roaster is HEAVY

[chast]

The Selkirk is a positive pressure system and yes, it is kind of overkill. But in case of a fire I would rather have over kill.

Not sure how you deal with contractors doing installations that require inspections, but in MA, the contractor does not get paid until the inspector approves everything. The original interim building inspector here didn't know that coffee beans were even roasted never mind anything about a coffee roaster!!
I like the attitude of your new contractor!! just so long as he knows what he is doing.
I used a 6" diameter pipe as suggested by US Roasters. Nordfab is another pipe that is suggested for roasters. http://www.nordfab.com/index.cfm/do/pag ... sting-Duct
Little more in cost vs Selkirk. I only had to wait a month for my pipe.

Good Luck
Charlie

 

[topher]

pipes everywhere!!! Just a glance at our pipe set up...10 k and 60 k feed into one afterburner...

 

[debbiej]

I may have dreams about those pictures.....
and I'm having trouble figuring out venting for one little roaster!
wow!!

 

[topher]

more like nightmares...hahaha...loads of work and planning went into this...(now that I look at the pics it reminds me of that board game mouse trap)...metal tape is my best friend! 8)

 

[debbiej]

ah, metal tape! my late night/closed shop roasting sessions utilize this tape.

in this morning's paper there was a write up about 4 town employees losing their positions due to budget cuts. interestingly enough, they are in building inspections and town planning. there has long been complaints over town government needing to being more business friendly. sales tax pays a lot of their bills, and yet, often they make it hard on business. we have been on the wrong end of muscle flexing from the town.

this may be a great time to install the coffee roaster.....

I've found Selkirk class a pipe. not positive pressure, but class a. in Albuquerque, 4 hrs north, and so I guess I'll be taking a trip soon to pick up the pipe we need. I am still undecided about installing the roaster in the shop though. I have a list of pros and cons. often a consideration will be put on both sides . "spend more time at the shop" for example.

 

[topher]

I think it is such a draw when shops have roasters in them. It's one thing to say you roast but when you can actually show them it's 100 times better. I can go to 10 locations with the best samples ever and if I bring 5 of them to see the roastery I am pretty much guaranteed that business.

 

[chast]

Interesting plumbing Topher! When I saw the pic, a vision of a Mad Max movie came to play, I forgot about the mouse trap game!!!! but it does fit!! hahaha!

Having a roaster right in the coffee shop will draw more customers and increase sales that is my thought process when I open a walk in shop. Just have to find the right location and building!

Great pics!!

Charlie

 

[debbiej]

I can hardly believe it.
my new roaster is not installed yet.
sigh.
maybe next week.

 

[chast]

Deb
my 3KG came with a 4" exhaust outlet and I needed to get a 6" to 4" adapter.
Not sure if you are aware of that so I thought I would mention it.

I used 20' of flexible metal hose running out the door until my pipe came in!! surprisingly the roasts came out great!!

Charlie

 

[debbiej]

yes, thanks. I do have a 4 to 6 enlarger and 10' of stack that I stick out the door. I bring in a 5 gal propane bottle, until my gas line is run and the roaster is converted. but I can't roast that way while the shop is open...

so I bag up batches of green coffee, load up my car, and roast at my shop after hours. kind of a pain, but I guess I'll deal with it until everything gets done.

so what has to happen:
licensed contractor pull permit, type of pipe is agreed upon by state inspector as meeting code, pipe is ordered, gas line is run, gas meter inspected and turned on. Once all the coordination of people is done the actual work should only take a day or two. I've found pipe in Albuquerque that should work. but it isn't positive pressure. I will drive 4 hours to pick it up and at the same time drop off an espresso machine for repair.

I still am wondering if the best thing would be to take it to my house to roast. no inspectors, no gas line and conversion. once there, no one sees it, but there are pros and cons to having it in both places.

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

I've found pipe in Albuquerque that should work. but it isn't positive pressure. I will drive 4 hours to pick it up and at the same time drop off an espresso machine for repair.

Am I wrong or do we absolutely need positive pressure pipe for coffee roasters? The way I understand it we need positive pressure pipe to avoid build-up between layers of pipe with multiple wall pipe regardless of the insulation. Coffee roasters create a positve pressure in the pipe unlike things like typical water heaters which are natural convection. I've head that installing none-positive pressure pipe is a common mistake and could lead to build up and a stack fire down the road. Correct me if I'm wrong because I'm just learning and also about to instal my own roaster, YM-2, on it way to me from Florida. I'm willing to (and can) wait and roast outside untile then. I don't even have a chaff collector yet because the YM-2 doesn't include one. The one Ambex recommends is $475 and it's galvanized, not my favorite metal but I guess it's OK downstream as long as I don't set it on fire, lol. The build quality of it looks pretty good and I do need something.

 

[debbiej]

I'd like to know the answer to that too. I found out that I couldn't use a triple wall pipe that had air between the inner, middle and outer pipe. but the class a insulated has a solid packed insulation and no air the inner and outer walls. I've had a few companies tell me different things. It would be good to know before I purchase the selkirk class a pipe.

I've had another thought too. my shop is small, 1200 sq feet. I just had the exhaust hood put on. so on my roof is one of those round exhaust vents and a make up air blower. I'm thinking I need to consider the chaff in the close proximity to those things. I might have to put the roaster in an opposite corner of the shop to stay far enough from sucking in smoke and chaff.

 

[sdcoffeeroaster]

I'd like to know the answer to that too. I found out that I couldn't use a triple wall pipe that had air between the inner, middle and outer pipe. but the class a insulated has a solid packed insulation and no air the inner and outer walls. quote]

I think the class is just a temperature rating and class A being the one that can withstand a fire of 2000 F. The next thing to consider is the pressure rating. A typical water heater duct is not pressurized and in fact is under a slight negative pressure and so won't leak out.

A coffee roaster duct must have minimum leakage because the fans put the drum area under negative pressure and the duct under a positive pressure. So the better the duct seals the less leakage of toxic fumes you'll have. The Selkirk IP and IPS are positive pressure ducts and have minimal leakage (no duct can be prefectly sealed but these are close). The IPS version has solid insulation, which is a very good thing when close to combusibles and people. If you are getting IPS pipe then it's the right one. They have stove pipes that are class A too but may seal as well. Go to the selkirkcorp.com site and look under pressure stacks. They have a lot of information about the other pipes but I would recommend that you get one that is made for positve pressure. You'll have less issues with it later. And your store will be safer too. I'm getting my YM-2 next week I think and will be roasting outside until I can install my venting and convert to LPG. I plan to get the IPS pipe. They only go down to the 5" size but I'm may put the 6" in just in case with about 2" of insulation too. I'm considering a very short horizontal run but need to discuss this with Dave at Ambex first to be sure I don't need the vertical one. With the bigger pipe the velocity might not be high eenough to vent properly. Maybe the 5" is what I should use.

 

[chast]

SD, you will not need the C2 ( 2" insulation) series of the Selkirk IPS pipe. The C1 ( 1" insulation )
I run both the C2 and C1 on my roaster and the C1 is more than sufficient. The C2 was a ordering mistake by the dealer and I paid C1 pricing so I kept it.
Ambex use to suggest Nordfab pipe and I checked into it and way over priced!
JMO
Charlie

 

[debbiej]

there is something about time. it sort of refines us in a way. I hope not to sound cynical. I've gone around and around with all the powers that be until I've decided they really don't know what they want. so I am putting it in with class a pipe.positioning it according to the "last" word from the fire chief.

ya know what? if they want my monthly gross receipts to help pay their salary, they can just get over it. I'm so tired of tom, dick and harry not knowing what I need to do.

it is my property, my business and my loss if it catches fire. not theirs. people are smarter than they think.