Fluid Bed vs Drum Roaster: Exact same results?

[almico]

I suppose the big question is why? What is the goal?

It sounds like you think drum roasters are better and you're trying to prove that fluid beds are just as good. Personally, I think fluid beds are better and I would never try to emulate what a drum roaster does.

 

[2SparrowsRoasters]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread...from reading it one can vaguely make the statement that bright, light to medium body drip coffee can be better appreciated via FB method (City to City+) and that more 'mouthfeel' bodied roasts (City+ to FC+) may be favored by those via espresso (& others whom enjoy drip with all the lipids, alkaloids, and 'body') thru the Drum method of roasting?

 

[Mr.Peaberry]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread...from reading it one can vaguely make the statement that bright, light to medium body drip coffee can be better appreciated via FB method (City to City+) and that more 'mouthfeel' bodied roasts (City+ to FC+) may be favored by those via espresso (& others whom enjoy drip with all the lipids, alkaloids, and 'body') thru the Drum method of roasting?

Thank you 2SR, this is exactly the point I was trying to make. Roast methods, brew methods, how long from roast date, how long from brew to serve...are all variables the widen the experience of coffee from poor to exceptional. One man's garbage is another man's treasure...just sayin'...

 

[boreland]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread...from reading it one can vaguely make the statement that bright, light to medium body drip coffee can be better appreciated via FB method (City to City+) and that more 'mouthfeel' bodied roasts (City+ to FC+) may be favored by those via espresso (& others whom enjoy drip with all the lipids, alkaloids, and 'body') thru the Drum method of roasting?

Thanks. I'm not sure I would support this statement. I think a computer controlled FB roaster does extremely well at both ends of the spectrum. Our focus is on high scoring single origin coffees so we tend to roast on the lighter side. There is no doubt that your Kenyans and Ethiopians show the greatest complexity at City and City+. Your milds (central Americans) tend to loose there complexity very quickly above City+ we have found, and "toast" flavors tends to become more dominant. We have found that finding the best roast profile for Kenyans for instance requires multiple sample runs. There seems to be know standard that you can apply. Generally we aim to hit first crack around 7 1/2 minutes or so and ramp up quickly to the finish temperature of 405 to 415 F. If you shoot for first crack later then the complexity seems to really drops of fast. The challenge though for some coffees is the temperature for first crack appears to be quite high and this "might" better favor a drum roaster. For instance with the Africans we find first crack starts at around 380 F, while a Brazilian may not crack until 415F, if it "cracks at all". These coffees we do roast darker, but I have no problem roasting up to 435F within a 12 to 14 min window or higher on our machine.

The bottom line is that with a computer controlled FB roaster you have fantastic control over the roast profile. Once determined for a given coffee I can repeat it again and again so small batch processing is made very easy. My roaster can do as little as 100g or as much as 4Kg. This means that I do not have to translate a profile developed on a sample roaster machine to a production roaster. My Son takes his Q-grader test tomorrow so I wish him luck. They will be tasting a Kenyan I roasted a few days ago. I'm excited to hear what the instructors and other participants have to say, since the SCAA coffees they have been tasting are all drum roasted.

 

[peterjschmidt]

Sounds like you're touting your roaster more than you care about the drum vs. FAB debate.

 

[ellatas]

Due to the higher airflows on a fluid bed roaster that are required to agitate the coffee, it cannot match the results from a drum roaster. It can come close, but the higher airflows strip more volatiles from the coffee. Its physics...heat and mass transfer.
That said, both kinds can still produce great coffee.

 

[coffeeroastersclub]

I'll just cut to the chase. I have alot of experience with both drum and fluid bed. Use and manufacture. The bottom line is that fluid beds are significantly more adjustable regarding heat application and roast timing than drums. And you pay for that convenience with significantly higher energy use and equipment cost.

That pretty much sums it up. Have a nice day. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Len

 

[Mr.Peaberry]

I'll just cut to the chase. I have alot of experience with both drum and fluid bed. Use and manufacture. The bottom line is that fluid beds are significantly more adjustable reading heat application and roast timing than drums. And you pay for that convenience with significantly higher energy use and equipment cost.

That pretty much sums it up. Have a nice day. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:Len

C'mon Len...quit hemming and hawing, just lay it out there...lol!

Good insight for upstart roasters though, while learning how to roast. Boreland is in a good spot, having a skill set that allows him to use FB to it's fullest advantage. Without this skill set, one is not likely to achieve that level of performance from their FB systems without a lot of help. And in reality, without diminishing the credit due, all he's really saying is that he can make a FB roaster perform like a drum roaster.