Sonofresco / Q&A / Tip & Tricks

[Ron_L]

too bad you aren't near San Diego, we could have some bbq and let you take the Sonofresco for a run. If you get one you wont regret it. They are very well supported machines and they make amazing coffee.

Hmmm...

<looking up flights to San Diego>. 

That would be fun, but with the new job I have limited time off, so it's not in the cards right now, but you never know where I'll show up on business.

[Joe]

too bad you aren't near San Diego, we could have some bbq and let you take the Sonofresco for a run. If you get one you wont regret it. They are very well supported machines and they make amazing coffee.

Hmmm...

<looking up flights to San Diego>. 

That would be fun, but with the new job I have limited time off, so it's not in the cards right now, but you never know where I'll show up on business.

Plus it would ruin your life forever. Not many people leave San Diego once they visit...It get's tough to live anywhere else Always welcome at the casa if you are in town.

[Ron_L]

too bad you aren't near San Diego, we could have some bbq and let you take the Sonofresco for a run. If you get one you wont regret it. They are very well supported machines and they make amazing coffee.

Hmmm...

<looking up flights to San Diego>. 

That would be fun, but with the new job I have limited time off, so it's not in the cards right now, but you never know where I'll show up on business.

I've been there plenty of times. It is a beautiful area.
Plus it would ruin your life forever. Not many people leave San Diego once they visit...It get's tough to live anywhere else Always welcome at the casa if you are in town.

[Ron_L]

Well...

I decided to pull the trigger on a used Sono 1100 Stainless.  I should have it next week.

I'm sure I'll have questions. 

[Joe]

Well...

I decided to pull the trigger on a used Sono 1100 Stainless.  I should have it next week.

I'm sure I'll have questions. 

Nice!!! Welcome to the sonofresco club..I have never regretted my purchase.

[Ron_L]

Thanks! I've been looking for one for a while. I almost pulled the trigger on one in August but hesitated. That turned out to be a good decision since I found out that I was being payed off the next day  . But it worked out in the end. New job and now a new roaster 

[jittery_java]

Just a quick update. That temperature probe that I bought back in 2013 is still going strong, and it's now 2018 in the mean time, I've had to replace the gas valve, the ignitor, the ram ignition module, the roast chamber 2x, the chaff screens 4x, and the start/run capacitor on the motor. I'd estimate that i've roasted somewhere in the range of 7000-8000 kg of coffee on this roaster since installing it.


(so much time passed that i had to re-register this account to post this update)

[Osidecoffee]

So I’ve joined the club for a least a temporary period of time. I got a 2lb Sonofresco from a small coffee shop owner for a pretty solid price.. He had upgraded to an Artisan 6 about a year ago, and was ready to get rid of his backup Sono’s. The unit lacked care and upkeep, but mainly needed some maintenance, and cleaning.. Thanks to all of the awesome information you guys have provided on the unit, I’ll be doing a DIY propane conversion on it soon, to save a few bucks for the other parts this thing will likely need. I’m a homeroaster with no large aspirations to sell too much coffee, but thought this was the perfect opportunity to get an awesome roaster at a cheap price, and I look forward to being  able to hook friends up with coffee at a reasonable price. It’s been an adventure in the 36 hours I’ve had this roaster, just tearing it apart and seeing it’s condition, but I’m not afraid of the work required to get it in shape. I wonder what  replacement parts it might need soon, so we’ll  see if it stays a while, or if the cost will grow past my liking! I’ve waffled about 5 times already on this roaster, and was really ready to find it a new home soon, so it’s been quite the roller coaster ride, and we’ll see how it ends!

[Joe]

joined the club for a temporary amount of time? that's a weird statement. Just curious how much did you drop on it?

[Joe]

I am getting my beloved sonofresco back from the factory soon. I had an e-2 error on a natural gas unit. It was originally diagnosed as a bad gas valve they sent me a new unit, I installed it, same problem. Then, it was believed to be a bad ram ignition module, replaced that same problem, changed the ignitor cable.. after a month of no roaster I basically sent it back to them. The ram module was the original correct problem but the valve they sent me had a bad solenoid so it created a new problem. All fixed now and running as good as new on it's way back to San Diego. Not bad for a 15+year old roaster.

[Osidecoffee]

I was referring to my possibly temporary time in the Sonofresco club 
I’ve barely convinced my wife to let me drop this much on it, and if it demands too much of my time to roast for my friends, or if I’m not enjoying it, I have no problem selling it in the future. I’ve got a young family, so they definitely are the priority for me. But I figured if I could get a much more efficient setup than my bread machine roaster that could pay for itself very quickly, I figured it was worth a shot.

I got the roaster for a little under a grand, and it was a really good deal, but I’ve definitely paid for it with plenty of time on my part getting the unit back in shape after a couple years of mismanagement. I have no clue how the unit was operating, or how well it was operating with the lack of care it received as far as cleaning and maintenance was concerned. I’ve basically taken the whole thing apart and have cleaned about every piece in it. Currently I’m trying to source a propane orifice to switch it over to propane, as I don’t have an extra gas line. I’ve definitely enjoyed reading your experiences with your roaster Joe, as this unit is 6 years old and should have plenty of life left in it with the proper care.

[Joe]

You can’t just switch a hose. It needs a whole new gas valve assembly. The valve assembly is over $150 not including the propane tank attachment. PM me if you want to sell the 2lb to me though or trade for a 1lb

[Osidecoffee]

So I read way back in this posting how they used a robertshaw gas valve assembly, so I got the conversion kit to adjust the pressure regulator to the right pressure for propane, and I’m ordering the #51 size burner orifice so that it’s the right size for propane. It was a post back on page 25 of this thread, and everything I’ve done so far had only confirmed that the parts are indeed generic, and the research I’ve done has added up. I’ll definitely post results, just in case I can’t quite get it to work correctly, as I wouldn’t want to throw anybody off. But the propane orifice size and BTU numbers look like they’re lining up with what Sonofresco says. Before I would sell it, I would 100 percent convert it back to the stock parts it came with, as to not throw anybody off. And I’ll definitely PM you Joe, just in case it’s not quite working out for me.

[hottop]

Selling my RK drum and getting the 2lb sonofresco propane unit.  I was going to sell my old hottop, but have decided to keep it in case I can't get to the sonofresco while we down size.  I took advantage of their sale.

[wajacos]

Hi All,
I just found this site and thread trying to find out as much info about the Sono I recently acquired.  Thanks to all who have posted over the years here for all the informative info.   I now have about 15 roasts under my belt and wanted to see how my findings correlate to others.
I have a 2 pounder with the ADR and Bluetooth.
I load it with ~1100g of green beans
I've been roasting outside with no vent or chimney on the roaster.
I typically hit 1st crack at about 175C (347F) and 2nd at about 200C (392F) does that seem normal?
Thanks,
-wes