Chaff Build-up in a Hottop

by **rama** on Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:39 pm

If you've got a Hottop, or similar roaster than collects chaff in various nooks, don't forget to follow the instructions and remove the back panel to get all the chaff out.

This is after four months, roasting about 1lb per week. I estimate it to be about 1/2 a cup of highly flammable material:

by **JohnB.** on Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:44 pm

Along with opening up the front I tip mine on end & vacuum out the bottom vents, fan outlet & filter slot after every roast. This gets the majority of the chaff out but there will still be some in that area when I pull off the back cover.

by **cannonfodder** on Mon May 02, 2011 10:45 am

Yup. I open my machine up every now and then for a good cleaning and there is always piles of chaff in the frame.

by **Randy G.** on Mon May 02, 2011 6:42 pm

That seems to be a lot of chaff for just 24 batches. I would guess that either the coffee you are using has a lot of chaff or that you are roasting more than 250 grams per batch (like 275-300).. In either case, I would say that after every two or three weeks you remove the rear filter (and maybe the rear fan every other time), turn the machine nose-up, and give it a good shaking out, and maybe use some compressed air to blow it out as well.

by **rama** on Mon May 02, 2011 9:05 pm

Randy G. wrote:That seems to be a lot of chaff for just 24 batches. I would guess that either the coffee you are using has a lot of chaff or that you are roasting more than 250 grams per batch (like 275-300).. In either case, I would say that after every two or three weeks you remove the rear filter (and maybe the rear fan every other time), turn the machine nose-up, and give it a good shaking out, and maybe use some compressed air to blow it out as well.

Ya, no more than 24 batches. I roast almost exclusively wet processed coffees. *shrug*

Thanks for the tip- I didn't think of that. And it sounds way easier than dealing with those pesky screws.

by **houstini** on Tue May 03, 2011 7:03 pm

Not bad, this is what the inside of mine looked like when I bought it used a couple of months back. I find that really chaffy DP coffees can cause chaff accumulation extremely quickly in the rear compartment and clean out the back end about every 30 or so roasts now. Mine is the older model with the shallow chaff tray if that makes any difference.

by **Randy G.** on Tue May 03, 2011 9:10 pm

houstini,

HOLY ___!!!! I suppose that serves as a testament as to how tough a Hottop roaster is. If a chaff tray fire had started it could have spread back into that mess. I will assume that the previous owner also did not regularly empty the chaff tray either, allowing the chaff to build up and get thrown around by the drawn and thus get sucked into the rear of the roaster in greater volumes than what would normally be seen.

That one is definitely due a tear-down and thorough cleaning to be sure!


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