Popcorn Roast Quantity

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Popcorn Roast Quantity

Postby MW_SW19 » Thu Jul 29, 2010 8:52 pm

Hello again

Still trying to get to grips with the Prima popcorn popper and was just wondering what volume of beans other people found worked best for them.

I've tried using 50g and 100g and found that although quicker I preferred using 50g. The downside to this is I end up either roasting 2 batches back to back or I roast daily.

I will be starting to have a look inside the unit to start off the mods that are recommended on the articles pages this weekend.
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RE: Popcorn Roast Quantity

Postby nickr » Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:57 pm

Poppers are great fun and will teach you to appreciate your roaster, when you inevitably give up on them. The main problems you have already found. Ie small roast quantities, and fast roast speed. The other big problem is reliability. However, you do get THAT smell, and it’s as addictive as tobacco, now you’ve started you’ll never be satisfied with off the shelf beans. Ha ha another slave to the bean
Just call me Eeyore
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Postby ahgee2 » Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:25 pm

Hmm, I wouldn't quite agree with the "inevitably give up on them" bit. With some basic electrical skills, you can turn a popper into a very nice little roaster indeed. Separate the power to the motor and the element, put the motor on a variable DC power supply, run the 40 ohm bit of the element through a PID with a thermocouple in the bean mass. Buy a hurricane lamp chimney and stick it in the top of the popper to enlarge the "roast chamber". Stick the PID/DC power supply in a separate project box, with mains on/off and heat on/off switches, and just run a couple of cables to the popper, so when the popper eventually fails you can throw it away and substitute another one off Ebay for £5. After 15 months of roasting I've had one element burn out on me and no problems with the motors. With controllable heat and fan, I can roast up to 180g at a time, have done side by side tastings of the same beans roasted in this kit and a Quest M3, not a huge difference (apart from the price). Happy to share details if you're interested.

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Postby Dan » Thu Aug 19, 2010 11:14 pm

You need to make the roasting chamber bigger. This will allow you to add more beans, they will take longer to roast, allowing you to stretch your roast time. They will also achieve a higher roast temperature, and I think a better flavour.

I always used just enough beans so they ~just~ rotate when you start the popper. If you add more the thermal cut-out will operate, if you add less they will bounce about everywhere and roast fast, leaving a very light flavour.

To enlarge the chamber, epoxy an empty food tin on top. I wrote this post a few years ago and it might help..

http://thedomesticbarista.com/index.php ... orn_popper

Regards
Dan
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PID'd Gaggia Coffee, Silvia Wand, Naked PF / Ibertial MC2 Auto / iRoast2 / Popper Roaster / Schott VacPot / No cupboard space anymore!
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