thepilgrimsdream wrote:...
Ideal batch size would be around 3-3.5lbs. This would allow you to roast about 14 12oz bags an hour. A machine any smaller won't pay for its self

A lot of small coffee businesses in my country will tell you this is not true.
They use cheap 1 kg turkish roasters, and at least two people told me that instead getting a 2 kg machine which is five times more expensive than 1 kg, they prefer to open a second 1kg unit in other location.

There's a guy in Milwaukee who roasted professionally on two SC /TO's for years before finally buying a bigger roaster. How does he do financially? I have no idea, but people continue to buy his coffee. Have really good marketing and back it up with a solid product and reliable customer service.

Could be this:

https://sites.google.com/site/peter4jc/

Yep. I roasted 1+# at a time on my SC-TO roaster. I put it together for around $500 including a Variac to control heat and a Phidget 1048 to log profiles with Artisan. I could have built a 2nd for another $500 and had a 2K capacity roasting system for a grand. It wasn't sexy, but it worked and taught me how to roast.

I wouldn't switch from such system ever. Is much cheaper to build a "farm" of such roasters, than to buy a 5kg machine.

Especially since I discovered how to turn convection into IR with a screwdriver, and zero cents cost, and jumped from 500 grams to 750 instantly.
Roasting usually 600 grams of greens, output is 525, 25 goes to cupping, 500 goes to bag.
Cooling in the same pot, while agitation keep turning, just replacing the oven lid with a fan of same size. 12+3 minutes job. 2 kgs per hour.

renatoa wrote:A lot of small coffee businesses in my country will tell you this is not true.
They use cheap 1 kg turkish roasters, and at least two people told me that instead getting a 2 kg machine which is five times more expensive than 1 kg, they prefer to open a second 1kg unit in other location.

In the U.S. It's a little different. You can get a North 2kg Roaster for quite a reasonable price next to a 1kg. It sounds like they may be roasting for cafes too.

If you plan on growing your business, a 1kg at optimal capsity (1.65lbs or 75%) X 3 batches an hour = 4.9lbs - 15% weight loss = 4.2lbs.

I've roasted for diners that would order 30-70lbs a week. That would take 17 hours for just one account.

All very good things to consider! I am not very mechanical although perhaps I could build something. I have the opportunity to buy a used Huky which might be the avenue I take and roast until I learn a bit more and hope to build cliental along the way. If I won the lottery I would buy an SF of some sort but that won't ever happen because I never buy tickets . Atleast with the Huky I could have a very small start up cost and spend the rest on some education and some quality beans. For those of you thinking I plan on making a living off a Huky I will be going back to school to get a Masters in Social Studies Ed haha. Again thanks for all of the replies. A lot to chew on!



Braden

bradenl123 wrote:For those of you thinking I plan on making a living off a Huky I will be going back to school to get a Masters in Social Studies Ed haha. Again thanks for all of the replies. A lot to chew on!

Braden

You can join the group "20 something year old social studies teachers who want to roast coffee on the side and see where it takes them"!!!! So far I'm the only member I know of

renatoa wrote:Could be this:

https://sites.google.com/site/peter4jc/

I built a UFO/TO just like Peter's and until I got the HUKY it was the best roaster I had (and that includes an earlier popcorn popper, an IR2, a Behmor, and a Hottop). With a thermocouple in the bean mass and excellent visuals on the development of the beans? Way excellent ! ! ! If I ever had to give up my HUKYs, that's how I would roast again.

i started on a huky and moved up to a 1kg roaster. i'm still not making any money but it's still fun