Complete Tutorial - Modification of a Drum Air Fryer into an Artisan-controlled Coffee Roaster - Page 2

[Frenchman]

@yokusan, I was reading about automating a popcorn maker with an Arduino and TC4+ shield, and stumbled on this thread. This seems very nice, and I started to read the forum through Google translate (I unfortunately lost all the German I ever learned in school a long time ago)

However, it gets complicated quite fast, and it's unclear to me if there are recent instructions somewhere for some of the "get rid of the fryer's electronics and replace with all new Arduino + dimmer + (whatever else is needed)?" (And I'd personally would like to keep some thermofuse in the whole system so it can shut off if things go bad.)

In contrast, modifying a popcorn popper seems trivial, especially with a TC4+ with plenty of English tutorials (making it easier for me), but is of course smaller capacity and maybe a drum is better for consistent roasting? Have you had both?

A quick question too: how do you deal with the chaff and smoke with your Billyjoe?

[Frenchman]

[Edit: Double post.]

[coffeehorse]

but is of course smaller capacity and maybe a drum is better for consistent roasting? Have you had both?

A quick question too: how do you deal with the chaff and smoke with your Billyjoe?

A popcorn popper is not a good roaster - whatever agitation you can get, you're stuck with tiny roast sizes and uneven heat distribution. Lightly roasted beans are more likely to be unroasted in the middle, dark beans will burn more easily, and earlier, and spot heat can ruin roasts in other ways. Adding Arduino + TC4+ to a popcorn popper may be a cheap and fun way to roast, but a good one? I'm not convinced.

Down Under we have a habit of making what're known as 'Turbo Oven' roasters. PC PSU, 12V windscreen wiper motor, pasta pan set with inserts, drill a hole and create an agitator, then bang a 'turbo oven' or 'drum air fryer' on the top of it and use it manually or a with the same software. The Pasta pan set will let you do 650-700g roasts (down to 350g) while the custom agitator (often a welded, doubled-over coat-hanger wire) and high torque, low speed motor provide a really stable way to get good bean rotation and to allow them to tumble rather than just be stirred.

Normally the turbo oven has vents beyond the lid, but some of us drill vents into the top of the outer pan if we use the pasta pan method, to improve smoke dissipation and to reduce the chance of the bulb unit overheating and failing.

For what it's worth, I'd rate it between a Gene Cafe and a good chinese/taiwanese Sample Roaster or the Hot Top, but further above the Behmor and light years better than the popper.

[Frenchman]

Any links to designs etc.?