Oaxaca Charlie

 1/2 lb
 of straight Oaxacan Pluma beans. I could see the beans flowing
 and flying in the drum, looking through the roticery hole in the
 end plate. Love the cha cha cha sound the beans make as the drum
 turns. A strong, even, first crack started at 9 minutes into the
 roast, finished a minute later, and at the 12 minute mark it
 smelled right and just before any second cracks sounded I dumped
 and cooled. Perfect light full city roast. Every bean fully
 developed and nicely colored. Impressive, better than I usually
 get for that roast stage with my regular drum that only has some
 cable (like a Hot Top) for agitation.  Cupped as good as it
 looked the next day.
 Next days roasting- I had several orders to fill, and couldn't
 waste time with 1/2 lb roasts. Ron figured the drum is good for
 4 lb roasts, so I put 4 lbs of beans in,(a blend of 50% Pluma,
 25% El Salvador Bourbon, 25% Organic Bolivian) got the oven to
 500 degrees (a little lower temp than I usually roast at,
 counting on the fast agitation to make a difference) and got
 started. A few beans started to fall out the holes for roticery
 attatchments, but not many. At 12 minutes first crack began, and
 lasted for about 3 minutes, then stopped. I lowered the temp to
 about 460 and kept going, but by now beans started pouring out
 the end plate holes and burning on the hot bricks. Dammit!
 Second crack began at 17 minutes, and judging from the beans
 falling out, the roast was amazingly even. At 18 minutes I
 unloaded, dumped and cooled. Even though the drum isn't very
 heavy I noticed that I need new welders gloves-today!-ouch, that
 felt hotter than my ss mesh drum. It cooled almost imediately
 after the beans were out, though.  Perfect roast. Not one burnt
 bean, no tipping, no scorch marcks, nary a divot. Exactly the
 roast I wanted (full city plus, no oil) I've never done (or
 seen) a more even roast, wow.
 I pluged the end plate holes with some short bolts and washers,
 then loaded it with 5 lbs of greens. That still only fills the
 drum to about 1/3. Same blend, only I needed some Vienna
 Roast-rolling second crack, a slight sheen of oil. I was a
 little nervous about roasting "blind", with no way to see the
 beans. The temp, time, sounds and smell were easy to follow, and
 after another 20 minutes I had a perfect Vienna Roast-again, not
 one burnt bean, nothing stuck in the drum, nothing fell out
 during the roast. Super duper mixing as it turned, at least as
 much motion as a hot air roaster. 6 more roasts after that,
 mostly 4 lb ones, and every one was perfect. I'm a happy camper.
 I tried at a slightly higher oven temp and took 2 minutes off
 the time. I'll carefully try at even higher temps untill I
 finally burn some beans, just to find out the limit.
 I'm going to make a square tube tryer to put in the end plate
 hole that faces me as I roast, and drill some holes in that
 plate, too, just because I like to be able to see at least basic
 bean color. Other than that, I'm a very satisfied customer. This
 drum will outlast me. I will order a longer(18") one for 8 lb
 roasts, and Ron says maybe he can put a glass window in the end.
 Thanks, Ron! I've been waiting 6 months for my local machinist
 buddy to make me a new drum. Who knows when that finally would
 have happened, and I'm positive it wouldn't have been so finely
 made. The old one wobbles and moves on the rollers, and catches
 and burns some beans in a few spots. Not yours, it's a beauty.
 
   Charlie