Huky 500 - 1.1lb roaster. . . Has anyone seen / heard about them?

[Warrior372]

I know there will be somewhere around 25% weight loss give or take, so with a 1.1 pound capacity it would yield about 13oz. I want something that has a pound capacity, but something that also allows you to roast smaller batches. This fits the bill. In a perfect world I would have the resources to build a roaster along this line. Without knowing how to weld and without having machining tools within reach I feel like I would spend at least $1k on parts, paying for welding / machine shop services. I could be wrong about that, but that is why I am asking everyone in here what they think.

What type of roaster allows you to control rpm, airflow, heat, includes a thermocoupler, data logger, chaff collector and cooling tray (as simple as this one may be) for $100? Were you looking at your Stir Crazy's again ?

[Stubbie]

What happens to airflow at the end of the roast when he removes the chaff collector?  Seems to me there is now *no* airflow through the drum while you get everything ready to drop the beans?

I will say this for it...very pretty.  I think I would find a used Sono for 1-1.5K if it were my money.

-Stubbie

[John F]

It's spiffy looking but to me this falls into the new class of drum roasters with separate heat source.

I'd say compare a few in that category and make your choice that way.

Comparing it to a HT doesn't work for me....I'd say it's more like the one on ebay, the one Cosmo attempted to launch here, and others like them.

 

[mp]

If the "WOW" for looks is not important how about the SC/TO option?  Huge bang for your buck!

 

[peter]

What type of roaster allows you to control rpm, airflow, heat, includes a thermocoupler, data logger, chaff collector and cooling tray (as simple as this one may be) for $100? Were you looking at your Stir Crazy's again ?

In a word, yes.  But I do NOT want to come off as the Club proponent of the SC/TO, at the risk of being narrow minded.  The Huky looks like it would do what you want it to, and if appearance and having cooling in one unit are crucial, and you perceive a drum has benefits, this roaster looks like your baby.

I also don't want to steer this thread into a debate of this vs. that vs. the other thing.  My thoughts are directed by my budget, which may be different than your budget.  It simply makes sense (with my budget) that a roaster that can do all the Huky does for $100 will leave you with $900 for greens.

I hope that fits into your asking for input on the Huky being a good deal or not.  I feel as if I may be offering input that you weren't asking for, and will consider my suggesting made and leave it there.

[Pyment]

Some thoughts off the top of my head:

I roast in celsius. First crack started at about 203 where mine usually does, but it usually ends about 215-220 and I get a city roast about 224 and full city at 228. It appears he stopped the roast at 214 ish. So, either the probe is off or he stopped it in the middle of first crack.

300 is a high drop temp, which may lead to scorching or tipping. 

Also there isn't a chute control for dumping the beans. At the beginning of the roast it is kind of nice to have the beans sit in the hopper while you are doing other things.

The drum probably is pretty light which will give you a slightly different flavor profile from classic drum roasting.

Looks like you hit the turn at 1:30 to 2 mins which is OK.

He opens up the damper at about 170. It would take some practice to know if that is soon enough to slow the roast and prevent it from taking off on you.

The damper control seems a little flimsy and doesn't give a lot of control over the air flow (this from a guy who uses a tin can).

The smoke control is pretty good during cooling, but if he ended early there would be less smoke to control than during a roast that went into second crack.

I wonder if the smoke control would be adequate with a darker roast.

[Warrior372]

Thank you to everyone for their input!

In a word, yes.  But I do NOT want to come off as the Club proponent of the SC/TO, at the risk of being narrow minded.  The Huky looks like it would do what you want it to, and if appearance and having cooling in one unit are crucial, and you perceive a drum has benefits, this roaster looks like your baby.

I also don't want to steer this thread into a debate of this vs. that vs. the other thing.  My thoughts are directed by my budget, which may be different than your budget.  It simply makes sense (with my budget) that a roaster that can do all the Huky does for $100 will leave you with $900 for greens.

I hope that fits into your asking for input on the Huky being a good deal or not.  I feel as if I may be offering input that you weren't asking for, and will consider my suggesting made and leave it there.

Peter,

What you have said is exactly the type of stuff I am looking for! I have most of the items to make a stir crazy roaster, I am just missing the convection lid. What is your average roast volume? I think sometimes I just get bored with what I have and want something new even though it might yield results not much different than what I am currently seeing.

I wonder if the smoke control would be adequate with a darker roast.

Pyment,

That is hard to tell. I believe of the 2 models this guy has been making only one is in the US. I have been emailing the owner of it back and fourth with questions.

I think I might just take my chances perusing scrap metal yards, the hardware store, craigslist and science stores for parts and try to make my own crude replica with a blower instead of a standard fan and a propane burner heat source. I would never be able to make drum with vanes like this one. . . I think I might have to rely on a welder / metal shop for that. I think between MilowBailey's HotTop Widget and that I should be satisfied.

What is everyone's take on a roasting drum that is entirely perforated versus just having perforated metal on the back with the rest being solid metal?

[peter]

Thank you to everyone for their input!

In a word, yes.  But I do NOT want to come off as the Club proponent of the SC/TO, at the risk of being narrow minded.  The Huky looks like it would do what you want it to, and if appearance and having cooling in one unit are crucial, and you perceive a drum has benefits, this roaster looks like your baby.

I also don't want to steer this thread into a debate of this vs. that vs. the other thing.  My thoughts are directed by my budget, which may be different than your budget.  It simply makes sense (with my budget) that a roaster that can do all the Huky does for $100 will leave you with $900 for greens.

I hope that fits into your asking for input on the Huky being a good deal or not.  I feel as if I may be offering input that you weren't asking for, and will consider my suggesting made and leave it there.

Peter,

What you have said is exactly the type of stuff I am looking for! I have most of the items to make a stir crazy roaster, I am just missing the convection lid. What is your average roast volume? I think sometimes I just get bored with what I have and want something new even though it might yield results not much different than what I am currently seeing.

I'll leave a quick answer here, but would rather jump the the SC/TO Tips and Tricks thread to discuss it further and leave this thread for the Huky.

My typical roast volume is 380g.  Three batches @ 380g yields 2lbs. roasted for customers, plus two cups for myself.

I modified my arms to do teeny roasts, and sacrificed a little on the capacity.  I routinely do 400g/14oz. roasts.  The limiting factor for this roaster is the agitation, not the heat supply.  Because of how the TO circulates the air by pulling air up in the center and then blowing the heated air down the outside perimeter the beans at the outside get more heat.  This makes my roasts above 400g uneven; the outside beans will be a roast level ahead of the inside beans.  This could be solved with different arms, but the real solution would be higher speed agitation.

[J.Jirehs Roaster]

I roast 12oz of green (10oz roasted) in my SC/TO..  I may try a different stir arm (one that moves beans to the middle) on a base with switchable heat to get my batches up to 16 oz roasted...

I am thinking perforated steel drum in BBQ grill on spit with faster motor (60 rpm) I am about to talk to the machine shop up the road for fabrication help....  I want a drum that will not need to be unlatched to be filled or emptied... a bit of a funnel at one end that is open (that is were my TC will fit into the bean mass) and gear on gear so I can lift the drum off the motor easily... ( I should draw a picture)

[John F]

I roast 12oz of green (10oz roasted) in my SC/TO.. 

Same..

[BoldJava]

Superb introduction to the Taiwanese Huky 500 roaster over at H-B on the specs, purchasing consideration, shipping, and set-up.  Complete with Jeff-quality photos. 1st look pending:

http://www.home-barista.com/home-roasting/exploring-huky-500-coffee-roaster-t20245.html


B|Java

[jspain]

Dave,

Very nice review. One of the best reviews I've ever seen. Interesting roaster. UMMMMMM?

[Tex]

Very nice looking, but I wonder how many folks have a 22,000 BTU gas burner at their disposal?

[BoldJava]

Very nice looking, but I wonder how many folks have a 22,000 BTU gas burner at their disposal?

I wondered the same thing.  I kept looking for that last pic he inserted a little higher in the review.  Once I saw it, I could better understanding how he was generating heat.  In that the unit is Taiwanese, it made me wonder if that kind of burner and BTU level might be more common in Asia.  My grill burners are only 11.5 BTU/x 4.

[peter]

Very nice looking, but I wonder how many folks have a 22,000 BTU gas burner at their disposal?

The all-grain boys around here would.  I'd be looking to pair it up w/ something like this;

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-equipment/burners/low-profile-banjo-burner-burner-and-stand.html