Being able to roast smaller quantities was also something that helped us decide on the Behmor.

I can't see why you'd want to buy another Hottop when the one you had only lasted 1 1/2 years. With the price you paid, I'd rather try my luck with the Behmor and see if it will last longer than what you experienced with the hottop.

We religiously follow the recommendations for cleaning cycles and maintenance on our Behmor. I hope it lasts lots longer than your Hottop did.

It is surprising to see that the fire got that far. Chaff does burn, and that's why the instructions state that the roaster should never be left unattended, and it also says to keep a spray bottle in the area for just such emergencies. Can't say for sure, but those beans sue look VERY burnt..

Since you didn't give details of the roast itself, it could be that there was chaff left in the roaster, even though the chaff tray was emptied between roasts. It is a good idea to remove the front cover every two or three roasts to clear any remaining chaff, and to tip the roaster forward with the tray out after every roast and give it a shake to keep it free from chaff to as great an extent as possible.

Since the control panel looks like it was terminally damaged by the fire it probably would not pay to repair the roaster..

Wow, close call with disaster. I'd go with the Hottop again and learn from this experience. If you were in the US I might have been tempted to see what I could resurrect out of whats left.

Randy G. wrote:It is surprising to see that the fire got that far. Chaff does burn, and that's why the instructions state that the roaster should never be left unattended, and it also says to keep a spray bottle in the area for just such emergencies. Can't say for sure, but those beans sue look VERY burnt..

Since you didn't give details of the roast itself, it could be that there was chaff left in the roaster, even though the chaff tray was emptied between roasts. It is a good idea to remove the front cover every two or three roasts to clear any remaining chaff, and to tip the roaster forward with the tray out after every roast and give it a shake to keep it free from chaff to as great an extent as possible.

Since the control panel looks like it was terminally damaged by the fire it probably would not pay to repair the roaster..

Well, a part of my routine is to always empty the chaff tray and front cover + vacuum all the chaff before starting a new roast. So I am pretty sure that this is not the reason for the fire.

The good news is that Hottop offered me a new machine at half prize So now I am leaning more towards a new Hottop B than the Behmor.

Are you happy with the batch size? If so, the 1/2 price Hottop would be good.
I always roast 450 grams in the Behmor and to get into second crack it takes 20 mins.
It is timed to cool beans for 13 minutes. The beans never leave the drum till cool.
- Dennis
edit: there is no preheat feature on a Behmor, as on the H/T

KimH wrote:Well, a part of my routine is to always empty the chaff tray and front cover + vacuum all the chaff before starting a new roast. So I am pretty sure that this is not the reason for the fire.

It sounds like your maintenance was sufficient to not be a cause.

Were you attending the roaster when it ignited?
Is it the recent(ish) model that requires that you press a button when the machine hits 210 C (410F)?
What was the weight of the beans before roasting?
What program or pre-programmed temperature and time were you using?

I am asking because if there is something to be learned to help others avoid this situation in the future it would be nice to know and share.

denniskeating wrote:I always roast 450 grams in the Behmor and to get into second crack it takes 20 mins.
It is timed to cool beans for 13 minutes. The beans never leave the drum till cool.

That is a long time to get to 2nd crack. I know that with the early Hottops it was a complaint of many people that the roasts took to long. If you add some of the cooling time that the beans sit in the hot drum until the chamber is cooled then it is even longer. I would suggest that you roast a smaller batch to get the roast time down to about 14 to 17 minutes, and make a cooling device that would allow you to remove the drum for cooling.

Randy G. wrote:It sounds like your maintenance was sufficient to not be a cause.

Were you attending the roaster when it ignited?
Is it the recent(ish) model that requires that you press a button when the machine hits 210 C (410F)?
What was the weight of the beans before roasting?
What program or pre-programmed temperature and time were you using?

I am asking because if there is something to be learned to help others avoid this situation in the future it would be nice to know and share.

I must admit that my kids got my attention during the roast, so I was not around the roaster when the fire started... But yes, I have noticed that the roaster starts to beep at high temperature and that I have to press a button to avoid auto eject, but normally I don't roast that dark. I have also noticed that the roaster normally ejects automatically according to either the temperature or time saved in the actual program. But this time it did not

I used 300 grams of my own espresso blend and had the fan at step 1 and the heating element at 10. I use a metal rear filter with a lot of airflow, so i never take the fan to more than step 1. Normally I would have lowered the heating element a few steps around 1st crack and stopped the roast at the first snaps of 2nd crack, but as far as I remember I was distracted before I would have lowered the heating element.

I also have a thermocouple in the machine (just as in your guide Randy) and even if I have mounted a metal ring to control the penetration depth, I can't tell if this can somehow have blocked the drum and caused the beans to start burning?? I guess I will never find out because I did not think about investigation before moved the machine from the scene. (Shame on me as a CSI fan )

KimH wrote:I must admit that my kids got my attention during the roast, so I was not around the roaster when the fire started...

I am sorry that has happened.. As the manual states, a roaster should never be left unattended. The chaff is tinder and the beans are fuel. Near the end of the roast the beans are not only well-heated, but they lack moisture and have oils ready to ignite. In most roasts it is not a problem, and many times I have had smoldering chaff in the tray. But if the roast is allowed to go dark, or something happens like the drum stops, a fire can be imminent. The various safety functions of the machine cannot react well or quickly enough.

But yes, I have noticed that the roaster starts to beep at high temperature and that I have to press a button to avoid auto eject

That would possibly indicate that the fire started before that set point.

I used 300 grams of my own espresso blend...

I was wondering- it looked like a "full load." A smaller mass (like 150-200 grams) is more likely to ignite.

I also have a thermocouple in the machine (just as in your guide Randy) and even if I have mounted a metal ring to control the penetration depth, I can't tell if this can somehow have blocked the drum and caused the beans to start burning??

If the probe is the stainless steel tubular style, if it stopped the drum the probe would be obviously bent (don't ask how I know).

You might think about removing the control panel and seeing if it can be salvaged. Same with the main board. These two parts together have value. They can be used to upgrade any older machine to "B" function. So if they are just smoke damaged you may be able to recoup some of the cost of replacement of the machine. great to hear that you are getting a deal on a new B though. I just roasted two batches in mine, and the garage smells GREAT now!

And don't feel bad, any roaster can ignite, and even some of the pros have it happen once in a while, although in that case it becomes far more spectacular, is far more dangerous, and is far more costly.

Randy G. wrote:I just roasted two batches in mine, and the garage smells GREAT now!

Well, I am looking forward to get that smell back in my garage. At the moment it smells like burned rubber
The good news is that my new Hottop will be shipped today In the future I will handcuff myself to the roaster while roasting........BTW, where to buy a dead-mans-switch for the Hottop