Drum Specs

[Bardo]

I am looking for a BBQ drum roaster. What features should I be looking for in the system? Thanks.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

What type of BBQ roaster?
Do you have size i mind?
Do you want to buy the whole set up or buy drum and assemble yourself?

 

[Bardo]

I want a 10 lb drum. I am thinking about putting the whole thing together myself, depending on the cost differential. I am interested in desirable features of the drum, grill, motor. I see various gauges of steel, different size holes in the metal, rpm on the motor, temperature control features, BTUs etc. I am just looking for lessons learned from you folks to help me avoid the pitfalls.

Thanks!

 

[CoffeeJunky]

On this site, there is a sponsor who makes drum roaster and sells it.
I would look into his site for help on size of the drum.
But always you would have problem with Motors.
You need about 45-60rpm motors and it is not easy getting one that would turn 10 pounds beans plus the drum.
Check his site and see what he has.

 

[BuzzRoaster]

In addition to the drums I make and sell, I also have an RK drum so I can give you pretty good comparison and honestly, even with a slightly biased opinion, they are pretty much the same functionally. By that I mean, given the same roast profile, both roasters will turn out the same product.

The only tiny issue I have with the RK is the hole size. With the BuzzRoaster the chaff tends to fall through the holes during the roast. The RK holes are smaller and the chaff tends to collect in the roaster. Not a real big issue but I find cleanup is a bit easier with the BuzzRoaster.

I'm not sure what the price of a 10lb RK drum is these days but mine is priced at $300. By the way, if anybody tries to sell you a BBQ drum larger than a 10lb capacity they are ripping you off. Your gas grill is simply to inefficient to roast more than 10lbs at a time without serious modifications. Slightly off topic but I had to get that last bit off my chest.

As far as rotisserie motors you need at the very least a 50RPM motor. The standard BBQ rotisserie won't cut it. RK I believe sells a rotisserie kit that is more than sufficient. I personally don't even use a rotisserie motor unless I have 2 grills going at the same time. I use a manual crank handle that comes with my roaster. I can go as fast or as slow as I want and even switch directions. Does it make a difference? Probably not.

One other thing I would like to point out is the placement of the door. Mine is on the side, the RK is on the front. I can preheat and load coffee in my drum all without removing from the grill. The hot RK must be removed from the grill propped up on its end, loaded and placed back on the grill. This is not a big deal with small batches because you usually don't need to preheat the drum before roasting. If you are roasting 10lbs of coffee you definitely need to preheat the drum.

 

[Bardo]

Thanks for the info Buzz. I have looked at your site, and I like some of the feature of yours over the RK, especially the side loading capability. How well does the side load work when emptying the drum after the roast? Is your drum welded or riveted? And does the chaff simply burn up, or settle and need to be cleaned out of the grill after the roast? I would prefer a motor, if only to give me the freedom to deal with other variables like temperature and air flow while the roast is still turning. What is your recommendation for Btu on the grill for a 10 lb drum? And will it be able to generate enough heat in the winter? I will be roasting in my garage, but in the door, so essentially outside. Thanks for your ideas.

 

[BuzzRoaster]

The older Buzz Roaster drum used to be riveted, it is now fully welded. The RK has a slight advantage in dumping the beans. To empty the Buzz Roaster you need to rock it end to end once or twice. The majority of the chaff gets burnt up but some of it manages to make it's way to the bottom of the grill and needs to be sucked out every once in a while.

If you are going to be roasting 10lbs at a time I recommend at least 40-45K BTU's, obviously the more BTU's the better. Roasting in cold weather presents a problem with gas grills because they are not very air tight. But cold ambient temps are not as detrimental to the roasting process as windy conditions are. Even in the summer you will find it hard to maintain roasting temperatures if it's really windy. I mitigate this as much as possible with sheet metal shielding. I roast all year and it gets pretty darn cold here in Upstate New York. I'll take a bitter cold day over a windy day anytime. The more you shield your grill from the environment the less it has an effect on your roasting.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

Where do you find the 60 rpm motors. I have made my own but it cost over 200 dollars for used for my motor.

 

[BuzzRoaster]

McMaster sells relatively inexpensive AC gear motors. I've used the 50RPM model here: McMaster-Carr but it doesn't have enough torque to turn any more than 2 -3 lbs of coffee at a time.

 

[tazzadiluna]

Hi BuzzRoaster,
I am looking for a 10lb BBQ drum roaster as well. Is it designed for home use only or is it considered "commercial grade"? Also, can you let me know when your website is up and running again? Thanks!

Angela

 

[BuzzRoaster]

It was designed mainly for commercial use.

I have a lot of things on my plate at the moment. I expect the buzzroaster site to be up by late Feb, early March. I've got a new co-op site I'm working on as well as a 3rd site for building Direct Trade relationships with coffee farmers.

 

[Bardo]

Looking forward to seeing your new efforts buzz.

 

[tazzadiluna]

It was designed mainly for commercial use.

I have a lot of things on my plate at the moment. I expect the buzzroaster site to be up by late Feb, early March. I've got a new co-op site I'm working on as well as a 3rd site for building Direct Trade relationships with coffee farmers.

Alrighty. Sounds awesome. Don't forget to come back here when your sites are up and running.