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Part 7 - The trier
Alchemist
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Posted on 08/30/2007 3:39 PM
One of the really big things non-popper home roasters are missing is a really good (or any) trier. I have heard that over and over. So, here it is as I see it.

The drawing is roughly to scale. The trier looks a little large, but the concept is there. I should say I have been thinking about this for DAYS and nothing was working. Sheet metal flange (hard to get), how about build it? tried - can't expect that of others (and it sucked), leave stuff exposed, grr, didn't like that, how do I attach it? bolts with a twist? what happens if it shifts? A lock? nope, want fast removal for dump. Finally, I was talking to myself out load saying, "I just want it to SNAP/CLICK on" and I realized I knew that sound. I hear it every day at the lab as I attach my run logs to the front of my GC/MS. It is going to be attached with magnets. Three small magnets (note the drawing, 3 so there is alignment) on the trier insert face and drum front face. SNAP it's on, slight twist (note the "handle" ) to mis-align the magnets and off it comes, ready for the EOR dump. Following the same thought, I want a magnet (a half ring) on the top of the trier port, and bottom of the trier itself. That way you have to twist it up to sample and it will rotate back when you let go and the trier itself stay "true" on the incline to the drum. That is it in a nutshell.

I would love some input on the trier material, shape, construction, etc. I am thinking a 1" aluminum tube, with a cutaway, and maybe the end folded up to contain the sample. Thoughts?

I am absolutely tickled by this design? Am I out in left field or is it that elegant?GrinGrinGrin
Alchemist attached the following image:
trier[494].jpg
Edited by Alchemist on 08/30/2007 3:41 PM
 
Alchemist
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Posted on 08/30/2007 8:06 PM
And I will expand a little on the construction of in trier insert. I am thinking a 6" plate with a 1.25" hole for the 1" trier. I am guessing here since I have not speced out the drum opening, but given the drum is 7", I am estimating that section that slips (the "insert" ) inside the drum will be around 3". In lier of some lathe work again s:3 we are going to construct the insert with a 3" inner piece of plate aluminum (or maybe sheet metal (rolled?), a couple 2-3 layers of hardibacker (or maybe a bit of fiberfrax that I could supply - easy to work, highly insulative) and the 6" outer plate, all held together with screws, or maybe a nut and bolt or 2. Both the inside bore and outside where the hardibacker would show I plan just a little bit of very simply folded sheetmetal. At this scale, just pliers and a hammer will get us there.

I currently have no clue on the construction of the trier itself. Suggestions? We have (maybe) a 1" aluminum tube to attach to a wooden dowel (handle) with a 2" diameter guard (think katana guard like) where we will mount the magnets and help seal the 1.25" trier hole. It might be as simple as tight tolerance drilling and fitting, but I am not sure.
Edited by Alchemist on 08/30/2007 8:07 PM
 
David
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Posted on 08/30/2007 11:42 PM
I get it that the trier is a scoop to sample beans at various times throughout the roast. But how exactly would this trier work?

I know this may sound pretty ignorant, but if it is always "in," then wouldn't it catch a few green beans at the beginning of the roast and hold them throughout? If so, wouldn't we get a sample that wasn't in the "mainstream" to check? Or would they constantly be displaced by a new bunch of beans?

Or would it be upsidedown, not holding any beans until we turned it over at sampling time?

And, with a sloping drum what would keep the beans from sliding back out the end when we pulled it out? Perhaps its not an open ended scoop.

:(
 
Alchemist
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Posted on 08/31/2007 7:10 AM

Quote

David wrote:
I get it that the trier is a scoop to sample beans at various times throughout the roast. But how exactly would this trier work?

I know this may sound pretty ignorant, but if it is always "in," then wouldn't it catch a few green beans at the beginning of the roast and hold them throughout? If so, wouldn't we get a sample that wasn't in the "mainstream" to check? Or would they constantly be displaced by a new bunch of beans?

Or would it be upsidedown, not holding any beans until we turned it over at sampling time?


I worried about this too. I comment about a magnet on the "guard" of the trier. What I hope/want is to put the magnets on the bottom side of the trier and the top side of the roaster. That way, they only align and keep the trier in place if the trier is "upside down". Otherwise, you are correct, if the trier was randomly placed in, we could get some that catch. I saw this with the handle being weighted in a full size roaster, but didn't think we had enough mass to make that work here. But that is where I say the idea that the resting trier should be cup down.

Quote

David wrote

And, with a sloping drum what would keep the beans from sliding back out the end when we pulled it out? Perhaps its not an open ended scoop.

:(


And hence the problem with a small drawing. I am definitely not thinking open ended, although we may find that it is not a problem. 11 degrees is not that much really, and there is nothing stopping us (except if we botch the design - note, the bore should be large enough to permit the trier to come out horizontal) from rotating the trier to disengage the magnets, capture a few beans, hold it horizontal and pull it out.

Trier shape and shaping (the physical process) is what we still solidly need to design. How do these look for some better detail?

Application of a little drawing and basic trig gives me the following. If the trier is 1" diameter, the thickness of the bore ( depth ) is 2" and we are at 11 degrees, the bore needs to be at least 1.75" to allow the trier to come out horizontally. That in itself may take care of needing a closed end, but I will attach that drawing next.
Alchemist attached the following image:
trierdetail[495].jpg
Edited by Alchemist on 08/31/2007 7:12 AM
 
Alchemist
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Posted on 08/31/2007 7:27 AM
Here is all I can come up with for a trier construction.

Thick walled aluminum pipe (not iron, we don't want to hork with the magnets).

Cut away the shape we want, leaving a "tail" at the end. Bend the tail up. Trim to whatever level of height we want. Done. Granted, it isn't super pretty, but I don't see beans falling out of the end.

If we really feel like getting pretty, we could cut a wider tail, hammer it flat, bend that up and trim it to fit flush. Not to hard either I suspect.
Alchemist attached the following image:
trierend[496].jpg
Edited by Alchemist on 08/31/2007 7:28 AM
 
Alchemist
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Posted on 08/31/2007 7:41 AM
Here is how I would do it for the fitted "fussy" end. A few cuts, hammer open the end, fold it up and trim it flush. We are probably talking a bit of dremel work here for the final trim up work. Jig saw (or just the dremel) for the first cuts.
Alchemist attached the following image:
endfussy[497].jpg
 
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