Fluid bed Roasters such as Artisan 6 by Coffee Crafters

[wwcove]

Does anybody like the fluid roasters such as the Artisan 6 by Coffee Crafters? I know it's not real heavy duty & all manual but if it can roast 20-30 lbs per hour it seems interesting. I know that fluid roasts and drum roasts produce different tastes in the coffee but does anyone think this unit might be worth checking out? Or does anyone currently use this machine?

I have seen a couple threads from their old model but nothing new about current model.

If you have used it or own it can you share your honest opinion?

 

[cdc]

(Sorry I placed my original post in the wrong thread, I'm new at these forums.)
Here it is again:
I've been roasting on the Artisan 6 for several months now and so far have found it to be a workhorse. I think to say that it is not heavy duty isn't quite right. It is simple, very few moving parts, but I've roasted several hundred pounds with it now and aside from various nuances of the machine that I've had to get used to I've had zero problems. I can't compare it to a drum roaster because I've never used one but I've used other fluid bed roasters since the late nineties and I find this one to be as good or better than any I've used including Sonofresco and Sivitz.
I like that the beans roast right there in front of me, it is very seat-of-the-pants roasting. I can see, hear and smell them as they progress and along with using the bean probe thermometer I can get very consistent batches roast after roast. I can roast anything from 6oz to 6 pounds which gives me a lot of flexibility for my small roasting company. I went to the Coffee Crafters factory in Liberty Lake WA to pick up my roaster and in talking with Ken I was impressed with his passion for his product and his interest in making the machine even better in future versions. The roaster components all fit nicely in the back of my pickup and it was very easy to unload and get set up. Communications with the company have been answered promptly.
I am in no way connected with the company but I've been very happy with their roaster and I think they deserve consideration.

To answer your other questions, my customers generally are unaware of either method of roasting, drum or fluid bed so don't have much opinion although they appreciate knowing about them. I never suggest one is better than another but I do explain why I personally prefer fluid bed roasting and they seem to get it. I have my roaster set up in my garage. I briefly considered putting it in my basement but I'm certain now the smoke and smells would have led to divorce. I have the components lined up against the back wall and it takes up maybe seven or eight feet. I hard piped the exhaust out the roof.

I hope other users chime in here as I'd like to hear how others are faring with their roasters. If you have any other questions, fire away.

 

[wwcove]

Thanks CDC!
I don't think this post was started until after you posted yours. And yours was in the right spot about roasters made in USA. But thanks for adding here. I am hoping there are many more folks that use the Artisan will share their thoughts. Please add more comments when you are ready to share as we can all learn from your experiences!

When you mentioned 'aside from various nuances of the machine' can you please tell us some of these? All machines and methods have these things to get use to but just curious what yours are:

 

[wwcove]

CDC;
can you post some pics of how you hooked up your exhaust pipes in your garage? I want to setup my garage for roasting and using my drum roaster is proving to be a big hassle as the piping required is way too big of a deal for my garage (2-story requires I run it to roof) I read that the Artisan only requires a vent like a clothes dryer. Is that true?

 

[cdc]

I'll do my best to attach a photo of my roaster set-up, like I say, I'm new to forums in general.
Yes it is true that it requires only the venting for a clothes dryer, it really doesn't get all that hot, even with larger roasts. I think the bean lofter air and the powerful vent fan tend to dissipate the heat pretty well before it gets to the stack. I've checked for any sign of overheating in the piping and have noticed and felt nothing that concerned me.
As to the nuances I mentioned, most have to do with the air used in lofting the beans. I've found that you really have to stay on top of keeping the loft at just the right height. Due to power surges when you turn on or off the second element it effects the power to the lofter so they will suddenly jump up or drop down accordingly and you've got to be ready to adjust the control knob quickly. I think the biggest lesson I learned was in doing large roasts of five or six pounds. When well along in the roast the beans are pretty close to the top of the roast chamber and when you get to the temp you want you have to turn off both the elements as well as the bean lofter nearly simultaneously. If you should turn the elements off and delay even a few seconds the lofter will suddenly blow those hot beans skyward and it makes a real mess (and this is how I learned never to roast wearing Birkenstocks).
Really that is all I can think of at the moment. It really is a fun machine to roast with and the capacity for my small business has made a world of difference in being able to roast large batches.
If I can answer any other questions let me know.

 

[bmcglynn]

How's the taste?

 

[cdc]

Excellent. No complaints from any of my customers, ever. Some say that fluid bed roasting gives a cleaner, brighter taste than drum but honestly I doubt I could tell the difference.

 

[bmcglynn]

After asking the question I did some research. It appears the medium to medium roasts the fluid bed roasters do well, but the darker roasts they do not. If you don't me asking, what kind of beans and roast profiles are you doing?

 

[wwcove]

Thanks CDC for all your help. I have roasted with both fluid & drum and have just purchased a 2 kg. Drum roaster that uses both drum mixed with air to produce the best of both methods but I still think you have convinced me to buy one of these as the setup is much more simple & roasting this way is more hands on plus produces larger roasts. With regard to the air flow: does the little cage like filter that covers opening in roaster prevent bean spill? I have noticed most fluid roasters have a glass cove and not the metal mesh type filter this unit comes with. Seems like the glass type would work better???

 

[cdc]

I'm not sure I would agree with that assessment. I think my dark roasts are quite good and cup very well compared to drum roasted beans. There's some who think that drum roasted coffee give a more robust, full bodied roast and that may very well be but I really wonder if most could discern the difference. Just my two cents as I wouldn't join a debate on the subject.
I carry beans from around the world, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sumatra and a couple of blends and a Mexican decaf.
The Artisan 6 does not have the ability to do profiles, there is no data logging components. Having said that I do at times use a seat-of-the-pants profile by turning off one of the elements at the beginning of first crack and letting it sort of coast for a short time and then bumping it back on to finish. That is just a gut thing on my part and there's no way to graph it. But my roasts also turn out just fine by letting the roast proceed at full power all the way to the desired temperature.

 

[wwcove]

CDC;
thanks for all your help & details. When talking to Coffee Crafters via email they stated the mesh filter ( my terminology ) works better than using a glass viewing area like some other models use as it allows more air to pass through roaster keeping it cooler...

got it a quick Question for you: did you hard wire your roaster into your garage or do you plug in the 240 power? The reason I ask is it appears unit does not come with a cord and plug...?...

 

[cdc]

Yes, the mesh chaff ring that fits between the roast chamber and hood does allow more air to circulate than glass would and of course glass would have a distinct disadvantage in that it would most certainly break at some point. The mesh has a cut-away area in front so you can see the beans clearly by the way. I usually remove the ring at somewhere around 430 and 440 degrees since most of the chaff has been sucked off and I want to be ready to dump the beans quickly.

No, the unit does not come with a plug. When I had an electrician wire the garage for 220 I had intended to use a plug just in case I wanted to move the unit but in doing some research he found the the cost of the plug itself was considerably more than a hard wire so that's what I've gone with. It would still be a relatively simple task to remove the wire from the back of the unit.

Hope that helps. . .

 

[wwcove]

Thanks- I decided to go with the plug. The cord itself ( I found out talking to CC is just a 50 amp stove cord.) I can get one of those for about $20 but you are correct: I think the actual outlet set me back maybe $30-50. Not real sure exactly the cost as I had 3 wires (2-220 & 1-110) ran into garage for 2 units by electrician.

i think you can do your own 'manual profiles' for each coffee you produce. Really, a profile is only recorded data of your roasts. Time, ambient temp, temps recorded every 15-30 seconds and any adjustments you make plus amount & type of each bean. That way you can consistently repeat a great roast. Unlike what some of the folks here may think: you don't need to hook up a computer to make great coffee... I think you & your customers already know that thanks again and feel free to share your notes on types of beans you roast as well as your manual profiles. Thanks again!

 

[Arco]

Thanks- I decided to go with the plug. The cord itself ( I found out talking to CC is just a 50 amp stove cord.) I can get one of those for about $20 but you are correct: I think the actual outlet set me back maybe $30-50. Not real sure exactly the cost as I had 3 wires (2-220 & 1-110) ran into garage for 2 units by electrician.

i think you can do your own 'manual profiles' for each coffee you produce. Really, a profile is only recorded data of your roasts. Time, ambient temp, temps recorded every 15-30 seconds and any adjustments you make plus amount & type of each bean. That way you can consistently repeat a great roast. Unlike what some of the folks here may think: you don't need to hook up a computer to make great coffee... I think you & your customers already know that thanks again and feel free to share your notes on types of beans you roast as well as your manual profiles. Thanks again!

Thanks for the information everyone. I'm ordered an Artisan 6 recently and should have it next week. I'm scouting out electricians to hook up the machine and am also looking to go with a plug. wwcove, what exactly was your process like? Why kind of cords, plugs, conduit, outlets, etc did you need and what were the associated costs all said and done? I'm trying to figure out how much this may run me, but have no idea what is reasonable for a job like this. I appreciate it.

 

[wwcove]

I had a lot of electrical work done at the same time so I can't tell you an average price to just run one line with one 60 amp breaker. A lot depends on how long of an electric line you need. I am out of town but will take a picture and post it Monday/Tuesday. I had 3 lines, 3 breakers & 3 outlets ran in my garage. One 220 /60 amp with about a 25 ft. Line plus plug outlet (stove type 50 amp outlet. CC SAID THE MAX. Amps that run through unit with all heaters on is 43)
Plus I had a 25 ft. 110 line run & breaker for the chaff unit and other items (20 amp.) then I had another 220/20 amp ran for a Coffee-Tech Solar drum roaster. Total cost for me was about $600 plus tax. Likely you can get a single 220/60 amp with 25 ft. line into garage or basement for $250-300 with outlet for plug. The venting is same as clothes dryer so that's not hard. See CDC 's photo above for his setup. Hope that helps ( I do know it cost me $175 for one 220/20 amp with 5 ft. Line and outlet. So maybe you can get the 60 amp one for less than $250. A lot depends on length of line ran as they must encase it in metal)