2023/03/19: Update and results of running this for 1 year: "Homemade" Small roaster cyclone

I've been using a Kaldi Fortis roaster since 2017 along with the bean cooler for roasting fan. Now it's time for an upgrade. After reading over the New Kaldi Fortis Setup thread I decided to try a cyclone collector.

My first concern is having a heat tolerant system, and that would preclude using a plastic cyclone. Unfortunately the general Chinese made aluminium cyclones are generally pretty small, still I decided to give one of them a try. I found a 32mm input/output aluminium cyclone on Aliexpress that would give a substantial boost in throughput compared to the usual 25mm input/output model.
For those that like numbers:
Square mm throughput for each device:
Kaldi Fortis: 1963
SN25T5: 490 (~25% of Kaldi)
SN32T5: 804 (~40% of Kaldi) << My selected model

Here are the major parts used along with information and links to the Aliexpress website. Be forewarned, Aliexpress links aren't very reliable going forward so you might have to do some searching.
Cyclone: Cyclone dust collector ( aluminum alloy, turbocharged )
Model SN32T5
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003268558815.html


Blower: Mini powerful 12v DC electric air blower fan 20w high temperature resistant brushless motor 50mm pipe with speed control
Model D20R50
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32367788851.html


Power Supply: AC/DC Adjustable Power Supply 3V-12VDC 5A
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001286156313.html


I fit the cyclone to a 20 liter bucket with sealing lid. As a seal for the cyclone to bucket I used a silicone lid for bowls from the dollar store; thick enough and right sized for a great seal.




You can see there is plenty of room at the bottom of the bucket for chaff.

Had some heater exhaust pipe around, and used that to connect the blower to the cyclone.



I set the adjustable power supply to 9.0v during roasts and use the speed control to adjust the airflow. I ran flow and temperature control testing as well as 2 x 500g roasts through the system. So far it's working great. Even at 9.0v and full speed it has enough flow to pull all the chaff from the roaster; for even higher pull or cooling I crank it to 12v. Putting a stocking on the end of the exhaust duct shows nothing is getting past the bucket so far.

Eventually I'll exhaust it out a dedicated port, but for now I have a long enough aluminium duct. I'm very happy with the setup and it gives me better airflow control and the ability to run back to back roasts while the beans are cooling.

great post! Reminds me I have a similar/same? cyclone lying around...My extraction fan died a while ago (was using an in duct crappy plastic bathroom extractor fan).

This will help me get the exhaust fume extraction going again, even when our winters are not that harsh roasting with the door open is not always fun, and leaving me with a chance to forego dumping chaff between roasts!

Edit; I got the 25mm version..

I've seen posts elsewhere stating the 25mm version worked for a Huky roaster, so it's worth trying.

I roasted today with -10c temps outside. Nice to have a sunroom for my setup when winter comes!

Thanks for sharing.

DanoM wrote:Power Supply: AC/DC Adjustable Power Supply 3V-12VDC 5A

You may want to add a PWM controller for motor speed adjustment. Voltage variation can do some but PWM is safer and much more precise.

I fit the cyclone to a 20 liter bucket with sealing lid.

I see another cyclone in the background. The one that's much more heavy duty.

As for the wiring, you may want to keep the wire not touching the exhaust pipe because it may eventually melt or deteriorate the plastic jacket.

Capuchin Monk wrote:Thanks for sharing.

You may want to add a PWM controller for motor speed adjustment. Voltage variation can do some but PWM is safer and much more precise.

Yeah, the blower fan option I have came with a PWM, so I use both together. 9V for slower overall spin and the PWM fine tunes that. (Although I might look into sourcing a better one.)

Capuchin Monk wrote:As for the wiring, you may want to keep the wire not touching the exhaust pipe because it may eventually melt or deteriorate the plastic jacket.

That was a concern of mine as well. The "sock" looking thing on the pipe is actually insulation. After running the roaster through tests far hotter than normal and 2 actual roasts I can still grab that "sock" and hold on tight to the pipe without any discomfort. The zip tie is also rather loose. Regardless, I will keep an eye on it to see if anything needs addressed.

Thanks for pointing out potential pitfalls.

Great find, and thanks for the link. It's nice to see this company offering a big brother to their 25mm version that many of us are using. My Roaster908 requires 2 of the smaller cyclones to reduce backpressure in the system, allowing for adequate flow rates.

I dumped the chaff into a small bucket and took a photo. This is from 1kg roasted; 2 x 500g batches. The pen is there for scale. Obviously not much chaff, and since I only roast about 2kg per month I'll go long stretches without emptying it. Possibly 6 months.

Wow, this is impressive and affordable.
Thanks!

Really nice setup. Like how you mounted the cyclone, wish I would have thought of that. Genius...

So far it's working well. Seems to be of sufficient size for the Kaldi Fortis. I need to get some more roasts through the system before I can give a good evaluation though.