Of Ginny
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Hot Top Owners
garybt3
I recently bought a used Hottop and was just wondering how many others have one, (any model) as their primary roaster?

Any new tweaks, mods, fixes, experiences, profiles or ideas that you want to share?

I'm not new to home roasting, and have my share of gutted air popper parts in 1 Tote bin, modded poppers in another bin, stock poppers ( like new!) in a couple other tote bins... A couple of Stir Crazy Turbo Oven setups, 3 or 4 heat guns, 2 or 3 disassembed bread machines yada yada ya!B)

Thanks to UPS, my barely 1 YO Hottop arrived in rough shape. :(

So, I fired up my digital camera and started a web page on my Google pages.
So, if you are interested in what the insides of a Hottop look like, here's your chance to take a peek:

http://garybt3.go...s.com/home

On the right hand column, look for the hottop link and you are in!

Gary
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. Groucho Marx

Check out: http://garybt3.go...s.com/home
 
Jimbo
The nice thing is you can get replacements parts from Hottop. The rear cover piece is only 15 bucks! And the folks over there are good to work with.

http://www.hottop...ry_Code=Px
Edited by seedlings on 01/25/2009 8:07 PM
 
cfsheridan
Gary, got a roaster like yours (not with as much epoxy, though). Fairly satisfied with the profiles I've used, though I tweek the heat as I approach and enter first. I'm working on a bean temperature probe now, and looking into refurb units to build on my own control system without compromising the main roaster. Drop me a line if you want my thoughts on the "P" profiles. I'm also toying with the idea of grabbing a "B" panel for more manual control (hard to shake the my popper/variac roots). Probably have 250+ roasts on it in about a half a year since it arrived.

I've also been extremely pleased with parts support from Hottop, though I've slowed buying the rear filters--soak them in a cafeza solution about every 15 roasts or so, and rotate two different filters.
 
garybt3
Just a little update.
The panels arrived from Hottop USA and I decided to tear it all apart and soak all the metal pieces in a Cafiza bath, and wow...it looks brand new again. I re-assembled the machine and roasted up a couple of batches of coffee. Both came out perfectly.

Today I roasted up some of Chad's Red Sea Blend to a Full City roast level. I plan on hiding one of the bags for at least 1 week ThumbsUp

Just a couple of things bug me about the Hottop
1) I wish I could cool it down to just 275F and start the next roast cycle at that temp, rather than wait for the machine to cool automatically down to 165F.

2) I wish that the fan was adjustable on the fly.
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. Groucho Marx

Check out: http://garybt3.go...s.com/home
 
seedlings
Great reports from your Hottop fix-it! Believe it or not, tinkering and modifying coffee items has given me confidence that most appliances in my house can be repaired by me. I found out after the fact that my wife's grandmother just bought a new stove. The repair shop came out and told her that her 30 year old gas stove had to be replaced because parts were no longer available. I wonder, though...

Expanding our horizons through coffee roasting?

CHAD
Roaster: CoffeeAir II 2# DIY air roaster
Grinder: Vintage Grindmaster 500
Brewers: Vintage Cory DCU DCL, Aeropress, Press, Osaka Titanium pourover
 
BoldJava
OT: Nice job on the BBQ roaster. Next summer, I will need some assistance in my next step down that rabbit hoooooooooooooooooole...It's 9 degrees this eve so my mind won't even go there.

B|Java
Edited by BoldJava on 01/25/2009 8:13 PM
http://sidewalkmy...
Dave Borton
Milwaukee, WI
 
cfsheridan

Quote

garybt3 wrote:
Just a little update.
The panels arrived from Hottop USA and I decided to tear it all apart and soak all the metal pieces in a Cafiza bath, and wow...it looks brand new again. I re-assembled the machine and roasted up a couple of batches of coffee. Both came out perfectly.

Today I roasted up some of Chad's Red Sea Blend to a Full City roast level. I plan on hiding one of the bags for at least 1 week ThumbsUp

Just a couple of things bug me about the Hottop
1) I wish I could cool it down to just 275F and start the next roast cycle at that temp, rather than wait for the machine to cool automatically down to 165F.

2) I wish that the fan was adjustable on the fly.


Gary--the "B" model allows for heater power and fan speed adjustment on the fly. Panel is $120 from the same place you got your parts. Hindsight, I should have opted for the cheaper "B" model for more control. I'll be remedying that in the not-too-distant future.

I agree with you on the temperature--I blow a fan into the removed chaff drawer (with the bean chute cover and rear filter removed) during the 4 minute bean cooling to get the temp back down to 165. Still--it's dumb for my purposes, since I heat the roaster back up to 250 on the panel before I drop in the next batch.

The rear filters can be maintained a pretty long time with a Cafiza soak every 10-15 roasts. I rotate two of them, and having broke out my two spares in over three months. Same will work on the top filter.

Remember, compressed air is your friend--I blow out most of the roaster every roast, and remove the back panel every month for a thorough cleaning.
 
ginny
Hi Gary:

I have had 3 Hot Tops, one original and two 882B's...

I am really curious where you bought this machine and what you had to pay for it.

I am asking since I have one I may sell but am more interested if you saw pictures of this before you made the buy!!??

Clearly this is non of my business but as a Hot Top owner, user I am wondering
what the folks who had this were actually doing with it!??

It looks like it was drop kicked out of a Huey!

thanks in advance if you wish to answer.

ginny

Shock

you did on hell of a job fixing it!:Clap::Clap:
 
garybt3
Hi Ginny!

I bought it used from a poster on the Green Coffee Buyers Club forum. I bought it for the asking price of $500 + Shipping. No pictures of it were posted, I took it on good faith. Even though I insured it for replacement cost, UPS is not cooperating. Seems like a lost cause, and I'm glad that it was not 'totaled". My advice is to double box, and pack it well, as if you expect it to be hurled down 2 flights of stairs. I think USPS would have been a better shipper than UPS, in my opinion, based on 3 damaged shipments.

He used it primarily as a sample roaster and it appeared very well seasoned. It cleaned up very nicely, soaking the parts in a hot water/Cafiza bath. With the new panels installed, it looks like new.

Very well built roaster that's fairly simple to work on. I like it.

I'll always answer your questions, Ginny ;)
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. Groucho Marx

Check out: http://garybt3.go...s.com/home
 
cfsheridan
I've taken my Hottop apart for another cleaning and for a temperature monitoring(bean mass and environment) intallation. Data logging, two channel thermometer is inbound, along with .134" OD stainless tubing. I should have her up and running this weekend.

I almost bid on a used on on ebay (older model) that I could have set up as a my auto roaster project.

I'll try to take some photos of the job and post them when complete. Also putting in a "B" panel concurrent with the temperature measuring mod.

 
cfsheridan

Quote

cfsheridan wrote:
I've taken my Hottop apart for another cleaning and for a temperature monitoring(bean mass and environment) intallation. Data logging, two channel thermometer is inbound, along with .134" OD stainless tubing. I should have her up and running this weekend.

I almost bid on a used on on ebay (older model) that I could have set up as a my auto roaster project.

I'll try to take some photos of the job and post them when complete. Also putting in a "B" panel concurrent with the temperature measuring mod.


Oh yeah--we're happy.

A few more final touches needed, but we're happy. :) One roast down, with environmental temperature and bean mass temperature logged. Going to take a bit of time to get used to the full manual controls of the "B", but I roasted a Colombia Huila Excelso to FC+, with about 3-1/2 minutes from start of first to end of roast, about 5-10 sec into 2nd. I thought the temps were climbing too much at the start of first, even with the heater dropped to 40%. I was right.

I'll have pics and perhaps the data graph up tomorrow.
 
BoldJava
Chad, if you get a chance, a photo or two of the arrangement would be nice to see how you have done this.

Whoops, I see that photos are coming.

B|Java
Edited by BoldJava on 02/05/2009 5:55 AM
http://sidewalkmy...
Dave Borton
Milwaukee, WI
 
cfsheridan
I promised pictures, and here they are. You can click on any of them to make them full-sized.

www.noquartercoffee.com/images/hottop-open-iso.jpg

First picture is with the back end open, cover removed, and drum motor removed. On the left side, you can see where I installed the two thermocouple tubes.



www.noquartercoffee.com/images/hottop-et.jpg

Next photo is straight on--the red arrow points to the environmental temperature installation.



www.noquartercoffee.com/images/hottop-bean-temp.jpg

Red arrow in this photo points to the bean mass temperature probe installation.



www.noquartercoffee.com/images/hottop-inside-probes.jpg

Here are the probes, looking inside the drum. Red arrow is bean mass, blue arrow is environmental temp. Above the bean mass probe, you can see the standard Hottop thermocouple. You can also see clearly the area where the beans are present during roasting (the clean part). The environmental probe is also within the drum circumference, so it's shielded from the radiant heat of the element (better indication of what the ET the beans see).




www.noquartercoffee.com/images/hottop-motor-reinstalled.jpg

Here's a shot with the drum motor re-installed.



www.noquartercoffee.com/images/hottop-complete-datalogger.jpg

Finally, the finished setup, with new control panel, new datalogger, and old variac.
 
cfsheridan
I did one run with the logger late last night, but lost the saved data trying to get everything synched with the computer. I've got an old laptop that I am going to use (instead of something newer) so I can leave it with the roaster. I'll have to sneakernet data files with a thumbdrive, since there's no wireless, but that shouldn't be a big deal, as my main 'puter is a desktop anyway. I should have some plots put together tomorrow after I run the setup through its paces.
 
garybt3
There's something 'slightly twisted' about hacking into a perfectly good Hottop...Cool stuff you are doing there Chad !

keep on truckin' with your project...I am eagerly following your progress.

Gary
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. Groucho Marx

Check out: http://garybt3.go...s.com/home
 
cfsheridan

Quote

garybt3 wrote:
There's something 'slightly twisted' about hacking into a perfectly good Hottop...Cool stuff you are doing there Chad !

keep on truckin' with your project...I am eagerly following your progress.

Gary


I've wanted a bean mass probe since I got this machine--the nuke in me cannot stand a lack of instrumentation. Sure, I can zen roast pretty well, but I've been too conditioned to live without instruments forever.
 
garybt3
I need to post some pics of my WB poppery 1, independent heater and fan control. Fan boosted to 140 v (variable) along with a thermo probe and a digital thermometer. I did not build it, but I traded 6 1400watt Popcorn Pumpers and 2 or 3 WB P1's (stock) for it. It can roast 8 oz batches, but they are a little harder to control than 6 oz batches.

I'm off to roast 2 lbs in the lil hottop for a friend @ work...
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. Groucho Marx

Check out: http://garybt3.go...s.com/home
 
BoldJava

Quote

cfsheridan wrote:

I've wanted a bean mass probe since I got this machine--the nuke in me cannot stand a lack of instrumentation. . .


The nuke in you? The nuke? Was ist der 'nuke?' Must be East Coast colloquialism that us flatlanders will never get.

I loved the photo-cafe-journalism.

B|Java
Edited by BoldJava on 02/05/2009 9:23 PM
http://sidewalkmy...
Dave Borton
Milwaukee, WI
 
cfsheridan

Quote

BoldJava wrote:

Quote

cfsheridan wrote:

I've wanted a bean mass probe since I got this machine--the nuke in me cannot stand a lack of instrumentation. . .


The nuke in you? The nuke? Was ist der 'nuke?' Must be East Coast colloquialism that us flatlanders will never get.

I loved the photo-cafe-journalism.

B|Java


Nuke, as in nuclear engineer. Even more so with Navy background. Thanks for the comments, folks.

I'm firing up the Windows 98 laptop (yep, it's that old--an old work model that I've not unholstered in many a moon) to set up for the computer portion of the data-logging.
 
seedlings
Windows 98SE? To program a programmable Hottop? By a Nuculear Engineer?

Genius!

CHAD
Roaster: CoffeeAir II 2# DIY air roaster
Grinder: Vintage Grindmaster 500
Brewers: Vintage Cory DCU DCL, Aeropress, Press, Osaka Titanium pourover
 
cfsheridan
Not programming, just a recording device. It's working perfectly--set it up to take readings here in the office with my non-installed TC wire. I'm liking the setup, though the RS-232 connection is active a little buggy, and the graphics is taking this POS laptop.

My other laptop is more current, but it's a 17 inch monster. I may have too many computers--at least I got rid of the desktop that was 9 years old...
 
cfsheridan
A few plots of today's adventure.

First plot, which shows that something's wrong

www.noquartercoffee.com/images/guat.jpg

After this and another roast like it, I took out the drum and pulled the thermocouple wires out of the tubes more, even bending the environment temperature TC wire up and closer to the bean drop chute. The rest of the day's roasts showed the success of the fix.

First Sumatra Mandheling TP Select-230g Full City+ (10 seconds into 2nd crack)

www.noquartercoffee.com/images/sumatra1.jpg

About 4 minutes from the start of 1st crack to end of roast--bean temp of 441?F.


Second Sumatra Mandheling TP select-230g Full City+ (about 5 seconds into 2nd)

www.noquartercoffee.com/images/sumatra2.jpg

This one had about 4:40 from start of 1st crack to 2nd, though I dropped the beans too early--only had pre-heat to 250?F on the bean mass TC.


Last roast was a Ethiopia Organic Natural Sidamo-230g City+

www.noquartercoffee.com/images/sidamo.jpg

4:15 from start of first crack to end of roast, 423?F finish temperature.

Full write-up can be found at the blog, linked below.

Call me giddy!
 
garybt3
Anyone have a 'profile' that has a quick temp ramp all the way to 1st Crack, then a gradual temp rise significantly (4 to 5 min) extending the time between the end of 1C and the beginning of 2C worked out?

I attempted to change my base profile, and ended up stalling the roast for about 4 minutes and probably pooched the roast. :(

I can probably work this out on my own, but making 250 gram mistakes with some really nice Kenyan Gethumbwini makes me feel really sad...:P

Gary
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. Groucho Marx

Check out: http://garybt3.go...s.com/home
 
cfsheridan
Gary,

If you have the P, you're going to have to manually take over control (as difficult as that may be with that panel) and drop heat just before the onset of first crack (you should be able to tell by watching the beans).

My general hard bean "P" profile was something like this

Target Temp/Time/Fan level

243/1:00/0
280/3:00/0
320/2:00/0
351/2:00/1
369/2:00/1
396/3:00/2
405/3:00/3
421/3:00/4

I would drop the beans at 250?F as indicated by the hottop. First crack would generally happen right at the border of the 396 and 405 phase, and I'd cycle the heater on and off (using the target temperature) to slow things down. The increased fan speed would do that as well. In general, I'd try to slow things down about 30-60 sec before I expected 1st crack based on sights, smells, and roasting history with the bean.

I had a colder weather profile that pumped an extra 30 seconds onto the first leg (243) and slowed down the fan a bit (0/1/1/2/3 in the last 5 legs). Note, the 250?F hottop temperature on a warmed up roaster is more like 330-350, based on what I've seen on my thermocouples.

Hope that helps--those two profiles were used for at least 200 roasts since I got the machine last July.
 
rainbow2009
:trink29:Hi there. Great work

pret auto
 
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