Hi All
 
I've been tinkering with a few roaster designs on my laptop over the last few years with regard to 0.5-1kg roaster and maybe a upscaled 2kg version....
I can't believe how much the larger roasters cost....
 
Correct me if I wrong but there seems to be a big gap between the say 0.3kg to 5kg roasters that are affordable to the coffee addicts like myself and other coffeesnobs etc
 
I was thinking of building and offering a the DIY kit user assembled or completed unit that it could be built up/upgraded over time,
 
here are my ideas
 
Base unit (>$1k)
-An all manual affair bare bones no frills roaster gets the job done.
- Drum type roaster
- manual bean dump
- manual green been dump into roaster
-still undecided on heat source being gas or electric                        
- roast inspection window
 
Manual controller
manual controls for temperature, and drum rotation speed, and fans speed for air movement through the roaster
Digital readout for intake, internal temperature, and exhaust temperature
various safety cutouts/over temp protection
 
 
Advanced control upgrade (>$500)
-Full control of roaster for the complete geek.
-Roaster control system that connects to a laptop etc via USB using software written in LabView
-Monitor -intake air temp, roaster internal temp, exhaust temp,
-Controls - air flow through roaster via fan speed control, drum RPM, PID control of heater circuit, Green Bean feeder (if option fitted), Cooling try (if option fitted)
-various safety cutouts/over temp protection
-green bean Bean feeder upgrade actuator that releases bean into roaster when the roaster has reached it's ideal temp required advance control upgrade
-Custom roasting profiles, create, store, recall, compare to previous recorded profile etc
-Free software update for the life of the roaster to its registered owner
 
Cooling tray upgrade (>$200)
adds traditional type cooling tray with bean stirring,  fan  sucking  cool  air down through  beens + roaster been dump actuator to dump beens into the cooler automatically on completion of the roast profile, (must have advanced control upgrade fitted for actuator operation )
 
Chaff bin upgrade (<$100)
chaff bin & mesh filter to capture chaff, (basic unit only fitted with an exhaust with no filter)
 
 
Hopefully I'll complete my home theater projects shortly and can spend some more time on this roaster project
 
I'll post some drawings/sketches etc in the next wk or so
 
What do you think so far?
 
Cheers
Craig A