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renatoa
03/25/2024 12:38 PM
coffee drink, Ramper?

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Fluid Bed Air Roaster & Cooler
seedlings
This Roaster is brand new. I've experimented with other designs, but really wanted an Air Roaster to roast about a pound of green coffee at a time. I now have one.

Capacity - 3 Cups Green or ~1.25 lbs. Likely could do more.
Agitation - Air, courtesy of 2 Heatguns and a Leaf Blower
Roasting Time - 16-18 minutes to second crack
Roaster Temp - At full load I've reached about 450F (see below)
Cost - $80 USD
seedlings attached the following image:
V A Roaster[242].jpg

Edited by seedlings on 07/13/2007 6:54 PM
 
seedlings
Design

Two Heatguns are pointed into the bottom of the roasting hopper. They provide the heat and some air flow. A Leaf Blower assists the heatguns with more than enough additional air flow for bean circulation. Temperature in this roaster is directly related to air flow, as in a popcorn popper. No air flow means WAY too hot. Too much air flow means too cool (which is a tremendous advantage for cooling). The air flow is controlled manually via a damper opposite the blower where excess cool air exits the roaster.
seedlings attached the following image:
Roaster Cross Section[243].jpg
 
Dan
Seedlings, thanks for your innovative entry. Good luck, Dan
 
seedlings
Construction

Heatguns (2) $16 each (on sale!)
Leaf Blower $26 (cheapest Black & Decker)
Glass Globe $6 (Coleman Lantern replacement)
RTV $4 (High temperature caulk safe for ovens)
Various furnace sheet metal accessories ($12)
I already had: rivet gun, OSB wood, screws, etc.

Basically built a box out of OSB roofing sheets. Hopper is the glass globe, a 5"x4" duct reducer, sheet metal and rivets. The hopper rests very snugly in a fabricated sheet metal funnel. There is some aluminum screen at the bottom of the Hopper to keep the beans in. The inside bottom of the hopper is cone shaped so the beans blow up the center, out to the sides, then funnel back down to the heat.
seedlings attached the following image:
X Hopper X[244].jpg
 
seedlings
This Roaster also COOLS the beans! I just shut off the heat, then close the damper to really get the circulation. They're cool to touch in less than a minute! I have a "Cooling Screen" that I hold over the top of the hopper to keep the beans from blowing out durning cooling.
seedlings attached the following image:
Cooling2[245].jpg
 
seedlings
Here are some additional pictures
seedlings attached the following image:
V Roaster 4[246].jpg
 
seedlings
The guns pointing into the bottom of the Hopper.
seedlings attached the following image:
V Guns[247].jpg
 
seedlings
Roasting

3 Cups of Green coffee go in the hopper.
The hopper is placed onto the base.
Turn on the blower.
Adjust the damper for very gentle circulation.
Plug in the heatguns.
Regularly adjust the damper for very gentle circulation.

The thermometer is off center, nearer the edge of the chamber. It is fully in the beans. I did that so that I would know how hot the beans are and not necessarily the air, because they circulate.

I reach 350F in about 8 minutes, 400F at 15 minutes, 425F by 18 minutes, and I usually end close to 450 at about 20 minutes.
seedlings attached the following image:
V 425[248].jpg
 
seedlings
Mexican Altura from the Roasterie
seedlings attached the following image:
V Mexican[249].jpg
 
seedlings
Beans Circulating
seedlings attached the following image:
V Circulation[250].jpg
 
seedlings
Roasting Progress
seedlings attached the following image:
Fluid All[251].jpg
 
seedlings
I have yet to "sacrifice" any coffee to see the extreme limits of the roaster.

Thanks to all! I've had many questions answered on Homeroasters.org. I really enjoy this site.
H)


CHAD
 
seedlings
Another of the innards...

The screen on top of the Hopper is just to keep any stray, high lofting beans landing back inside rather than outside.

Since the propulsion is a (loud) Leaf Blower, chaff and smoke collection is handled by the nature of the yard outside.

I have considered creating an extension out of 3" PVC tube. This would allow the blower to be mounted out of sight, yet still provide the circulation. This would make the roaster very quiet.
seedlings attached the following image:
V Roaster Guts[252].jpg

Edited by seedlings on 07/13/2007 11:19 PM
 
ginny
looks really great dude..

ginny
 
seedlings
Thanks, ginny!

CHAD
 
Ascholten
That roaster looks really cool there. Been wanting a bigger capacity roaster myself but just havent been motivated to do something about making one.
I might give this a shot at home.

Aaron
Bean there Done that, donated the T-shirt to the Church of the Second crack.... St Beanyface
 
seedlings

Quote

Ascholten wrote:
That roaster looks really cool there. Been wanting a bigger capacity roaster myself but just havent been motivated to do something about making one.
I might give this a shot at home.

Aaron


Hey Aaron, you should try it! With only one heatgun you could roast up to 1 cup of green coffee. If you want the full pound, you need the additional heat. If I can offer any assistance I'd love to help.

Thanks,
CHAD
 
Ascholten
Chad thanks for the offer. Currently im about to go on temp disability as my surgery date looms in the future. Im getting some disks remove and 1 vertebrae repaired?? and my spine fused so im gonna be out of work a few weeks... well I say two weeks, they say up to 8 but im stubborn and plan on getting back to some kind of work as soon as possible. With this, even though it's only about a hundred bucks, im watching my money until this crap is all over with and I know that im back on a sort of stable income.

Once im back in the ranks of the working slave labor pool, ill definately give this a good look at and probably attempt it here.

Thanks again
Aaron
Bean there Done that, donated the T-shirt to the Church of the Second crack.... St Beanyface
 
dennist3
hey Ascholten we are all pulling for you!!!!
s:4

Oh and great concept for the roaster!!!
Edited by dennist3 on 07/18/2007 7:28 PM
Dennis
AKA
FC1(SW/AW) Dennis W. True
USN (ret.)

HG/DB roasting in the warm Cuban Sun

Check out my Blog!!!!!
http://coffee-kit...gspot.com/
 
seedlings
Yes, we're looking forward to hearing from you once you're back up and at 'em. I'm sure that this surgery will do the trick, especially if you're motivated to recover quickly! When I had my knee surgery I didn't get right up and walking... I sort of layed around playing video games... bad idea. If I'd worked through the pain instead of succombing the healing would've been much sooner. I wouldn't have stiffened up. You've got the right Idea.

Best wishes,

CAHD
 
dennist3

Quote

A Leaf Blower assists the heatguns with more than enough additional air flow for bean circulation. Temperature in this roaster is directly related to air flow, as in a popcorn popper. No air flow means WAY too hot. Too much air flow means too cool (which is a tremendous advantage for cooling). The air flow is controlled manually via a damper opposite the blower where excess cool air exits the roaster.


Just curious have you thought about a VARIAC for the blower to control the air flow?
Dennis
AKA
FC1(SW/AW) Dennis W. True
USN (ret.)

HG/DB roasting in the warm Cuban Sun

Check out my Blog!!!!!
http://coffee-kit...gspot.com/
 
seedlings
Yes I did consider a variac. I didn't use one because of cost. A variac would've over doubled my construction costs. I wanted to make something for under $100. I did try to place a 60W lightbulb in series with the blower, but the blower didn't come on.

If I had one on hand... I definately would do that!

Thanks for the input. If one of you brave souls tries a mock up of this rig, try the variac to let me know!

Thanks,
CHAD
 
seedlings
I did a new time lapse video. Here you go. It's possible this link won't work, but here goes:

ROASTER VIDEO CLICK HERE

You probably already clicked it, but turn your sound down before you start it Grin .
CHAD
Edited by seedlings on 07/22/2007 7:56 PM
 
Mike
Chad

Link worked!

Great video.......I could smell it.

You've accomplished the elusive removable roast chamber.....congrats.

Mike
B)
 
seedlings
Mike, had I known a removable roast chamber was ellusive, I probably wouldn't have tried it!

GrinGrinGrinGrinGrin


CHAD
 
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