I had some questions for Mr. Li

[TimDaddy]

After seeing the new 500T photos yesterday, I had a few questions that Mr. Li quickly answered.  Perhaps they're questions others here also had:

Dear Mr. Li,

I am happy that you now offer the Huky 500 with the T exhaust pipe.  I have six questions below before I place my order:

1)  What is the cost to replace the analog thermometer (environmental) with a thermocouple and install it?
2)  How many funnels are included with the Huky 500T?
3)  Can I buy the infrared burner stove that works with NATURAL GAS? 
4)  Is the flat oval piece of metal welded into the charge pipe?
5)  Is the tryer mounted at an angle?
6)  Do you have any future plans to offer a cyclone option for chaff collection?  I will configure my own cyclone chaff separator, but I would prefer to wait and purchase one from you if you are going to offer one.

Thank you, I look forward to your responses. 

Sincerely,
Tim Dixon
Pasadena, California

Hi Tim,

1.the analog thermometer (environmental) can be replace with a thermocouple.
2.Standard appurtenance include: 1Fan 1Tray 1 funnel. Recommend to buy extra fan ,tray ,and funnel,  since cooling and exhaust can be separately.
3.IR stove can works with NATURAL GAS.
4.Yes.
5.Yes.
6.I didn't plans to offer a cyclone option,Since cyclone is too bulky freight expensive.

Thanks,

Kuanho Li

[MJ5150]

Great questions.

I e-mailed Mr. Li just a few minutes ago and inquired about #6 as well. I see his reasoning behind the cost, but maybe there is a way to configure the end of that pipe to allow for more options. It seems from my research so far people may be running into connection/couple issues getting from his pipe to other options for exhaust/chaff collection.

Then again, this is a neat little roaster that works great exactly as Mr. Li designed it. If he starts moving away from that basic design and modifying it and making changes to accommodate all kinds of other peoples ideas, we may end up with a less elegant and functional product. Part of me is saying to myself 'just buy the unit with the parts Mr. Li recommends and use it as he intended. You don't have to tinker with everything you buy'.

I also asked if he knew about any of his customers using that config already. Another member here did a write-up on his config and pictures. I bumped the thread today to ask more questions.

-Mike

[SusanJoM]

The issue of the trier angle always comes up, but knowing what I know now about how to use the HUKY, the question I would ask is:  can you leave the trier off altogether???   The only time I have taken it out is to turn it upside down so that beans don't catch in it between roasts....

[jyalpert]

I don't use the trier either, and i feel guilty about it.  I mostly watch the graph and look at the beans through the window, if I look at them at all.

Does anyone have recommendations about how to use the trier to improve your roasting?

[SusanJoM]

I don't use the trier either, and i feel guilty about it.

My list of things to feel guilty about is waaay too long already to add "not using the trier" to it....
    

Susan

[Gregr]

lol- you tinkerers crack me up... Glad you're out there though to show us the way.
Another person who doesn't use the trier here. The way I see it is it's a feature that would be really useful if you had no probes and no window to see the bean color during the roast. Since we have all that great data the trier is unecessary, except maybe as a nice handle to lift/tilt the roaster after charge. Maybe the trier is just a throwback to the days when roasters relied on their senses instead of the fancy gadgets we have at our disposal in 2015.

[MJ5150]

I plan on making full use of that trier. I do now with pulling little samples from my air popper along the way.
I know the reason it all came up for me is when you search online for Huky info, you get directed to some older threads on other forums where people talk about issues with the trier.

I can see for those of you who rely on the data logging that there is no value to the trier, but it is crucial to me. If it doesn't work or doesn't work right, it's enough of a no-go for me to change my mind on buying one.

-Mike

[TimDaddy]

Mike,

Thanks, and we think a lot alike...and arrive at the same conclusions. 

My plan is to just order the stock 500T configuration and not risk messing something up with special instructions.  Once it's here, I'll be able to figure out how I want everything to fit together, then take my plans to a custom muffler shop and let them do their thing. 

That's not to say I won't be ordering extra EVERYTHINGS: 
-2x fans (one for cooling beans, one for a spare)
-2x motors (they're cheap and nothing lasts forever)
-2x funnels (just in case the muffler shop doesn't have a better solution, one for above cyclone into fan, one for above fan to exhaust pipe and out window)
-1x drum (want one of both the solid and perforated)

Thanks all for the feedback on the trier.  Now I'm considering asking Mr. Li if he could omit the trier, although it breaks my "special instructions" rule above     What do you think?  Should I at least try?

[SusanJoM]

Now I'm considering asking Mr. Li if he could omit the trier, although it breaks my "special instructions" rule above 

I was really mostly kidding, and I think you would do better to accept it as it is given that its value to someone else (should you ever part with it) might be diminished by not having it (even if it doesn't serve any real purpose).  Also, I think having a face plate fabricated without that part would probably make it rather more expensive, not to mention a PITA for Mr. Li.

I hate to weigh in on people's personal decisions when buying stuff, but given that I started that line of thought I felt I should back down gracefully.  I have a second HUKY on order, and it's coming WITH a trier.

[dickcoffee]

The issue of the trier angle always comes up, but knowing what I know now about how to use the HUKY, the question I would ask is:  can you leave the trier off altogether???   The only time I have taken it out is to turn it upside down so that beans don't catch in it between roasts....

This is exactly my experience.  I thought surely I would love to have a trier.  But as I can see the beans anyhow, I don't use it.  Besides, I'm too busy checking my roast profile, etc.

[MJ5150]

Besides, I'm too busy checking my roast profile, etc.

This is what concerns me, and why I haven't yet pulled the trigger on the Huky, or any other actual coffee roaster yet. I don't want my face glued to a computer screen while I roast.

My current setup is hokey, a modified Poplite, that lets me roast 3/4 or one cup at a time. Yeah, it takes me awhile, but I really get into the sights, smells, and sounds of roasting. I'm watching the beans, the chaff, listening for specific sounds, looking for certain colors, keeping in tune with the progression of smells. I pull out a bean here and there to see how it looks and smells. I love doing this, almost as much as drinking the coffee later.

I can tell I am going to lose some of that experience when I upgrade to an actual coffee roaster, but it really would be nice to be able to roast 3-4 pounds per hour when I need to. I don't need to today, but as more friends keep trying my beans, I know that day is coming. It's not unique to the Huky. Any of the one pound capacity roasters out there are this way from what I can tell.

But then again, my wife had a great point: I don't have to stop using my Poplite roaster. I can keep it handy for small batch roasting or when I have those moments where I want to be more in touch with the roasting process.

-Mike

[SusanJoM]

[quote author=TimDaddy link=topic=184.msg1663#msg1663 won't be ordering extra EVERYTHINGS: 
-2x fans (one for cooling beans, one for a spare)
-2x motors (they're cheap and nothing lasts forever)
-2x funnels (just in case the muffler shop doesn't have a better solution, one for above cyclone into fan, one for above fan to exhaust pipe and out window)
-1x drum (want one of both the solid and perforated)

[/quote]

Another 'belt and suspenders' guy :-))))

[Gregr]

I really get into the sights, smells, and sounds of roasting. I'm watching the beans, the chaff, listening for specific sounds, looking for certain colors, keeping in tune with the progression of smells. I pull out a bean here and there to see how it looks and smells. I love doing this, almost as much as drinking the coffee later.

Amen to that! I'll throw this out there- it's not going to remove those sensory experiences but replace them with a slightly different set. Sounds, smells, colors, trying beans- all that will still be there, along with the added input of super accurate temp monitoring. So no matter what roaster you end up getting you'll be able to add to the whole roasting experience stuff like "grassy hay-like smell at suchandsuch temp" or "yellow at suchandsuch". With the extra data/sensory input things are a little more hectic but you get used to it pretty quick.