[Shane Lewis]

Thanks, Shane, that is useful information. I am leaving the old Weber setup intact as a backup/secondary roaster, it is the 3 RPM version. It is sort of right on the edge, but I have roasted about 500 lbs in it over the last few years and gotten hooked on bbq roasting. The biggest problem with the Weber is not everyone appreciates the beef flavored coffee 🙂 I have now decided to go the dedicated roaster route.

I picked up a new ac gearmotor for a good price, 50 RPM, 1.6 amp but not sure about shaft load. Now that I look closely it has a pretty substantial sleeve bearing for the shaft, so I will give it a try. I’m looking forward to trying the 4 lb drum. And yes my rotisserie is the 5/16″ square.
-Ken Marken

[Shane Lewis]

Hi Ken!

Yes, typically our motors have a published shaft weight of 10LB. So, that’s basically, half your total weight drum plus coffee. Your 4LB drum should put about 6.5LB of load on the shaft. It’s a good question, but one that shouldn’t worry you. We have 10+ years on the motors with nary a complaint.

We do utilize the second bearing on the 12LB kits, due to the weight. It can work without it, but it’s just better for the motor and coupler to take some of the weight off, since those 12LB can exert 17LB on the shaft and coupling.

You’re welcome to add a second bearing if you like, by my preference is not to do so, as the weight we put on it with the smaller kits is under that of the shaft limit, and the second bearing, when loading and unloading the drum, can be a bit fiddly since you’ll have to align both bearings on two brackets. It’s just more cumbersome, and not necessary. So, thus we prefer just the one bearing on the handle side.

Also, I had a feeling you might be trying to use the Weber rotisserie motor. In case you are, be sure to check the speed of that motor. Older motors would spin at 6RPM and would do decently at 6RPM, but newer grill rotisserie motors spin at 1.2RPM. We get all but universal reports from the 1.2RPM motors of inconsistent, uneven coffee.

For this reason, we utilize motors between 26RPM and 52RPM, which gives a very even nice roast.

Let me know if you have any more questions.
Thanks
Shane

[Shane Lewis]

Gil,
Sorry I’m just getting to this question, had a problem with the site sending email. Gil, I’m not aware of any humidity factors that might affect the roast. I’m not saying there aren’t any, as I learn new stuff ever day as do we all. But my logic is as follows: At 400-600F that is so far above the boiling point of 212F of water, that most moisture is is pretty well evaporated rather instantly since it’s already in a gaseous state. All that said, if anyone has any knowledge of how humidity affects roasts then please contribute. I’m curious, now that it’s been two weeks, how your roasts are going. I think the unevenness is more likely other factors. Give me a buzz, let’s chat it through.
Shane-RK

[Shane Lewis]

From Larry Monday:
(Living in Houston Texas Humidity is always a concern. As i dont have as much scientific knowledge as Shane’s answer above I do know that there can always be variations of roasts based on many factors. My concern with the humidity in our area isnt as much as during the roast process but during the storage and cooling of the beans as they are more suceptable to the humidity and water vapor in their storage or cooling stage. If the beans were exposed to excessive humidity or lack thereof prior to roast then this could cause a variation of the roast as a bean that looses some of its moisture might roast quicker or the opposite may occur should it gain moisture by not being stored air tight. Additionally you might check the gas flow valves from your grill. Personally I feel that propane tanks are incosistant in the valve flows. I am sure you have noticed this in the ball valves being easy or more difficult to open and close from tank to tank. This could create a restricted gas flow in one tank and the next one you purchase might flow more free. One cool night not long ago I was roasting several pounds and the first roast came very quickly and I experienced a similar scenario that you explained. Humidity seemed low and air was very cool. My conclusion? I cranked down the heat on the grill and achieved a better result. This also occurred after I had switched to a new propane tank. Sometimes its just best to listen to the roast and toss the timer away.

Larry in Houston

[Shane Lewis]

Gil,
Sorry I’m just getting to this question, had a problem with the site sending email. Gil, I’m not aware of any humidity factors that might affect the roast. I’m not saying there aren’t any, as I learn new stuff ever day as do we all. But my logic is as follows: At 400-600F that is so far above the boiling point of 212F of water, that most moisture is is pretty well evaporated rather instantly since it’s already in a gaseous state. All that said, if anyone has any knowledge of how humidity affects roasts then please contribute. I’m curious, now that it’s been two weeks, how your roasts are going. I think the unevenness is more likely other factors. Give me a buzz, let’s chat it through.
Shane-RK

[Shane Lewis]

From Larry Monday:
(Living in Houston Texas Humidity is always a concern. As i dont have as much scientific knowledge as Shane’s answer above I do know that there can always be variations of roasts based on many factors. My concern with the humidity in our area isnt as much as during the roast process but during the storage and cooling of the beans as they are more suceptable to the humidity and water vapor in their storage or cooling stage. If the beans were exposed to excessive humidity or lack thereof prior to roast then this could cause a variation of the roast as a bean that looses some of its moisture might roast quicker or the opposite may occur should it gain moisture by not being stored air tight. Additionally you might check the gas flow valves from your grill. Personally I feel that propane tanks are incosistant in the valve flows. I am sure you have noticed this in the ball valves being easy or more difficult to open and close from tank to tank. This could create a restricted gas flow in one tank and the next one you purchase might flow more free. One cool night not long ago I was roasting several pounds and the first roast came very quickly and I experienced a similar scenario that you explained. Humidity seemed low and air was very cool. My conclusion? I cranked down the heat on the grill and achieved a better result. This also occurred after I had switched to a new propane tank. Sometimes its just best to listen to the roast and toss the timer away.

Larry in Houston

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