Hello all,

First time poster. I am glad to be interacting with this awesome community.

I have a Diedrich IR3 roaster manufactured in 2009. my question is: What is the typical longevity on a roaster? I would say that roaster has averaged about 60-100lbs per week (roast time about 15-20 hours per week). Additionally, what are the telltale signs that the roaster is failing? Can the roaster be maintained indefinitely?

My issue is that the machine, generally, seems to be working well but my coffee recently seems to be somewhat flavorless. My initial thought was that my Coffee maker needs replacement and it does. So I have a new coffee maker is on the way; I am wandering if I should be considering a new roaster, as well?

Thanks

Alch3mist wrote:I have a Diedrich IR3 roaster manufactured in 2009. my question is: What is the typical longevity on a roaster? I would say that roaster has averaged about 60-100lbs per week (roast time about 15-20 hours per week). Additionally, what are the telltale signs that the roaster is failing? Can the roaster be maintained indefinitely?

My issue is that the machine, generally, seems to be working well but my coffee recently seems to be somewhat flavorless. My initial thought was that my Coffee maker needs replacement and it does. So I have a new coffee maker is on the way; I am wandering if I should be considering a new roaster, as well?

Thanks

Roasters are a bit like an improved ship of Theseus they can be maintained pretty much indefinitely. The structure the drum should all last pretty much indefinitely, drive belts/chains, motors, bearings, fans etc.. will require replacement., on commercial roasters these things are usually very long lasting.

If the coffee is flavourless, it's usually down to 2 things. Coffee selection and Roasting skills.

Alch3mist wrote:I am wandering if I should be considering a new roaster, as well?

Yeah, cut the loss and sell this one. By the way, how much are you thinking of selling it for?

j/k

Have the temp sensors been cleaned / checked? If residue builds up on the sensor surface, it can hamper the reading.

That roaster with proper maintenance should last essentially forever.

what about the burr set in your grinder, those usually do not have the eternal life...clean your grinder, see if the burr set needs replacing and take it from there (and cleaning the temp probes, checking for chaff buildup)

DaveC wrote:Roasters are a bit like an improved ship of Theseus they can be maintained pretty much indefinitely. The structure the drum should all last pretty much indefinitely, drive belts/chains, motors, bearings, fans etc.. will require replacement., on commercial roasters these things are usually very long lasting.

If the coffee is flavourless, it's usually down to 2 things. Coffee selection and Roasting skills.

Coffee selection and green coffee storage conditions/age.

Bad roasting technique wont create flavorless coffee. It'll make all sorts of flavors, with lots of them being bad ones. Coffee lacking flavor is primarily due to old and poorly stored green.

I'm 62 and hopefully good for at least another 30 years.

Almico wrote:hopefully good for at least another 30 years.

"Coffee drinking is associated with increased longevity"

Thank you for all your helpful responses. Thanks for the funny responses also.

It is encouraging to know that I can maintain the roaster for quite a while.

Based on these responses I am leaning toward the green bean as an issue. This batch of Guatemala is a year old. I am Still treating myself to a new Drip coffee maker, just to rule it out; of course. While I don't claim to have a superior god anointed roasting skill; I have been doing it since 2017 with decent success. I still consider myself a new roaster especially since there has been no formal training or apprenticeship.

I look forward to being a member of this community.

Do you use roasting graph like Artisan? If so, posting the one that gave you the flavor issue may shed some light on it.