HotTop Insulation for winter roasting

[GC7]

As the cold weather is approaching here in the northeast I want to insulate my hottop roaster as an experiment.  I’ve found that winter roasting is a chore on my screened in enclosed back porch in freezing temperatures and my profiles are affected by the extra heat I need to use to get similar roast times.
I found this insulation material which was mentioned in previous discussions over on HB.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#9323k21/=9dm0kb
It’s a 1/8 thick by 16 inch fiberglass paper that is good up to 1200*F.  My question is how to best fix it to the body of the HotTop roaster so as to optimally use the insulation properties of the paper?  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.  As the roll is 10 feet and I’d need only a fraction of that I’d be happy to send to other HotTop usersfor cost plus shipping.

[peter]

I came across people on HB using kaowool to insulate boilers, and think it would work for a HotTop too.  It looks to have more insulating properties than the paper, and there's a few places that will sell it in 1'x2' pieces.

http://xrl.in/6jfs

Perhaps several wire loops would hold it to the wire heat shield around your roaster.

[Tex]

Would you just wrap it around the exterior of the chamber?

[grinderz]

My approach to cold weather roasting is slightly lower tech 



Just put the roaster in the box and close the flaps loosely. The temp inside the box is high enough during roasting so that I can get a normal roast well at below freezing. I don't have a hottop, but I imagine that it would work similarly to my turbo-crazy.

[Ringo]

Kaowool is great stuff, cheap and easy to work with.  The dust off kaowool is dangerous, if you put it on the outside of the roaster cover it with something, maybe aluminum flashing.

[peter]

Kaowool is great stuff, cheap and easy to work with.  The dust off kaowool is dangerous, if you put it on the outside of the roaster cover it with something, maybe aluminum flashing.

Or, some of that metalic tape...

[Nucer]

Good advice Ringo!  Not good for breathing and it definitely needs to be covered.

(happy to see others that work with insulation from Benbrook, Texas)

[GC7]

Thanks for all the input so far.  The wire loops should work well enough.

I'm not keen on using something that could leach off toxic dust.  I was thinking of a form fitting sheet with a cutout for the upper filter and bean entry shoot (that also holds my thermocouple ala RandyG) that could have a separate removable piece to cover that if necessary.  I used to use a cardboard box with my old popper-variac setup but the potential for fires with the HotTop and a carton can't be ignored so that option is out.

I think I just need to insulate well enough so that the heating element is not required to be on full power and local ET's can resemble those used in "normal" roasting conditions. I may just try the paper and wire loops to hold it in place.  

I'll report back sometime in the future with the changes to the roast profiles.

[Ringo]

I may have used too strong of a word, I would use kaowool on a hottop if I owned one.  I would just put the metal tape around the outside.   This stuff is used everywere on boilers, ceramic kilns, wood stoves. Its is safe if used the correct way.

[GC7]

Well I ordered the fiberglass paper sheet from McMaster to try with my hottop.

I'll report back when I have enough feedback.

I will probably have 7-8 feet X 16 inches spare to distribute to anyone who wants to try it.

[Tex]

I may do this to my HT this winter. If I do I'll use foil and fiberglass duct insulation . It comes in 12" wide rolls and is easy to work with.

I'd also get the foil-backed tape to seal it.

[GC7]

I wanted something that was not bulky/thick.  I also think that minimal insulation will work nicely as a towel can change a roast profile especially if it blocksthe upper filter - (note that this is a HUGE fire hazard that I do not recommend trying). 

Tex - That tape looks good too. Will the glue underside of the tape withstand the heat of the roaster if its used at the border of the insulation and metal HotTop roaster siding?

[peter]

I may do this to my HT this winter. If I do I'll use foil and fiberglass duct insulation . It comes in 12" wide rolls and is easy to work with.

I'd also get the foil-backed tape to seal it.

I'd do some research as to how that insulation will handle high temps. 

[Tex]

I wanted something that was not bulky/thick.  I also think that minimal insulation will work nicely as a towel can change a roast profile especially if it blocksthe upper filter - (note that this is a HUGE fire hazard that I do not recommend trying). 

Tex - That tape looks good too. Will the glue underside of the tape withstand the heat of the roaster if its used at the border of the insulation and metal HotTop roaster siding?

I'll let you know after I try it, but considering it'll be on the outside of the insulation, I'm thinking it won't get too hot. If it does I'll have some friends check for USA surplus - they have some tape used on the shuttle and ISS that's good to unbelievable temp extremes.

[headchange4u]

I'm opting for a fiberglass welding blanket to use with my RK Drum setup this winter.