Need advice, thinking of buying a 20yr old Diedrich ir12

[deo303]

Hi, i came across an ir12 that really caught my eye. Im new to the coffee roasting world and jumping to an coffee roaster this big is a little intimidating. But i figured buying a new ir2.5 costs about $14 500 plus shipping so contemplating on buying this old beast didn't seem all that crazy anymore. Sure an ir2.5 might be a lot easier to learn to roast on but we might also grow out of it quite easily. The ir12 is about 20yr old and its been in good hands in the Toronto roasting scene. The asking price is 10k that sounds like a good deal to to me, maybe I'm wrong.

Does anybody on the forum have experience with an older ir12. Is there anything i should be concerned about, what are the major differences between a 10yr old one and a brand new manual ir12 and how small of a batch can I roast in an ir12.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. :smile::smile::smile::smile::smile:

 

[sae]

I believe the newer ones have larger burners but other than that I think it's pretty much unchanged.

 

[Amhas]

Hi, i came across an ir12 that really caught my eye. Im new to the coffee roasting world and jumping to an coffee roaster this big is a little intimidating. But i figured buying a new ir2.5 costs about $14 500 plus shipping so contemplating on buying this old beast didn't seem all that crazy anymore. Sure an ir2.5 might be a lot easier to learn to roast on but we might also grow out of it quite easily. The ir12 is about 20yr old and its been in good hands in the Toronto roasting scene. The asking price is 10k that sounds like a good deal to to me, maybe I'm wrong.

Does anybody on the forum have experience with an older ir12. Is there anything i should be concerned about, what are the major differences between a 10yr old one and a brand new manual ir12 and how small of a batch can I roast in an ir12.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. :smile::smile::smile::smile::smile:

I just bought an IR1. Initially I was looking at an IR5 and you sound like you have the same questions I have/had. After considering it and investigating it for about 9 months now, I decided to buy the IR1. I'm certain it won't provide me with the volume I hope to need eventually but it will let me learn and it should be a useful tool for sample roasting as well in the future. I don't know exactly how small a batch you can roast in this particular IR12 but based on what I have learned generally speaking for any roaster you can roast any size you want. However, if quality is your goal, from talking with actual roasters who are roasting (spoke to 3 or 4 different roasters roasting on different machines) you will probably want to roast between 50-80% of capacity. You might be able to roast as low as 20-30% of capacity but it looks to me that you will have a harder time controlling your roasts unless you are very skilled at it. One reason being the bean temp probe won't be as accurate and or act differently as it comes less immersed by the beans.
For me learning to roast has already shown me that there will likely be many batches I will toss in the trash learning curve and I couldn't see my self tossing hundreds of dollars on lost batches. Not to mention other unknowns.
If you don't have a sample or small batch roaster already and/or don't have a lot of experience with roasting coffee (not to mention the need for such volume) you might look for a smaller roaster to start with. It does seem like a good deal, but it may prove to be to much to learn on. Maybe you learn fast but at $4/lb with lets say 15lb min size batches (assuming 30% of capacity of 12k unit being 52lb) would run $60 per roast in just beans alone. That could add up fast when you are learning. If you think this is best for you it might be a good idea to look at a small sample roaster as well to learning and sampling purposes like a Q3 or other similar solutions (I think even then you may have a learning curve).

 

[deo303]

I just bought an IR1. Initially I was looking at an IR5 and you sound like you have the same questions I have/had. After considering it and investigating it for about 9 months now, I decided to buy the IR1. I'm certain it won't provide me with the volume I hope to need eventually but it will let me learn and it should be a useful tool for sample roasting as well in the future. I don't know exactly how small a batch you can roast in this particular IR12 but based on what I have learned generally speaking for any roaster you can roast any size you want. However, if quality is your goal, from talking with actual roasters who are roasting (spoke to 3 or 4 different roasters roasting on different machines) you will probably want to roast between 50-80% of capacity. You might be able to roast as low as 20-30% of capacity but it looks to me that you will have a harder time controlling your roasts unless you are very skilled at it. One reason being the bean temp probe won't be as accurate and or act differently as it comes less immersed by the beans.
For me learning to roast has already shown me that there will likely be many batches I will toss in the trash learning curve and I couldn't see my self tossing hundreds of dollars on lost batches. Not to mention other unknowns.
If you don't have a sample or small batch roaster already and/or don't have a lot of experience with roasting coffee (not to mention the need for such volume) you might look for a smaller roaster to start with. It does seem like a good deal, but it may prove to be to much to learn on. Maybe you learn fast but at $4/lb with lets say 15lb min size batches (assuming 30% of capacity of 12k unit being 52lb) would run $60 per roast in just beans alone. That could add up fast when you are learning. If you think this is best for you it might be a good idea to look at a small sample roaster as well to learning and sampling purposes like a Q3 or other similar solutions (I think even then you may have a learning curve).

I think ill be heading down that road too. the biggest concern I'm have with owning such a big machine is the waste roast ill have during my learning curve. I can afford that. So im keeping my eyes open for a preferably used profile roaster. That will be more in my comfort zone.

Thanks for the advice

 

[karlseidel]

Buy a small roaster. A 12K roaster is too big to start learning on IMHO. There are always roasters being bought and sold - there's no rush! More new roaster manufacturers have come on the market in the last 10 years than I've ever seen. But get a real industrial grade table top roaster; don't buy a consumer roaster - that will not lead to greater knowledge about roasting generally. There's so much more than learning to roast that's required to be a good roaster - cupping comes to mind, so you can source good quality beans. Good luck!

 

[Amhas]

I think ill be heading down that road too. the biggest concern I'm have with owning such a big machine is the waste roast ill have during my learning curve. I can afford that. So im keeping my eyes open for a preferably used profile roaster. That will be more in my comfort zone.

Thanks for the advice

No problem, that's a wise decision! Also, a heads up, check local regulations including business/planning/engineering/health dept... I'm learning (at least in my area) that doing this in my garage isn't acceptable as a business (must be in the "Kitchen" if done at home). I'm going to have to keep it seriously limited and or possibly a hobby for now.
Good luck!