Hi
I was reading Fank and Ed's comments on an 8 ounce fuild bed roaster.  I
have rigged a number of configurations of different contraptions trying
to come up with one.  My first attemt was to take the motor and heater
unit used in the HW Precision cut the top out of it, took the roast
chamber from WBII  and made a cone shape top to keep the beans in with a
piece to taperd glass for a chimeny (I'm doing this in my shop so I
don't worry the mess) and mount it over the HW heater/blower unit.  I
then installed triac controllers on both motor and heating element to
control speed and temp.  This made a great little roaster that will do
five ounces of small high density beans easily and 6 with some initial
stirring for the first minute or two.  I can control the length of roast
and roast curve however I please and gotten some great tasting beans
(didn't know Kenya beans were so sweet, the first ones I cuped from this
think I dumped it and cuped them again, thought I had gotten suger in
the cup, I sweeten mine after the initial tasting).  Looks like
something from Mars but it still won't do 8 or more ounces.  I also
built a small drum roaster, worked great but I couldn't see the beans
don't know enough about roasting to control the thing, couldn't find a
way to monitor bean temp and never could get a consistant roast.  I am
now building two more different fluid beds.   This time I'm going
over-kill until I find out what it takes to do 8 - 10 ounces.  I'm using
the heating element out of a cloths dryer and a 1hp DC motor on a squirl
cage blower.  This way I can still control motor speed and temp.  When I
nail down the CFM and BTU I can down size to what works. If this works
I'll let you know, If not, what the heck.
Keith Jones
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