Is a 12'x16' studio office big enough to turn into a roasting room?

[kifucoffeeroaster]

I have been roasting coffee for about four years on various small roasters, providing only for a small local clientele. However, now that my wife is pregnant, and she is back in school, and I'm out of school, we've decided to try to expand the business. We've decided on a 15k roaster and the 12'x16' studio office I built (fully insulated with four dedicated circuits) for my study is potentially being turned into a roasting room.

You think that will be big enough?

 

[Randy G.]

It depends on the roaster, where venting will go, bean storage, packaging, etc.
Visit a commercial roaster to get an idea of what you need, then draw a layout floorplan to scale.
A lot will depend on local codes and how close you can get the roaster to a wall and still have room to work on it and vent it.

 

[topher]

I checked the dimensions of an ambex and it was 4.25 feet by 2.25 feet. I think that is just the actual roaster and not the chaff collector. Your best bet is to call the manufacture of which ever roaster you are going with and get their input. I think it would fit but ti would be tight...what about storage of green?

 

[kifucoffeeroaster]

I have been to quite a few commercial roaster shops and that was my cause for concern. One place did, however, operate the roaster is a space as small (if not smaller) than mine, but their storage was in another room. I would to store my bean inventory in the same building, but I recognize that may not always be possible. If needed, I will be able to store some in a spare bedroom.

As far as local codes go, I think I live in the most unsophisticated county in America. I called them and they seemed completely obvious to the idea of coffee roasting--they were very difficult to work with. They gave me a generic information sheet that came w/ a residential business application. According to the very general standards listed in the app., I should be fine. They made no mention of 'codes' to follow. Should I be contacting the fire dept.?

KCR