I finally opened up the roasting chamber of the Maggiolino after more than 160 roasts. I guess it was a good thing as it was full of burnt chaff and ash.
I was surprised to learn that there is absolutely no way to inspect or clean the drum as it is welded into a cage and aside from using a cutting torch there is no way to remove it. The drum is made of thick steel, is not perforated and has rather impressive vanes inside. It rotates quite quickly. Using a dentists mirror and small light I could see that it is completely clean inside, so getting in there is apparently not necessary.
After reassembling the roasting chamber I took off the back to expose the large drum motor and electrical connections. Temperature is controlled by a self-contained Omron E5En-YR40K with a thermocouple in front and inside the drum above the bean mass.
I was a bit shocked to find a Siemens motor controller (contactor), but since the roaster is not connected to the Internet I don't have to worry about it being infected with the Stuxnet worm.
After finally opening the beast up I am really impressed with the build quality and material used. This thing is really a battleship and should last a long time.
I plan to write up a complete description with pictures on my website and will announce it here when I get it done.
One thing that has me a bit puzzled is the name. Maggiolino is a beetle in italian. No matter how hard I try I can't see it as a beetle. The Italians called the first VWs Maggiolini, too, which makes some sense. As well built as it is, however, this is not a "Volks-roaster."