Diedrich IR-1 Set-Up in House

[benisyoung]

I recently purchased a new Diedrich IR-1 in December and it should arrive late February/early March. The roaster is currently configured for propane and I plan to use "Armadillo" Hose from Federal Hose for ventilation. I plan to set-up my roaster in my house, but had a few questions about propane tanks, propane hoses, and regulators.

Question #1: I plan to purchase 2 (20 lb) propane tanks for the fuel supply, but is it safe to have the propane tank inside (if there are no leaks) while I am roasting?


Question #2: If I can't have the propane tank inside (safely), can I use a 10-20 ft long propane hose to connect the (inside) roaster to the (outside) propane tank? If so, does anyone have any recommendations for that kind of hose?


Question #3: Diedrich recommends that you use a propane regulator that takes your pressure down to 12-14”wc. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good quality regulator that does that? Also (sorry if this is a dumb question) does the regulator connect directly to the tank or to the roaster?


Thank you in advance for any suggestions/advice you might have! I know that I should have done some more research before buying a roaster, but I just don't want to blow my house up.

 

[AndyP]

I have a 5 Kilo Ambex roaster that runs on propane. I'm waiting on a propane company to do a legit, licensed, and proper install - so I'm currently running it off a 20lb tank. 14" water column is low pressure ( less than 1psi ) and standard stuff, so any hardware store should be able to set you up. My regulator ($20), hose ($10, and adaptors ($5) came from true value. It was straightforward to hook it up and get it running. The regulator hooks to the tank, not the roaster. The hose goes from regulator to roaster. My Ambex has an internal system to regulate gas as well, yours probably does too. Make sure to tape the fittings and check for gas leakage with soapy water. Im sure its against all regulations to have the propane tank inside, although people do it all the time. Regulations in SC say the tank has to be outside and 12ft away from any source of ignition. For now I'm running a 10ft hose out a cracked door (tank outside) and I disconnect the tank after roasting. I feel perfectly comfortable doing it but its probably illegal.

 

[MillCityRoasters]

The problem is mostly the regulator, not the tank. In the event of a malfunction (with what is basically a simple rubber diaphragm) most regulators (and all of them you'll find at the hardware store) vent at the regulator. This means a catastrophic regulator failure will result in your 30 PSI LPG tank venting itself inside your house. To be real about it, this is very rare. Best practice in your scenario would be to leave the tank outside and run a hose, but many guys stand within a couple of feet of the tank while roasting. If you were to notice a gas leak, -and it is usually very noticeable, you'd immediately close the tank valve, depressurize the regulator, and stop the leak.

It's a good idea to store the tank outdoors, but it's no more likely to spontaneously combust in your garage than the gas tank in your car. Bear in mind that if/when you do so, you might possibly shift the burden of risk from your insurance policy to yourself. If that keeps you up at night, don't do it. -or get a better insurance policy.

A cheap hardware store regulator will output 10-11" WC, not the 12-14" you mention. I'd suggest a Marshall MEGR-291 and adjust it to 14".
(Amazon.com: Marshall Excelsior (MEGR-291) Compact Integral Two-Stage Regulator: Automotive)

You can connect the regulator to the tank or to the roaster. Personally, I connect to the tank. That means my gas hose and gas valve and gas connections are only required to hold 1/3 PSI instead of 30 PSI.

I sell a little bigger/better version on our website, but I'm not shilling my stuff here.

With regard to venting, Armadillo hose is great, but it's expensive and heavy and probably overkill. Normal max temp out of your chaff collector (for the 1 minute at the end of a roast) is 300F. The only issue is a chaff fire. Vacuum your chaff collector after every couple of roasts and you'll eliminate 90% of the potential problem. Guy's regularly use cheap flexible aluminum duct and throw it away when it get's crudded up with coffee schmutz. That build up is also potentially flammable and directly proportionate to how dark and how often you roast. You'll have to deal with it on a regular basis no matter what you use. You'll need to inspect your ducting, chaff collector, and cooling tray often enough to see how much crud you generate the way you roast and develop a cleaning/maintenance schedule accordingly.

If you feel like it, PM me for a phone number. We help guys do this every day.

 

[benisyoung]

AndyP and MCR_Steve,
Thank you both for your advice! It was very helpful and gives me a better idea of what I need to do. Thanks again!