just received a Huky 500 this week and got it hooked up to some lpg today.
three roasts done so far:
1. some robusta that i had ordered for blending but have never really used - goes to the bin
2. some very old (2007-2008 crop) kenyan that just was not good for espresso, hence is still lying around - goes to the bin too most likely (sorry steve... )
3. some accidental mix of fresh beans. i had ordered a few kg from a supplier in germany. when it arrived the box was slightly out of shape and every single packet inside was torn open. so i had about 2.5 kg of a random mix of Sidamo, Herbazu, Brasil Santos and perhaps a bit Monsooned Malabar.
i didn't hear much cracking during roast 1 and 2 but the fresher beans did create quite some noises, so my initial worry that i wouldn't hear them well enough was unfounded.
the results all look actually surprisingly good at first glance. the tastebuds will be a better judge though...
there is a LOT to learn and i feel a bit overwhelmed by the new shiny beast. the hottop was in use for about 4 years and feels like an old glove by now. the huky feels like a new pair of rather rigid hiking boots that need a long while to be worn in properly.
it's all in all quite a bit more messy. chaff flying around, some beans getting stuck in there and coming out half roasted when the roaster tilted downwards, the cooling tray is a tad flimsy and no automatic agitation. but that's all stuff that one can get used to as long as the results are palatable... also the new 'freedom' of on the fly manual controls create a bit of stress during the process. but that was actually one of the biggest gripes i had with the hottop p - it just didn't allow enough manual override during a roast.
have attached the profiles as recorded with Artisan but they don't show an awful lot of detail...