Too Much Coffee

I thought a new thread for the Huky 500T would give more room for what lies ahead for me.

It was delivered this morning and I spent an hour or so assembling the package, as others have stated it is beautiful, almost too beautiful. It looks as if it was designed in the 1930's but not built until now, Some features are not mentioned elsewhere, the door for the bean exit has a heavy stainless steel handle that relies on its weight to keep it open or shut, these simple elegant solutions just go to prove Mr Li's engineering and design skills.. It all went together easily apart from one very small Allen key that held the external tubing assembly together. I found one in the cave and it is now complete.

The Centre 301 Type K thermometer has T1 and T2 connectors for the two probes fitted to the Huky and a USB cable for the laptop when I know what I am doing. I have two fans and two different bases, one for smoke exhaust and the other for cooling.

I was going to take pictures but first I went to collect a propane cylinder from our supplier in the Severn Valley Railway Yard. Walking the mile home across the river with it in my backpack was a big mistake, and I now ache in places I didn't know existed. When my back and dodgy knee stop screaming at me I will take a full set up sequence on the doorstep.

Where did I put those pain killers...............................

Sounds wonderful...the Huky, not your back and knee. I know about those pains. Looking forward to pictures and impressions when you recover!

Can't wait Pete! She sounds magnificent

You really must be keen to carry the propane cylinder on your back I hope you are soon recovered and roasting great coffee. Looking forward to the photos of you roasting on the doorstep

My first roast with Chuky, A warning for purists here, there may be a lot of sphincter tightening at my story.

OK! So I set up on the front step, hooked up the gas and electricity and did a quick, see if it works test. All OK so off I went. I heated up the drum, getting confused by the two readings on the thermometer, but pressing on. With the drum rotating 300 Grams of Brasil Carmo Estate (The coffee I burned last week) were emptied into the hopper, the temperature dived from whatever it was to a lot lower. Turn up the heat and carry on. Now things got a bit strange, all thoughts of checking time, temperatures and brain activity were gone, I just watched and waited for the awful mess to reveal itself at the end of the roast. The smell was wonderful, from the Behmor I could only smell the chaff smouldering, now I could pick up that amazing aroma that was stopping passing motoring neighbours to breath in the heaven scented air. All the more worrying as I could only imaging the horrible mess that would emerge when I though it may be ready.

So at last I dumped the results, to my amazement it looked perfect. Every bean the same colour and texture that I never achieved with the Behmor. Now I loved that machine but this little beauty is in a different league. To continue, cooling with the second fan took less that two minutes and I cannot wait to try it in a couple of days time. I did take a few pictures but my back still hurts and transferring them from my phone...... Give me a couple of days and I will put them up.

My conclusions are, that if I can do this on the first roast, using just my nose and less than perfect vision, then anyone can do it. OK I was lucky but I did compensate for my ignorance by watching carefully, slowing it down and dumping when my ears and nose told me to, I got it right. Doorstep roasting works, but the crouching down hurt my back again so next time will be on that table by the front door.

It is great to hear that your first roast went so well, Pete You say “just your nose” but I think the nose is the most important tool a roaster has. I am sure your results will get better and better after a bit of experimenting but first please take it easy and look after your back

Nose is everything !!! Then Ears then eyes

This is sounding excellent Pete

Excellent! Well done, Pete. I roast by nose, for sure. Well, my nose and ears constantly have a discussion going on, but nose knows best.

bruceb wrote:Excellent! Well done, Pete. I roast by nose, for sure.

I bet it blisters though Bruce?

CakeBoy wrote:

bruceb wrote:Excellent! Well done, Pete. I roast by nose, for sure.

I bet it blisters though Bruce?

Ah well, with my nose nobody notices...

Hi there,

i'm using a slightly older version of the huky and am quite happy with it too. It seems that Mr. Li has changed the pipes for bean intake and exhaust quite drastically. From looking at your pictures i can't really tell if the whole thing is firmly attached to the roasters front or not? My guess would be that it's a T with the short ends pointing up to the funnel and the elbow that leads into the roaster. then just left to the damper (in your pictures) it seems that the pipe leading towards the exhaust fan is just made to slide into the T piece? is that correct? i'd be grateful for another picture with all those parts disconnected and played out flat to see what the setup really looks like.

Do you keep the funnel sitting up there during the roast? If so, i guess it needs to be plugged somehow?

i might have to write to Mr. Li again and order some upgrades...

as for the back pain - i walked a cylinder home once, ever since than i'm using the car and our cylinders here are made from plastic and hence might be a bit higher than the red 'iron' monster you have sitting there in the background...

when you use the damper as sole means of controlling the airflow you may get chaff backing up in the tube, stopping all airflow. i usually can see when it's happening on the external temperature curve in artisan. i have a dimmer installed to control the speed of the exhaust fan. works reasonably well and since i leave the damper always fully open now, i don't get the chaff blocking issues any longer.

Good to see you Icke

CakeBoy wrote:Good to see you Icke

Seconded.

icke wrote:Hi there,

i'm using a slightly older version of the huky and am quite happy with it too. It seems that Mr. Li has changed the pipes for bean intake and exhaust quite drastically. From looking at your pictures i can't really tell if the whole thing is firmly attached to the roasters front or not? My guess would be that it's a T with the short ends pointing up to the funnel and the elbow that leads into the roaster. then just left to the damper (in your pictures) it seems that the pipe leading towards the exhaust fan is just made to slide into the T piece? is that correct? i'd be grateful for another picture with all those parts disconnected and played out flat to see what the setup really looks like.

Do you keep the funnel sitting up there during the roast? If so, i guess it needs to be plugged somehow?

i might have to write to Mr. Li again and order some upgrades...

as for the back pain - i walked a cylinder home once, ever since than i'm using the car and our cylinders here are made from plastic and hence might be a bit higher than the red 'iron' monster you have sitting there in the background...

when you use the damper as sole means of controlling the airflow you may get chaff backing up in the tube, stopping all airflow. i usually can see when it's happening on the external temperature curve in artisan. i have a dimmer installed to control the speed of the exhaust fan. works reasonably well and since i leave the damper always fully open now, i don't get the chaff blocking issues any longer.

Hi Icke,

The new T piece simplifies the whole operation, a separate fan and tray for dumping the roast completes the assembly.