Help Please: San Franciscan-1 pounder and Air Loss

[Parker]

Hi I am new to the forum. I have a little experience roasting on a Kaldi wide, and came across a San Franciscan 1 pounder. My question is, I seem to be losing my air flow when I do the lighter trick. By the time the beans are turning yellow it won't pull the flame on my lighter, like I've lost air flow. I've cleaned it, taken the crossover pipe off and cleaned that, taken fan off and cleaned that, still not solving the problem. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[zeece]

Is your cooling damper closed?

 

[Parker]

yes. any other ideas? start by warming up check air flow with lighter drop beans set damper to 1/2 open and then air flow is gone.Coffee dose not taste smokey but would like more controll of air. Tim

 

[Musicphan]

Parker - can you clarify your process. In your OP you state you lose your airflow during the roast - is this after you have changed your damper. Please provide your process and load size.

 

[zeece]

No other ideas except to contact San Franciscan. Their support is excellent. The fan is quite powerful so you should have plenty of airflow when the cooling damper is closed. On mine a 50% exhaust damper setting will pass the lighter test all through a roast. There are safety devices on the roaster that are there to shut it down if there is insufficient airflow and those seem to be happy with the airflow you are getting. Since it sounds like you bought it used, taking a walk though with the folks at San Franciscan is the best advice I can give you.

 

[Parker]

It has shut down om me in the warm up Had a code but did not write it down.

 

[Parker]

Warm up roaster for about a hour drop in my 500gram load have gas up to about 2.5 kpa have damper open 1/2 was check air flow with lighter it will pull flame when it get to the yellow point lower gas open damper 3/4 of the way then we lose air flow if I do two roast on air flow at start. Did try to roast 400 grams last night same thing..

 

[zeece]

It has shut down om me in the warm up Had a code but did not write it down.

Sounds like that was from over heating. There is a safety check for that too.

Warm up roaster for about a hour drop in my 500gram load have gas up to about 2.5 kpa have damper open 1/2 was check air flow with lighter it will pull flame when it get to the yellow point lower gas open damper 3/4 of the way then we lose air flow if I do two roast on air flow at start. Did try to roast 400 grams last night same thing..

Are you sure you are opening and not closing the damper when you go to "3/4"? When the pointer is at 9 o'clock the damper is full open. When it is at 12 o'clock it is closed.

 

[Parker]

Sorry meant no air flow if I do two roast

 

[Parker]

yes 9 0 clock is open all the way

 

[zeece]

I don't understand what you mean by two roasts. You can't start a second roast until the first is done cooling because when the cooling damper is open air is diverted away from the drum. But you said the cooling damper is closed. The only one other idea is that the chaff collector is full but again you said you cleaned the roaster. I am out of ideas. You will need to connect with the folks at the San Franciscan Roaster Company.

 

[Musicphan]

Warm up roaster for about a hour drop in my 500gram load have gas up to about 2.5 kpa have damper open 1/2 was check air flow with lighter it will pull flame when it get to the yellow point lower gas open damper 3/4 of the way then we lose air flow if I do two roast on air flow at start. Did try to roast 400 grams last night same thing..

If you don't adjust your damper - do you still lose air flow (past yellow)?

 

[Parker]

I will have to check that not sure if I tryed that or not might have to be this weekend/

 

[Parker]

I made a bean cooler so not using cooling pan.

 

[Parker]

Did a roast this weekend started with damper 3/4 open beans were turning yellow start to lose air open 100 percent had flow but it would not kill flame on lighter.