Does anybody have experience on the Artisan 6M fluid bed roaster?

http://coffeecrafters.com/product/artisan-6/

Seems to have a more controls and sensors than the Sonofresco, including bean temperature and air flow speed (bean loft control). After watching this video, it seems as if it would be easy to switch out a thermometer/probe that can not only measure the bean temperature, but monitor it and record it on the Artisan Coffee Roasting Software. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvw7_Ri_6Hs

Has anybody hooked this up to roasting software to monitor and record the roasting perpetrators?

Hi, i saw that you've asked this question in the Sonofresco thread:

brettpavia wrote:Brian, your comments are really helpful. Thanks for sharing your insight.

... Now comparing the Sonofresco with the Artisan 6M and Ashe roasters. Not sure which is better at filed bed roasting

Before i purchased my CTE 2kg Solar roaster I did take a serious look at the Coffee Crafters Artisan 6M also. It is much cheaper, can produce much more per hour and produce less smoke too so it would have been easier for me with my current setup. After a lot of reading and discussions with both manufacturers i went with CTE and do not regret my selection, even if it could have been great too with the CC Artisan 6m. However, i've read few bads reviews on the coffee it produced which often seem to be the general concensus with fluid bed roasters. But i have my own doubt about this, it may just be because some peoples try to apply what work on a drum roaster on the fluid bed and are not patient enough to really work and lean on the fluid bed roaster. I am very hesitant with thoses statements and would prefer to do my own tests someday. About the Artisan 6M, you may want to read this: http://www.coffeeforums.com/forum/coffe ... -beds.html
http://www.coffeeforums.com/forum/coffe ... artup.html
I know some guys do hook their Artisan 6m with Artisan software to register their roasting curves, it can be done for sure. Ask Ken at Coffee Crafters and he will certainly help you about that.

Just by looking at their specs and pictures, the Artisan 6m and the ASHE roaster looks very similar to me. But the latter let you roast more volume per batch but take care as they mention in average 1min/pound wich mean a 20-22min roast for their 22lbs roaster which is probably too long and will taste quite different then a 10lbs charge on their 10lbs roaster! Looks like they where not able to provide enough heating power to compensate for the bigger volume. So their 15lbs would be for me the maximum size i would go. And normally on a fluid bed roaster you have shorter total roast time so even their 15lbs roaster might be limit to avoid baking the coffee. What i like with them is their option of afterburner so this way you can roast inside.



The "cost per pound" for theses roasters is very similar.

Just for fun, if you want to look at two others manufacturer of much higher end fluid bed roasters, take a look at theses two!

German made top of the line Neuhauss Neotec: https://www.neuhaus-neotec.de/kaffee/en ... e/Roester/
They produce roaster for all range of volume but they are VERY expensive but looks high tech and seem really top quality oriented. When i will need a larger roaster they will be on my list for sure. Price is about the same as a top brand drum roaster of same capacity.

Made in Canada, Roastaire fluid bed roaster: http://roastaire.ca
Also very high tech, comparable in term of technology to the Neuhauss above and also comparable in term of pricing so very high. 30lbs/hr max production.




Also, if you want to talk or buy coffee roasted commercially on a fluid bed roaster, check this list: http://air-roasted-coffee.com

brettpavia wrote:Does anybody have experience on the Artisan 6M fluid bed roaster?

http://coffeecrafters.com/product/artisan-6/

Seems to have a more controls and sensors than the Sonofresco, including bean temperature and air flow speed (bean loft control). After watching this video, it seems as if it would be easy to switch out a thermometer/probe that can not only measure the bean temperature, but monitor it and record it on the Artisan Coffee Roasting Software. https://youtu.be/rvw7_Ri_6Hs

Has anybody hooked this up to roasting software to monitor and record the roasting perpetrators?

A little searching would yield all the info you seek. I've been using an Artisan 6 for almost a year. I use Artisan 9.0 software for datalogging.

Data Logging on Artisan 6 Fluid Bed Roaster

Artisan problem with noise in BT curve

I too have read those posts on coffeeforums; they are pretty much worthless. Anyone that has a strong opinion one way or the other as to which is best is blowing smoke. A roaster is a tool, nothing more.

I roast some pretty amazing coffee on my Artisan 6. I am partial to naturals and find air roasting more forgiving.

With an Artisan 6 I can:

Roast from 1/3# to 6# with full datalogging.
Roast 25# an hour. Max 100# a day.
Roast 6# of coffee in as little as 7 minutes on full power.
Cool 6# from 450* to room temp in <90 seconds.
Eject all chaff and smoke immediately from the roasting chamber, exhausting what little smoke there is outside, and catching the chaff in a filter bag.
See the coffee clearly while roasting.
Measure BT more precisely than a drum roaster.
Sculpt a roast to any profile desired, with the ability to adjust temperature on the fly.

Another plus is that it is virtually maintenance free with no moving parts except a fan. And it's under $5K, shipping included.

Not sure what else I would want in a roaster. The only downside is it is not automatic. I need to monitor airflow and temp throughout the roast.

Why maximum 100lbs per day? There is a need for cooling or maintenance at some point? Do you have some experience roasting with a drum roaster to compare? Do you feel like you get as much body from your coffee compare to a drum roaster? Very interesting post, thanks. I was also thinking the same way about the other guys who posted the negatives feedback but i did not read enough from both side to feel comfortable.

Séb wrote:Why maximum 100lbs per day? There is a need for cooling or maintenance at some point? Do you have some experience roasting with a drum roaster to compare? Do you feel like you get as much body from your coffee compare to a drum roaster? Very interesting post, thanks. I was also thinking the same way about the other guys who posted the negatives feedback but i did not read enough from both side to feel comfortable.

No maintenance, but Ken suggests the 100# per day limit. Not sure why. His thinking is that if you need more than 100#/day, you need a bigger roaster. Personally, I know I don't want to stand in front of a roaster 8-10hrs a day. He has one in the works. 12# limit:

Ah, great! This 12# would be much more interesting for me. I will check that for sure. Thanks

Just wanted to thank everybody who responded to my post. The additional info and insight you are sharing is valuable. Many of the replies are confirming what I am reading and hearing from others.

Have also been talking with coffee roasters in the MKE-CHI-MAD area using a range fluid air bed roasters, including the Sivetz and in-house build machines. They all seem to be pointing me to the Artisan 6m as starter roaster or lab roaster.

Starting to collect info from them, as well as on-line about what type of bean turns out best in fluid air bed roasting, as well as what roast level work best. In the end, however, we will need to do our own testing.

As for me, once we have the roaster I want to test the roasts in siphon vac-pots, pressure profiling espresso machines, and differnt pourovers. Such taste testing will be valuble and fun.

For what it is worth, here is a link to a Turkish made FAB coffee roaster. Due to its limited I can't imagine it would be good for anything but a lab or sample machine. http://www.opticalroaster.com/

Coffee Crafters just posted this video on using their machine with the Roastmaster app. This is what I would call computer-aided manual roasting to profile. It allows one to set up a target roast profile with "alarms" or "promotes" to adjust the temperature or fan speed. While not as exact at computer controlled roast profiles, still useful.