My reliable Hot Top roaster decided to go out in flames (literally) today. I roast in the basement, vent to the outside. I was on the other side of an interior wall when I noticed the smoke rolling through the doorway. When I turned the corner, the flames were about 18 inches above the top of the roaster. Pulled the plug and doused with water. Disaster averted but damn - that was my Hot Top. No more than 6 minutes into a roast. And to add insult to injury I was roasting the Panamanian Gesha (Lot 10) from SM. What a mess. I have a Behmor 1600 and it is a great roaster but the Hot Top was so much better for a FULL CITY and FULL CITY+ roast. And in case anyone wonders, the machine is toast. All plastics melted and the wiring that is left is brittle and rotten. Jim Wilkins Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
*Groan*. That's just horrible :( smeagolisfree.blogspot.com On Sun, Jul 5, 2009 at 9:52 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
So sorry for your loss at least she went up in style ( Panamanian Gesha Lot 10) :-) let us know where to send the flowers and when the ash scattering service will be held. I keep worring about my old Hottop doing that so i never leave the garage while roasting. Again SOOOO sorry and glad nothing really bad happened. Ray On Sun, Jul 5, 2009 at 6:52 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Yikes - good thing you noticed the smoke. I think Tom always recommeds not leaving the room when any coffee roasting appliance is in use. Dave On Sun, Jul 5, 2009 at 9:52 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Do you have any idea what might have caused the fire? How long have you had the roaster? On Sun, Jul 5, 2009 at 3:52 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Sad to hear - do you know the cause of the fire, was it chaff, or something else? I'm pretty sure all the parts are available from HotTop USA - not sure if the cost is less than a new machine though. I'd bet you can salvage the housing and drum, maybe a few other parts. --mike On Sun, Jul 5, 2009 at 9:52 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
One of the things I really like about the Behmor 1600, I think it
needs a nick name, is that it is inside and just to my left as I set
in front of my computer/TV monitor. The monitor also has the ability
to display satellite TV or show both TV and computer at the same time
on halves of the screen. One of the things I really like about this
roaster is that it allows me to share the time I spend monitoring the
roasting process with interacting with the computer applications or
network as well as watching something on TV. Come to think of it, I
spend about $90 a month on the TV network and I don't get a fifth of
the pleasure from it as I do from the coffee which costs me less than
a third of that much. Talk about relative values. Sorry, I just went
with an uncontrolled stream of consciousness.
pecan jim
On Jul 5, 2009, at 8:52 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
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Ouch! So sorry! I guess it wanted to upgrade from Hottop to Flametop ... I think mine must've had some sympathetic resonance - it did not eject the beans when I pressed Eject - the cycle did end but the trap door didn't open. I had to do some emergency handling, but the roast was saved. Darker than I was shooting for, but still nice. Now it's back to normal. It is getting long in the tooth, six years, so I really can't complain. Here's hoping for some miraculous recovery ... DJ |
Users have asked me whether they could use a wireless USB adapter to control their CCRs (computer controlled roasters) and thus put their hottop outside while they are inside at their computer. My answer has emphatically been that technically a wireless USB adapter may function, but I would never operate a coffee roaster (of any type) without being close enough to watch it at all times. I do not know what you did to cause your hottop to catch on fire. Even the normal one has a heat fuse that disconnects the heater above a certain temperature. I therefore think it is likely that you had not cleaned the roaster sufficiently between roasts. I empty the chaff tray completely every time. Then I also clean the inside of the roaster thoroughly every 4-6 roasts. This is done by cooling to room temperature then either removing the drum and vacuuming the inside or by passing a thin vacuum wand in the space where the chaff tray fits. There have been a number of major fires at coffee shops where the person in charge of roasting began a roast, but then went to the bathroom or went to another room to chat or talk on the phone. Regards, Jeffrey Pawlan Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |