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Hello from the San Francisco Bay Area CA.
ThomasCee
Top  #1 Print Post
Posted on 04/15/2018 4:13 PM
Hello Home Roasters!
Shout-out to Jack for getting my account sorted out, good to meet you all! I have read and searched and re-read countless threads through this forum over the last two months.

Name is Thomas. My extended family are self proclaimed "Coffee Snobs" (said with a smile on their faces : ) , but I could not tell the difference for the longest time. Until... My brother took me on a coffee tasting tour in Oakland and San Francisco (Blue Bottle, Sight Glass, FourBarrel, etc for the locals). It left us completely caffeine buzzed and desperately searching for bathrooms Roflmao But for the first time I could taste the difference in various Artisan level coffees. It was so much fun and enlightening.

Things then followed what I assume are the usual progressions:
-Began buying and comparing quality roasted beans from local roasters instead of Starbucks/big box stores/cheap coffee sales;
-The addition of a quality conical grinder;
-Later a gram scale;
-Then decided 'what the heck, everyone says popcorn poppers are the first step to roasting, and eBay is full of green bean options, why not give it a try?'

Understandably, I have not been delighted with the roast results (lack of air control is maddening, high airflow during drying is less then ideal, etc), but I have HAD A BLAST doing it! I need to quit buying greens... As I think my 7 origins I have accumulated will last me a good while lol.

My hope was to build a drum roaster at some point, as a $1,500 Huky or Quest is a little beyond my preferred price point, and have since noticed that many seem to have built a roaster at some point or another. I hope to join your ranks with my own home built drum roaster at some point in the future; with proper controls for proper roasting.

34 years old, have an awesome best friend/wife, and a 3 year old daughter and a 1 year old son, and work too much; hence me pursuing hobbies like this that I can do with the family.

Cheers to you all! Thanks again Jack ThumbsUp
Edited by ThomasCee on 04/15/2018 7:16 PM
 
JackH
Top  #2 Print Post
Posted on 04/15/2018 6:31 PM
Welcome to Homeroasters Thomas!
Nice to see you here. I am glad I was able to get you online with us.

There are many roaster designs and builds here so take a look around and feel free to ask questions. A popper roaster is one of the most economical ways to try, learn and observe coffee roasting.

BBQ grill
---Jack

KKTO Roaster.
 
renatoa
Top  #3 Print Post
Posted on 04/16/2018 1:49 AM
Welcome !

You want to check the two reference (imo) easy to do drum roasters, made from ikea stainless steel pots, they require minimal iron processing, without welding or other costly manufacture.
 
ThomasCee
Top  #4 Print Post
Posted on 04/16/2018 3:31 PM
Thanks for the welcome!
Are your links live for your KKTO roaster? I was searching your site and not everything went through. Looked very interesting.

Fun fenatoa, I'll search around for those links. Lots of helpful stuff I have found so far.
 
renatoa
Top  #5 Print Post
Posted on 04/17/2018 1:20 AM
The drum designs I wrote above as being easier to do with minimal tinkering aren't mine, they are forum heritage, and for me they were the most inspiring, not having welding capabilities.
I meant these:
https://forum.hom...ad_id=5462
https://forum.hom...ead_id=570

Of course if interested in my radiant turbo oven version I can post some details.
 
ThomasCee
Top  #6 Print Post
Posted on 04/17/2018 2:08 AM
Honestly, as I am gathering information and such, I would love to see links to your design. I just read through both threads you provided, very interesting. That Halogen roaster was awesome and truly thinking outside of the box.
I assume that I started as many do, I looked at the price of a sample sized drum roaster and about fell out of my seat in shock $$$$$$$$, and thought, "surely I can build one of these for cheaper??" I soon realized that I didn't even know what I didn't know... and even simple questions I don't know the answer to, hence me reading everything I can find.

Lol, also with prices of materials, I also began to understand why they cost what they do as well.
 
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