----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Smith" <majsmithNOSPAM@otelco.net>
Newsgroups: alt.coffee
Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2003 1:48 PM
Subject: My first run with my RK Drum BBQ Roaster


> First off, I'm in no way connected to the production or manufacture of this
> fine product.
> Although, I wish I were. What follows is a description of my experience
> setting up for
> my first roast with my RK Drum, that I received...yesterday.
>
> Upon opening the well packed box, I was impressed with the heft, and build
> quality of this
> all stainless drum. Anyone that has worked with stainless steel, knows what
> a bear it is to
> work with. All of the cuts are clean, no burrs, and all of the welds have
> been ground and
> smoothed. A very well executed construction. The height of the stirring
> vanes kind of
> surprised me. All of the other drum designs I had seen, as on my Alp, the
> vanes were a
> fraction of an inch tall. On this drum they are at least a full inch high.
> They stir a large load
> < 2 pounds or more > very well. For the grill, I purchased a Char Broil
> Quickset 35k btu
>  grill from Lowes, along with a standard rotisserie and some perforated
> ceramic tiles.
>
> After my burn in test, I decided to load her up and see if I could manage to
> not burn up
> 2 lbs of coffee. I initially tried a 1/2 pound roast. During the burn in I
> really had to work to
> stabilize things at 435 or so. My burners just won't hardly stay lit at such
> a low flame.
> Anyway, I preheated to 435, and put the load of greens in the drum. After
> about 5 minutes I
> was getting the smells of the tanning stage, and the temp had climbed back
> rapidly to 420.
> I was having to look into the bottom of the grill from underneath to see the
> burner so that I
> could adjust it down as low as possible to maintain 435, and still have a
> flame.  At 10 minutes
> first crack started and I could tell by how " all at once " it was, that
> second was going to follow
> very rapidly. I was right, by 11 minutes I was into one heck of a rolling
> second crack. I cut the
> heat, grabbed the spit, and dumped and cooled the beans.
>
> I had sort of mélange roast, with most of the beans a very full city, with
> slight oil showing, and some french, with about 10 % city. I had observed
> the good mixing action of the vanes, and knew that this unevenness was not
> due to poor bean movement. I surmised that it was a result of too rapid of a
> bean temp rise.
>
> I decided to load up a larger batch. I loaded up 1 and 1/2 pounds of La
> Manita, and started again.
> This time the temp recovery after drum insertion was much slower. I think
> that the larger load
> actually made the temp more stable, and a lot less ticklish. This time first
> crack started at about 14
> minutes, and started much more gradually. Second crack followed after a
> little added heat at 17:30
> and I pulled the roast immediately upon onset of second. I usually like LM
> right before second.
> Anyhow, this roast was MUCH more even, and easier to control. I really like
> a more mellow taste,
> hopefully this won't be TOO mellow.
>
>  I am thoroughly pleased with the drum, and it will make my roasting much
> less involved than 6 or 7
> Alpenrost roasts a week. I think I will look at putting a cast iron griddle
> in the bottom of my grill, to more evenly distribute the heat and flame, and
> to act as sort a thermal mass. I think that a load of
> about 1 pound is as small a roast as a beginner BBQ roaster should try. That
> 1/2 pound roast was
> just too hard to control. The larger batch tracked along a profile almost
> exactly like my Alpenrost.
>
> The drum is by far the best investment in my roasting that I have ever made,
> and I am grateful
> for such a quality product. The drum is easily worth the price of an
> Alpenrost.This thing is built as well as anything I've ever seen. I have
> fabricated a few gadgets in my life, as I have been a
> homebrewer. It is much like coffee roasting in that you have to build
> everything
> if you want a nice setup without spending thousands.
>
> To replace my BBQ roaster would cost $6000 for a San Francisco
> sample roaster, and the end result is every bit as tasty. Until someone
> decides to sell a
> computer controlled, commercial style drum roaster for under $2000, I've got
> THE best setup
> out there for us that don't like being tied to 3 hours of 8 oz roasts once a
> week.
>
>
> Mike Smith
> flyin' hillbilly BBQ RK Drum roaster
> just a satisfied customer