Hottop Profiles / Q&A / Tips & Tricks

[cfsheridan]

I promised plots--here are two.

Full story is here.

[shakin_jake]

I have a question for you Hot Top Users...I have been roasting in a Behmor since last July full time (every bean I drink) and have 90 + roasts logged on it.  I'm wanting to try another roaster and the Hot Top looks like the one.  Here's my question/questions:

I roast inside my garage...it's 1000 square feet, I raise one of two overhead doors and a walkway door on an opposite wall to create cross ventilation (to deal with smoke)

The Behmor uses an afterburner to cut down on smoke.  The research I have been doing (reading about the Hot Top), indicates there is no smoke eater function on the Hot Top, is that right?

So the Hot Top is smokier than the Behmor.  Do any of you find that to be a problem?  What are you doing to control the smoke, if anything?  Where do you use your Hot Top?


Jake
Reddick Fla.

[MMW]

So the Hot Top is smokier than the Behmor.

Cant' answer that as I don't have a Behmor-- I did, however, previously roast on a whirlypop for a while before I went the Hottop route.  There is noticeably less smoke on the Hottop than the whirlypop, if that helps at all.

  Do any of you find that to be a problem? 

Nope

What are you doing to control the smoke, if anything?  Where do you use your Hot Top?

I use mine on the stove top under the venthood.  When we remodeled our kitchen I put in the biggest, meanest venthood my wife would let me cram in.  1400 cfm will clear the kitchen pretty quick  .  I've roasted 2 lbs in the last 24 hours (2 batches last night, 2 this morning) and can honestly say you can't tell in the house.  HTH.

-MMW

[bibletec]

Here's an opportunity for someone to get a deal http://cgi.ebay.com/Hottop-Home-Coffee-Roaster_W0QQitemZ140300059679QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSmall_Kitchen_Appliances_US?hash=item140300059679&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A10|39%3A1|240%3A1318

[milowebailey]

Well I think I may be the newest Hottopper in the clu.  I pincked 1 up this am, for the Milowidget project....  I will have a few questions, so thanks in advance!!!

[cfsheridan]

I have a question for you Hot Top Users...I have been roasting in a Behmor since last July full time (every bean I drink) and have 90 + roasts logged on it.  I'm wanting to try another roaster and the Hot Top looks like the one.  Here's my question/questions:

I roast inside my garage...it's 1000 square feet, I raise one of two overhead doors and a walkway door on an opposite wall to create cross ventilation (to deal with smoke)

The Behmor uses an afterburner to cut down on smoke.  The research I have been doing (reading about the Hot Top), indicates there is no smoke eater function on the Hot Top, is that right?

So the Hot Top is smokier than the Behmor.  Do any of you find that to be a problem?  What are you doing to control the smoke, if anything?  Where do you use your Hot Top?


Jake
Reddick Fla.

I roast in a 2 car garage without any crossflow, and I don't keep the doors open all the time when roasting in winter.  You can tell that I roast coffee in there, but no one's complained yet.

[shakin_jake]

So the Hot Top is smokier than the Behmor.

Cant' answer that as I don't have a Behmor-- I did, however, previously roast on a whirlypop for a while before I went the Hottop route.  There is noticeably less smoke on the Hottop than the whirlypop, if that helps at all.

  Do any of you find that to be a problem? 

Nope

What are you doing to control the smoke, if anything?  Where do you use your Hot Top?

I use mine on the stove top under the venthood.  When we remodeled our kitchen I put in the biggest, meanest venthood my wife would let me cram in.  1400 cfm will clear the kitchen pretty quick  .  I've roasted 2 lbs in the last 24 hours (2 batches last night, 2 this morning) and can honestly say you can't tell in the house.  HTH.

-MMW

~~~~Thanks for the feedback.  The range hood in my kitchen although more powerful than the last house, will not suck the smoke the Behmor emits, so I roast in the garage, which I might add, is attached.  I roast against the wall that adjoins the house, so the fumes have to travel 20' to either open door

I should also mention the reason for my smoke concern is because, I'm asthmatic, hence my concern how much smoke the Hot Top puts out



Jake
Reddick Fla.

[shakin_jake]

[/quote]

I roast in a 2 car garage without any crossflow, and I don't keep the doors open all the time when roasting in winter.  You can tell that I roast coffee in there, but no one's complained yet.
[/quote]


~~~Thanks for the feedback.  How long have you been using the Hot Top?



Jake
Reddick Fla.

[4thJohn]

Well I think I may be the newest Hottopper in the clu.  I pincked 1 up this am, for the Milowidget project....  I will have a few questions, so thanks in advance!!!

Larry,since you now have this new roaster...,if one of the twins needs a good home...Your friend,John

[milowebailey]

Well I think I may be the newest Hottopper in the clu.  I pincked 1 up this am, for the Milowidget project....  I will have a few questions, so thanks in advance!!!

Larry,since you now have this new roaster...,if one of the twins needs a good home...Your friend,John

the second of the twin never made it.... Tex kept it.  Otherwise, you'd be 1st in line.

[4thJohn]

Well I think I may be the newest Hottopper in the clu.  I pincked 1 up this am, for the Milowidget project....  I will have a few questions, so thanks in advance!!!

Larry,since you now have this new roaster...,if one of the twins needs a good home...Your friend,John

the second of the twin never made it.... Tex kept it.  Otherwise, you'd be 1st in line.

Okay

[YasBean]

We used to have a 600fpm hood under which I roasted, but since we moved, we have only a 300fpm microrange-hood with questionable installation.  The smoke doesn't bother me, though.  The smoke that does linger adds atmosphere to our new urban pad.

[shakin_jake]

Thought I'd update this post.  I bought a Hot Top, have a dozen roasts on it so far.  What a beauty!  Smoke is not bad.  As I mentioned, I'm asthmatic so how much it smokes is a concern and I'm not having a problem with it

What I find I'm doing, once it hits 1st crack, I'll remove the bean chute cover and crank the fan up a tad.  The probe temp still goes up.  I'm trying to lengthen the time between 1st and 2nd crack.  Am I on the right track?

Been roasting with a DP Yirg (IMV), it's not very humid this time of year (so very un-Fla. like=:-) so I think that makes the roast quick at the end but all in all, bean/roast quality is high using this roaster


Jake
Reddick Fla.
Whatever hits the fan will not be distributed equally...

[cfsheridan]

Sounds like you have the "B" model.

To lengthen the time between 1st and 2nd, you want to lower the heater power BEFORE 1st starts (I usually try to do this at least a minute before 1st starts) to around 50-60%.  That should give you a slow trip through 1st crack, and help get your total time between the start of 1st to end of roast to about 4 minutes.

[shakin_jake]

That makes sense, cutting the power to the heater back rather than venting the heat.  Thanks for the tip Chad


Jake
Reddick Fla.
Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed...