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1 lb Easydrum Roaster
allenb
Top  #76 Print Post
Posted on 01/14/2014 10:02 PM
Wa'il, thanks for the compliment!

Yes on both counts. Fan speed is controlled by a low tech thyristor controller and exhaust is pulled from the fill chute.

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
Airhan
Top  #77 Print Post
Posted on 01/14/2014 11:02 PM
It's about time you showed off your roaster Allen!
Aaron
"Grind it like it did you some great injustice!"D.L.Clark
 
allenb
Top  #78 Print Post
Posted on 01/16/2014 12:44 PM
Thanks Aaron! Glad to finally get it to the point where I'm fairly comfortable with it and know what buttons to push.

Now if only I could get my Sweet marias Rwanda Tumba Cocatu to come out like Tom's cupping notes... cross fingers

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
AnthonyD
Top  #79 Print Post
Posted on 01/20/2014 10:27 AM
Hi Allen,
Is your exhaust fan the 120CFM blower from surplus center?
http://www.surplu...6-1436.axd

I was thinking about ordering it for my build.
 
allenb
Top  #80 Print Post
Posted on 01/20/2014 11:02 AM
This is the one I used from Grainger

http://www.graing...=P2IDP2PCP

This is probably doing around 80 cfm at the static pressure I'm running. It's drawing on my cooling tray and drum and I'm able to adjust how much is drawn from each zone.

I would prefer to have a radial wheel that would be easier to clean versus the squirrel cage wheel that came with mine.

I would check to see how many cfm at 1/2" static pressure the fan does your looking at. I would make sure it can do at least 50 cfm at 1/2".

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
Erik
Top  #81 Print Post
Posted on 02/11/2014 5:29 PM

Quote

allenb wrote:

Thanks all for the compliments! I was a little hesitant to display my back-woods masonite control rack.

I'll do a quick tour of the controls as requested.

The PID controller on the left is a single setpoint Omega using a K-type TC for controlling under-drum ET. I usually maintain somewhere between 500 and 600 throughout the roast.

The PID controller on the right is a PXR-4 ramp-soak controller using a K-type TC sensing BT for control of radiant elements. Control is good and steady up to 1C but a way is needed to vary output manually from there to finish. With having only one set of proportional and Integral settings possible it is only stable from start up to 1C then all goes to pot with wild output swings.

SSR's are 25 amp general duty units with a small heat sink strapped to each.

The 18 volts from the transformer fed the small variac which goes on to a 5 amp bridge rectifier for 0 to 18 VDC to the heatgun fan which I've abandoned after frying it. I'm now using a 1000 watt tubular under the drum and have no need for a fan. Air flow will be controlled via manual damper mounted in a small duct going from the front of the roaster to the exhaust/chaff collector system. The heatgun worked fine but would rather have a negative pressure via exhaust versus positive with heatgun which has a tendency to force chaff/debris down through the gap at the front of he drum into the area I can't get to for cleaning.

As far as cost of the works?

Fuji PXR-4 $250.00
Omega PID $60.00 (ebay)
SSR's $22.00 ea
variac $25.00 (surplus electronics)
transformer (junk drawer)
volts panel meter $100.00
switches, wire etc. $30.00

Now with all of my screwing around with controls for the last few years I've come to the realization that I'm not a big fan of automation of coffee roasters. I'm now equipping it with two dimmers and my trusty TC-4 rate of rise meter which will all be mounted within the roaster base. If I ever go into business in coffee and build a big roaster I'll definitely go back to automation but for now I don't like watching the numbers go by without user input through the roast. It gets boring.

Allen



Yikes. Over $500 just on the controls, plus a lot of knowledge, work, skill and ingenuity. Maybe I better rethink building a roaster?
 
Airhan
Top  #82 Print Post
Posted on 02/11/2014 7:17 PM
Omit the 2 PIDs and suddenly that is $310 that you don't have to spend.
Aaron
"Grind it like it did you some great injustice!"D.L.Clark
 
allenb
Top  #83 Print Post
Posted on 02/11/2014 7:48 PM
I agree but go even further. Nix the two PID controllers, one of the two SSR's, definitely the $100 dollar volt meter (unnecessary).

Instead, solder up a TC4, buy one SSR if going electric and a cheap fan control if needed and you're ready to automate!

I'm currently using a TC4C and Roastlogger to run my gas easydrum. Works great!

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
snwcmpr
Top  #84 Print Post
Posted on 02/11/2014 10:46 PM
Really nice job Allen.

Ken in NC
--------------
Backwoods Roaster
"I wish I could taste as well as I wish I could roast."

As Abraham Lincoln said "Do not trust everything you read on the internet".
 
allenb
Top  #85 Print Post
Posted on 02/12/2014 8:11 AM
Thanks Ken, it's been a fun project. After seeing Airhan running his popper with his TC4/Roastlogger controls, it gave me the desire to try out Roastlogger with my easydrum for some automation and it works great.

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
JackH
Top  #86 Print Post
Posted on 02/12/2014 9:05 AM
Allen, are you using the RoastLogger PID functions?
---Jack

KKTO Roaster.
 
Erik
Top  #87 Print Post
Posted on 02/12/2014 10:06 AM

Quote

allenb wrote:

I agree but go even further. Nix the two PID controllers, one of the two SSR's, definitely the $100 dollar volt meter (unnecessary).

Instead, solder up a TC4, buy one SSR if going electric and a cheap fan control if needed and you're ready to automate!

I'm currently using a TC4C and Roastlogger to run my gas easydrum. Works great!

Allen


Well, I would sure like to build a drum roaster with 1-2lb capacity with the ability to record temperaturs/profiles and for under $500.

Not sure if I could pull it off.

Currently roast 1lb batches in a whirlypop, and get decent results, but it is a bit primative and tedious.

I do love following the builds you guys have done and are doing!
 
allenb
Top  #88 Print Post
Posted on 02/12/2014 7:22 PM

Quote

JackH wrote:

Allen, are you using the RoastLogger PID functions?


No, just using it in event trigger mode. I'm amazed at how easy it is to program events to follow a predetermined profile once you know what power levels are needed to achieve a given rate of rise at the different phases of a roast. It can be easily tweaked by adjusting this or that event button if you want to change the slope of a certain part of a curve.

I'd be curious to know how event mode would work with a fluidbed since changes in ET cause immediate rate of rise changes.

In the near future I'll give the PID mode a try.

Allen
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
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