Cleaning the Hottop question

[Cosmo]

I have read about cleaning the hottop drum by soaking it in cafiza, or maybe a tsp solution, but why not let it soak in a weak bleach solution? Seems to me like it would work great, as long as it was thoroughly rinsed and dried, after?
Mike

[cannonfodder]

Why clean it at all? Unless you roast a few thousand pounds in it, there is no reason to wash it. Washing it could do more harm than good by removing the "seasoning" from the drum. Eventually (a few thousand pounds) you may get enough buildup to need a cleaning.

The front cover (window) does need cleaned on a regular basis so you can see your roast and occasionally taking the back off and blowing out the chaff that collects in there is good. But other than that, no additional cleaning is needed.

[Niko]

I'd bust out a small vacuum cleaner and get all the chaff out, remove the front panel and you'll see some bits and pieces in there too. Lookout for stuck beans, this happens once in a while (depending what type you roast). You can get everything out with the right attachment so you don't have to remove anything further than the front panel and chaff tray...oh yeah, and the bottom dish as well.

[Cosmo]

Alrighty then. No need to clean the drum until I've run 1K lbs through it. Lets see, at 1.5 lbs a week, 52 weeks a year, carry the ten...
Mike

[Randy G.]

Cleaning the drum can help if you find that roasts are taking longer. The holes are small and can become somewhat encrusted limiting the through flow of air in and chaff out. But that is a low priority. Other areas that need to be cleaned at one time or another include:

- the main fan blades can become dirty which severely limits their efficiency (think dirty airplane wings)
- the rear filer, of course
- the rear chamber where the electronics reside. This area is prone to gather a lot of dust and other crud.
- the inside of the top stainless cover becomes quite encrusted
- the rear wall of the roasting chamber
- the temperature sensor
- the front cover

Hottop now recommends removing the rear fan and rear cover and cleaning out the area in and around the main circuit board once a year (iirc). When the inside of the roasting chamber of mine starts looking filthy I just take the whole thing apart and give it all a good cleaning with TSP (or what passes for it in California anymore). Use care with any electronic component, of course, and be gentle with the fan blades as they seem to become brittle with age and/or heat exposure.

The entire repair procedure, step by step, is available on the Hottop website and it documents removal and replacement of virtually every part of the Roaster along with numerous photographs.

[Fullsack]

See this classic H-B thread for an alternate opinion:

http://www.home-barista.com/forum...crubbed-t3062.html

[Cosmo]

Interesting reading, Doug. I guess I'm gonna follow my own best guess and clean it when it seems like it needs it. I didn't know simple green was invented to clean coffee roasters, but I got a lot of simple green.

Time to go vacuum out the machine and roast up some Timor Peaberry which I have not had before. Hope it's good.
Mike

[micki]

I've used the classic Hottop for about 75-100 kg roasting, and now I am having the problem that roast times are getting too long (22-23 min. opposed to 18-19 min earlier).

I've been cleaning the drum, the back, the fan and the temp. sensor. The filters are new (including top filter), but the roasting chamber is rather dark in the right side (not gunk, just heavyli seasoned).

My theory is, that the prolonged roast time is because of the roast chamber. Any opinions? Randy?

How is this cleaned the easiest way? Putting the machine on the side, removing top cover and then scrubbing with TSP and scotchbrite? It seems very difficult to remove the chamber.

Kim

[Randy G.]

My theory is, that the prolonged roast time is because of the roast chamber. Any opinions? Randy?

How is this cleaned the easiest way? Putting the machine on the side, removing top cover and then scrubbing with TSP and scotchbrite? It seems very difficult to remove the chamber.

Kim

If you are at all handy, and maybe had a spare pair of hands available, the hottop is not terribly difficult to disassemble. The entire procedures necessary to do so are on the Hottop USA website in illustrated, step-by-step detail. There is only one difficult part and that is getting the front bezel back on- that's when a spare pair of ands can come in handy.

Before going through all that trouble, try using a thermometer to check the chamber temperature during a roast. it could be that the heating element needs replacing. Also double check the voltage at the outlet where you are roasting to verify that it is still at an acceptable level.

Feel free to contact me directly if you need some specific guidance that would not be of use to post here.

[micki]

The entire procedures necessary to do so are on the Hottop USA website in illustrated, step-by-step detail

I have been studying this page intensely, but couldn't find instructions for removing the roast chamber, nor the inner front bezel. It seems simple enough, though might be an unnecessary large task. How do you perform the periodic cleaning of the roast chamber sides?

Before going through all that trouble, try using a thermometer to check the chamber temperature during a roast. it could be that the heating element needs replacing. Also double check the voltage at the outlet where you are roasting to verify that it is still at an acceptable level.

I'm not suspecting the heater element, as the prolonged roast time has appeared gradually over most of the life span (3 years). I'm following the voltage at every roast, as if it's not close to 230V then a darker roast may fail

Feel free to contact me directly if you need some specific guidance that would not be of use to post here.

I certanly will, and thanks a lot for your very large contribution to the coffee world! Your page has been a great help with my Hottop and my (past) times with Silvia

Update: Just took the plunge and removed the roast chamber ... took less than 10 min., no problem It might be when I shall reattach the front bezel, but I won't worry about that now.

I was planning to soak the chamber in TSP, but it looks like it could be made of aluminium, and that does not work well with TSP ... but it is much easier to clean when it is removed, and I don't have to worry about the electronics.

But you are right, it is rather easy to disassemble.

Another observation with my Hottop: The front cover (with embedded window) is starting to "bubble up" in the chrome. This is the second front cover, I've had this experience with. With the first one I thought it was due to cleaning the cover occasionally with TSP (not soaking it), but I have never done this with the second one. Anyone else have had this experience?

Kim

[Randy G.]

I think that the chamber liner/inner chamber is actually stainless steel and not aluminum. I have cleaned two or three and they come out fine.

I have seen bumps in the front cover chrome on the inside surface, but I can't remember seeing any severe bubbling or peeling. Unless the TSP is mixed REALLY strong and then the part soaked for extended periods, I can't imagine that as being the cause. I know that in California, the stuff sold as TSP really isn't anyway. It's all phosphate free.

[Fullsack]

Another observation with my Hottop: The front cover (with embedded window) is starting to "bubble up" in the chrome. This is the second front cover, I've had this experience with. With the first one I thought it was due to cleaning the cover occasionally with TSP (not soaking it), but I have never done this with the second one. Anyone else have had this experience?

Kim

It happened to mine and I got a new front cover from HotTop, $10.00.

http://www.hottopusa.com/parts.html

[micki]

http://www.hottopusa.com/parts.html

The pricing seems very reasonable Just have to find out if they ship to Europe -- rear filters is in the range $25-30 over here

Kim

[Niko]

rear filters is in the range $25-30 over here

Kim

YIKES! I'd be cleaning on my hands and knees with a toothbrush at that price!

[micki]

Well, the roasting chamber was definitely aluminium, so I didn't dare to soak it in TSP (dit it once with the chaff tray, so it's bicolored now )

But about 40 minutes with TSP and a scotchbrite did the trick, so now it is clean except for the darkening around the heating element (which is not coffee oils), so in a few days time I'll make the next roast and see if it helps (if I manage to get it assembled again ...). Otherwise I'll find a temp. probe and start checking temperatures.

Randy, do you know if the temp. sensor is used actively to control the heating element during roasting (in the classic Hottop with a seven step control, not -B or -P)? Or is it just used to eject prematurely, if the temp. gets to high?

Kim

[Randy G.]

Randy, do you know if the temp. sensor is used actively to control the heating element during roasting (in the classic Hottop with a seven step control, not -B or -P)? Or is it just used to eject prematurely, if the temp. gets to high?Kim

Yes.

It does both- the circuitry uses it to be sure that the machine is following the profile (whether user-programmed or factory default). I can't be sure it is the exact same for all models, but I was having difficulty with one machine ejecting beans very early in the roast and found that it was a loose spade connector on the temperature sensor. The machine depends on its signal, and if disconnected the machine will not operate properly.

[Cosmo]

Another observation with my Hottop: The front cover (with embedded window) is starting to "bubble up" in the chrome. This is the second front cover, I've had this experience with. With the first one I thought it was due to cleaning the cover occasionally with TSP (not soaking it), but I have never done this with the second one. Anyone else have had this experience?

Kim

I have the same thing happening with mine. I thought maybe it was from some dampness still in the area that clamps down the glass, but it hasn't relly progressed much since I first noticed it. Does anyone take the glass completely out when cleaning? That way it would be easy to make sure the entire thing was dry before using it again, bt those four little screws look awfully small and easy to strip.

Also, I am getting some fogging inside the the digital readout that seams to be getting worse when I use it. Anyway to open that up and dry it out? It goes away when the machine cools off.
Mike

[micki]

I have the same thing happening with mine. I thought maybe it was from some dampness still in the area that clamps down the glass, but it hasn't relly progressed much since I first noticed it.

The first cover I had, it spread almost over the entire surface, and I could feel it was loose and would scratch off very easily. That's why I'm nervous the same thing will happen again

Does anyone take the glass completely out when cleaning? That way it would be easy to make sure the entire thing was dry before using it again, bt those four little screws look awfully small and easy to strip.

I did it once to remove some chaff from the side, but must have tightened the screws too much when assembling. Next time I was unable to get a firm grip and couldn't loose the screws

Kim

[micki]

Quite a few parts to take of, just to remove the worst gunk



Heard about naked portafilters, but what about naked roasters ?



Kim