Huky 500 or Quest M3 Redux - Page 2

Discuss roast levels and profiles for espresso, equipment for roasting coffee.
OldmatefromOZ
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#11: Post by OldmatefromOZ »

I have a 2014 build Quest, about 100 roasts in. I have not used a Huky but thoroughly investigated as an option. Overall I am very happy with the quality of the roaster.

If your preferred batch size is 150g then the quest is probably more suitable.
With no mods, for most beans the optimal charge weight lies within the range of 150 to 200g. 250g really is the max without painting the drum and that ends up around 15 - 16min to start of second crack, which is still very nice for pre comfort blending...

I did about 30 roasts as is then painted the drum. Another 40 roasts later I removed the paint. When the drum was painted I found that I preferred 250 to 320g charge weights, otherwise I had problems with the outsides of the beans getting dark to quick even at very low temps. With the drum painted, as Tom said the quest will happily get a 250g roast done very quick and I would go as far to say that 300g IMO is closer to its optimal batch size.

I prefer to work with lots of SO beans and 150 to 200g batch suit me much better. Within this range you can experiment with different profiles to your hearts content. Note that the fan setting of 0 still has slightly more than adequate airflow for an entire roast, so I rarely go over 3 to 4 on the dial which goes to 8 unless I want to clear a chaff monster.

FWIW I have never cooled my roasts using the built in cooling function....A cheap 250mm bathroom exhaust fan inside 2 HDPE buckets from hardware store, with SS sieve cools my roast in about 1.5min. In which time I could already be at TP with the next roast. However I prefer to let my roaster cool just a bit as i like lower charge temps.

The Quest can be picked up with one hand and moved around / stored at will.

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keno (original poster)
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#12: Post by keno (original poster) »

Thanks James, great feedback.

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cygnusx1
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#13: Post by cygnusx1 »

I've had my Huky for a sufficient amount of time to lend some of my opinions. Again, these are MY opinions. You will have to judge for yourself what suits best for you. I'll try my best to keep to the facts and not let a bias show.

I originally chose the Huky over the Quest because of the heat source, being LPG, the reaction time is almost immediate. I also chose it because of the options that are available (solid or perforated drum, 2 different speed motors). Most roasters don't allow you the ability to swap these components out if you chose to do so. I also chose it because my opinion was/is that my this roaster can give me control that I wanted at a very affordable price point.
My typical batch size is about 150g, I know the Huky can handle a larger batch than the Quest, but how is it with smaller batches?
I typically roast 1/2lb batches. I have roasted 150g batches but found that when doing so I didn't have complete contact with the BT probe to record in Artisan. This doesn't mean you can't roast 150g batches only that it might be problematic when data logging.
You couldn't end a roast and immediately begin cooling on the Huky without taking half of it apart and puting pipes and parts back together.
My understanding of the Huky is that when it comes to cooling that configurations with a single cooling tray, like you say, require disassembly of the exhuast/chaff collector prior to cooling. Totally agree that that would be a PITA, but that is why the majority of users apparently now purchase an extra cooling tray and fan so that one can be dedicated to exhaust/chaff and the other can be used to immediately dump the roast.
You answered your own question there. 2 cooling trays are the way to go. They are cheap and will keep from having to do the switch-a-roo.
the horibly designed tryer opening that is horizontal and the beans practically hemmorage out when you pull a sample
The tryer is badly designed, I agree. I knew it going into my purchase. It wasn't a deal breaker for me. Kuanho Li did make some changes to it but it still could be better. I must admit that I never had a hemorrhage of beans whenever I extracted it; possibly 1 or 2. Maybe it is effected by the batch size.
It's further kludgy design is evident in its many other apparent shortcomings. You get to wear either thick leather welding gloves to try to take apart sections in order to get cooling underway, or buy more gear.
That's a pretty drastic a statement. I use 1 oven mitt to remove the exhaust pipe at the end of the roast. That's it. Again, having 2 cooling trays is the way to go here for cooling batches. I don't find this to be a "kludgy" design, but that's one man's opinion.
There's a good chance of a chaff fire kicking up, since the chaff can fall right onto the burners.
Negative. The vent/cooling fans are powerful enough to extract almost all the chaff. I've never experienced any flare-ups from chaff, even with my perforated drum. And even if the chaff did...
Small amounts of chaff dropping onto the burner may cause a slight flare but aren't going to start a fire as the chaff is quickly burned off and there is no more combustible material.
The whole idea of sequential batch, craft roasting in small roasters has always baffled me. Every drum I've ever owned has required at least a few minutes -- considerably longer than the two or three it takes to cool the beans after roasting -- to come down to Charge temp.

Even if the roaster is built to handle a quick turnaround, Charging too hot makes for bad roasts. If there's a benefit to the time gained by adding a second cooling tray, it doesn't seem to apply to the way I roast.
+1

I've done back to back roasts and yes, I've had to wait several minute with the dump door open and fan on to have the roaster come back down to charge temperature. That doesn't bother me too much either since I take that time to set up the next roast anyway.
If after buying all the additional gear, accessories ect, it's no bargain at all. It's an almost $2000 sample roaster.
I disagree. I ordered an extra cooling tray, fan and funnel along with the IR stove and paid $1399. Not even close to $2000 and again, IMHO, it was quite the bargain.

Is the Huky without faults. No. Neither is the Quest. Would I make the same choice now? Absolutely. I enjoy using the Huky. It's served me well and will continue to do so for quite awhile. At least until I get a fever of upgrade-itis.

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TomC
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#14: Post by TomC »

I'm not going to dismantle your entire reply line by line other than to say that if it was only a bean or two, it wouldn't be as big of a deal breaker, but I saw significantly more, unless you don't remove the tryer from the hole and just slide it back in place. A chaff fire is different on a sample roaster than a production roaster where you can have an emergency on your hands, that isn't brain surgery. But it creates even more smoke than most want to deal with indoors, even under a strong commercial grade exhaust hood. And your price is more the outlier than what has been listed elsewhere online, for just the roaster. I stand by my rough estimate.
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cygnusx1
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#15: Post by cygnusx1 »

I purchased my Huky directly from Kuanho Li, the craftsman who builds it. The purchase was in October of 2013. If my price is "outlier" than others online, please explain to me how your "estimate" is more accurate as I'm sure the OP would like to know for his decision process.

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keno (original poster)
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#16: Post by keno (original poster) »

I have received pricing from Mr Li that is consistent with what Cygnusx1 mentions. I don't know where TomC is getting his $2k figure from. The price difference with the Quest is trivial in my view. But admittedly, there is the added small cost of of an LP tank for the Huky.

Kfir
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#17: Post by Kfir »

Chaff fire? 2.5 years using the Huky and not even a single one and I mostly use the perforated drum and low airflow throughout most of the roast.

The Huky can easily do any batch size between 150g and 500g, even 550g is possible

I solved the tryer problem in 30 minutes in a metal workshop and it cost me less than 40$:

Recommended Huky 500 Design Changes?

Kfir.

summer
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#18: Post by summer »

TomC wrote:It's significantly louder than the Quest, making it difficult to use sound on some softer cracking coffees (Maui Moka immediately comes to mind).
Just my 2 cent: After 60+ roasts with the Huky, I have had no problems detecting cracks by ear - but then again, I have not been roasting Maui Moka... :D

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jamoke
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#19: Post by jamoke »

Adding my own 2 cents: I've owned the Huky since last October, and never used a Quest, or even seen one in action.

Yes, the motor is a bit louder than i expected, but I still don't have any difficulty hearing the cracks, even on the occasions when I go into second. My typical roast is in the 400-450g range, and under 15 minutes even into second crack. Never a hint of a chaff fire, with a solid drum, and the fan at low speed for most of the roast. There is some chaff lingering around the edge of the stove after a session, which I vacuum before the next. I have never tried the tryer, as the window gives me a good view of roast progress.

As for cost: $1250 for roaster with extra tray, fan and probe, including medium speed shipping (10 days to Upstate NY). I bought my own stove, thermometer and Home Depot dimmer for the exhaust fan. Add a brand new full propane tank, and the total cost is about $1400.

Yes, I do have my own roasting room (former back porch) with a range hood to exhaust the smoke, but I don't think I'd want to use anything bigger than my Freshroast in the kitchen.

Once again, no experience with the Quest, so the only things I can compare are stated capacity and price.
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GregR
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#20: Post by GregR »

Another Huky user report here. I've got about 75 pounds thru it now, all in one pound batches so I can't help you with the small batch question. Also, I don't use the trier- window works well for me too (along with notes). Chaff is not an issue- never seen so much as a spark. The juggle at the end of the roast is awkward til you get used to it. I just use an old sock to remove and replace the tube- not a big deal but could certainly benefit from a design change. I use the vented fan with the exhaust venting directly to the fan area of a fairly strong range hood with a fairly loud fan. I don't have any trouble hearing the cracks but there's still some smell of smoke in the kitchen an hour or two after the roast. Doesn't bother me but that can be an issue for people.
The agility of the IR stove and fan controlled by a variac or dimmer is outstanding. I used a Behmor for two years then a Hottop B (with probes and Artisan) for 2 years before the Huky. I was worried about the safety and unfamiliarity of going from electric elements to a stove but no more- it's a beautiful thing. Never used a Quest- it's a great machine I'm sure but one pound capacity was a priority for me. I accepted the heat source of the Huky as a compromise but I'm happy to say that I was wrong about that- now I think of it as a strong point. And it roasts chiles beautifully :)