Shapeshifter's UCR

shape_shifter

I thought I would start off this section of the forum with our popper roaster.

UCR = UnnecessarilyComplicatedRoaster

As the Germans would say

shape_shifter

I think we are getting fairly consistent roasts. I've included the roasts we've done so far. The heat and fan are just the levels on the dials at present. Bourbon Minutes Heat Fan Degrees 0-8 7 4.5 187 8-10 7.5 4.5 200 1c 10-13 205 13-15 8 4 223 2c 15:30 pulled Gambella Minutes Heat Fan Degrees 0-8 7 4.5 194 8-10 7.5 4.5 203 1c 10-13 209 13-14 8 4 225 2c 14:30 pulled Bo'oan Minutes Heat Fan Degrees 0-8 7 4.5 184 8-10 7.5 4.5 193 1c 10-11 7.5 4 194 11-13 203 13-14.5 8 4 209 Las Brisas Minutes Heat Fan Degrees 0-8 7 4.5 180 8-11 7.5 4.5 188 1c 11-13 7.5 4 195 13-15 8 4 205 Peru Minutes Heat Fan Degrees 0-8 7 4.5 188 8-10 7.5 4.5 196 1c 10-13 7.5 4 209

shape_shifter

I forgot to add and I can't modify my posts. It's still a popper on the top, but has it's own computer and controls on the bottom 🙂

Lacehim

We need a photo of the completed popper. That is some remodeling job. We should get you working on other coffee related electronics projects. 😉

shape_shifter

I realise I've cross posted but I thought it would be good to keep it all together as well. Tonight I tested out a function of my popper that I hadn't before, never been game, so what do I do, try it out on my favourite bean the Kenya Kagongo Peaberry Smiley The function is: cooling in the popper and yep it works, 3 minutes from 213 to 37 degrees, I was very happy, cool to the touch and packed it up. The other bonus is that I got smell, a weird thing has been happening by roasting in the popper and using sieves to cool in front of the fan, I get hardly any to no smell coming from the beans. So the breakdown of my Peaberry roasting is: 0-8 183 degrees 8-10 192 degrees 1C happened at about 9 minutes 10-13 196 degrees (normally this hits 200 degrees but I bumped the dial so it stayed lower) 13-15 213 degrees 2C happened at 15 minutes 15-16 70 degrees 16-17 41 degrees 17-18 37 degrees Now we know that the software program my OH is writing will work, literally hit the program and walk away (well not literally), come back with beans ready to put in their containers Smiley

beanflying

Nice project 🙂 I have been doing a little playing with a micro based controller for my Hottop. I still prefer to drive it manually at this stage but I really need to get into the code and make it work better as a roaster setup.

askthecoffeeguy

Nice one SS - any chance you could pop up some photos of the completed unit?

shape_shifter

Photos are definitely coming 🙂 What I have found is that by controlling the amount of heat going in the beans control the temperature and different beans will produce different temperatures at each stage that I change the program. I hope that makes sense.

beanflying

Yep not all beans respond to heat the same through the roast, temp on a popper is a bit of a vague thing. If you were to use this controller on a larger mass of beans say in a Corretto you would find it easier to manage I suspect.

shape_shifter

It's still a work in progress, OH has a huge project at work on, he lives and breathes his work so everything else at home takes more time. Just thought I'd add a photo from last night so you know we aren't talking out our behinds ;D outside progress by Nic's Stuff, on Flickr The left hand gauge doesn't work at present but it will be the temperature guage. It is still missing the power switch on the front which goes on the left hand side of the panel of knobs, there is also a program button, next in line of knobs and then the LED which makes all sorts of pretty colours 🙂. The program will come from a download between computer and box depending on what I want.

Divey

Given that the last post in this thread was nearly five months ago, I'm wondering whether there are any further modifications to this little popper. I would be keen to be able to do similar, however, I feel that lot's of advice would be needed. 🙂

Brett_H

OMGosh! It's fabulous! A real work of art. Jeff's new roaster has a bean loader.... any plans for one of these :rofl:.... You've got most of the other bases covered! Just brilliant!

shape_shifter

LOL not yet Brett, never know though. Divey yeah it's been a stalled project for a while. OH asked me the other week if I wanted him to work on it again. My answer is 'not just yet'. He is flat out on more important things for our future at present and has been for a while now. As it is I can still play around with it, looking what what sorts of programs I want put in it in the meantime. As long as I can produce decent roasts then I'm happy with it as is at present.

shape_shifter

Finally a video 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOuLkv4_KXM