You and your HotTop

[GC7]

If you want to minimize smoke escaping from the bean chute just line that area with a piece of silican cookie baking sheet. It works fairly well.

Question - Will a Staco 15a variac work well with the hottop or do I need to look for a 20a?  Thanks

[az erik]

I'd figure 15 would be fine. If I'm not mistaken that's what I have. I know it doesnt have the 20a plug on it.

[GC7]

I'd figure 15 would be fine. If I'm not mistaken that's what I have. I know it doesnt have the 20a plug on it.

Thanks - I recall that it draws 11-12A on full power but I was too lazy to look it up.

[smico]

Erik,
Do you mind checking if your variac is 15A?
I have 30 A variac and 15 A plug... In-rush current for my variac trips the breaker every time, but I came up with simple three position switch solution to first manetize the variac (bulb in series to limit the current), and then set it on-line. Works like a charm. Will draw schematic this weekend and post.

[SJM]

I wonder if there is any state in the union where they would allow me to marry my Hot Top?

[peter]

Better sign a pre-nup so you don't get burned.

[smico]

Hottop's internal power regulation keeps power levels constant for small voltage variations.  It is effective for power levels under 100%.  To go beyond 100%, voltage can be increased with transformers.  The most popular transformer used for that purpose is variac (autotransformer).
When unloaded variac is switched on to a supply, it draws large magnetizing current of order of 8–30 times the full load current, known as inrush current.  When connected directly to the main, my breaker trips almost every time.
Bullet proof soft-start solution would include rotary OFF-ON-ON switch, but because I could not source reasonably priced one, I used two simple and cheap DPST switches.
Downside of the two switch solution is that I have to remember to engage switches in certain order.
1.   Make sure SW2 is OFF
2.   Turn SW1 ON
3.   Turn SW2 ON

Advantages:
1.   Breaker never trips
2.   Dirty power during transient phase is not passed to the output

Bulb size is not critical.  I used one I had handy, pulled out from some old appliances.

Of course, the same schematic can be used for any variac.

[John F]

Does that exhaust cause back pressure on the roaster?

[az erik]

Erik,
Do you mind checking if your variac is 15A?
I have 30 A variac and 15 A plug... In-rush current for my variac trips the breaker every time, but I came up with simple three position switch solution to first manetize the variac (bulb in series to limit the current), and then set it on-line. Works like a charm. Will draw schematic this weekend and post.

Mine has a 12 amp fuse, and never managed to trip a 15 amp breaker, but I hardly push it past 75%.

As far as I can tell there is no back pressure, probably due to the scotchbrite filter and heat rises. I get 130 degree or so out of the pipe with the fan off and et around 300.


Sent from my iPhone5 using Tapatalk so pardon my spelling.

[smico]

Variacs trip breaker when turned on, even without load.
Smart people like you buy what they need now.
Crazy people like me buy 30 A variac to be able to power 3 Hottops that I will never ever buy, and then complain about tripping breaker. Although I found like new US made 30 A variac for $90 and could not resist.

[rgrosz78]

I don't do back to back unless I miss an alarm/auto dump.

And the 20 min wait feels like 3 hours.

This is one of the reasons I am excited about installing the TC4 + HTC. Finally I can start the roast at any temp I want, without waiting for the cool down.

Now that I have the TC4C working, it appears that I am mistaken. Based on my experience of three roasts, I still have to wait for the Hottop to finish the cool cycle.

[Mlee]

Well......After about 8 years the control panel on my Hottop went blank, no lights whatsoever. It had been showing signs of acting up for a while. As I was sitting there frustrated and playing with it i found that it would switch back and forth between the cycles but the display was dead. So, once you figure out where the fan adjustment is you can count from there. The heat is right underneath the fan, the total time is next, eject, etc. Usine the BT probe and a stop watch I really dont need to know what the display is saying. I feel like I an cheating by not buying another control panel. But $129 will but a lot of beans!!!!!!
This is my second Hottop and I am still using the 1st for parts. The control panel went dead on it as well so no spare to be had.

Anybody have a Hottopb control panel they would like to sell???

Happy to be roasting,
Mike

[expy98]

bummer about the panel but considering the recent price increase maybe $120 isn't such a bad price but
yea that is a lot of beans :-(

[Mlee]

I am still using the panel with the blank screen. I e-mailed Hottop and was advised it was probably a dirty connection or smoke buildup on a connection. I took it apart and tried to clean it but it didnt fix it. I will continue to roast without the display for now. I will get a backup panel when the time comes. Its still a beast for what i have put this roaster thru.

[SJM]

Can anyone tell me without my having to pull out the manual if the HT be set to read out the temps in Celsius rather than Fahrenheit?

Susan