Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 6:53am Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
Endo Said:
Love the Quest. Extremely high quality and robust design.
If you are feeling lazy,, you can just set it to one amperage and fan setting and pull the roast when the bean temp gets to 210F on the gauge. Or, you can tweak the power and fan to your heart's content. Very easy to add thermocouples and watch things like delta BT if that's your thing.
Small batch size was a worry at first, but I now see I prefer small 190g batch sizes (mason jar size) of several bean varieties over one big batch.
Only about $200 more than the HT, but well worth the extra $ (IMO). Looks better on the counter too, although sometimes friends ask what the "hampster wheel" is for. :-)
Thanks for the input! I too like the look of the Quest, and for that matter the Hottop, both seem to have that mechanical Steam Punk appearance like something you would find on Capt. Nemo's Nautilus. The Behmor has certain likable aspects, like having USA Customer Support if that becomes an issue, and you could store bread in it when not roasting :-)
The reference to a hampster wheel is pretty funny!!
bucko Senior Member Joined: 21 Dec 2012 Posts: 5 Location: Kunming Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 7:12am Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
Ok. I will check further again before I pick the B or P.
On a lighter note. In my part of the world, Dec 21 is almost past. So I can tell you the world is still here from this side.no fear.....keep on roasting!
gregpullman Senior Member Joined: 4 Jul 2002 Posts: 57 Location: Adelaide, Australia Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Expobar Minore III Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly Roaster: Hottop B&P, redundant Gene...
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 7:36am Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
bucko Said:
Thanks for the quick reply. But can't I change the program settings after starting a roast on the P? I thought you can overide them and even save the new changes after the roast is completed. Maybe I read this wrong.
Anyway, I wanted to do the PC mod with the HTC boards and have total control over the whole process. I thought this was only possible with the P model. Can it be done with the B?
With the P the only thing you can change is the setpoint of the active segment. Nothing else relating to that segment can be changed i.e. fan speed or duration. With the P you set up a program upfront and pretty much sit back and let it do its thing. With the B you control fan speed and heater power throughout the whole roast. As has been mentioned, the P's heater power is simply on 100% or off, whereas with the B you have 10 different levels which give true proportional control, i.e. you select 60% and it gives you 60% continuous (it actually chops out a section of the mains sine wave to achieve this so is true partial power), and of course can adjust the fan speed at any time. With the B, disregard the terminology 'target time' and 'target temperature'; the B controller isn't aiming for anything as 'target' suggests (unlike the P); call them 'auto-eject time' and 'auto-eject temperature' because that's their only function. I set them both for max which is never reached so I can eject when I'm ready.
I think of the B as a manual or semi-automatic espresso machine, while the P is a superauto machine. The B is capable of better results in my view, so long as you're prepared to put a 'little' extra effort into driving the thing during the roast.
HTH, Greg
P.S. Now 1am 22 Dec in Adelaide, Australia and life is very much normal (except I'm still awake!)
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 5:30pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
I'll say that the effort needed for a B roast is simple. I do exactly what Greg details with setting temp and time to max. From there, I make adjustments to speed up or slow down the roast. I've had excellent results with it!
bucko Senior Member Joined: 21 Dec 2012 Posts: 5 Location: Kunming Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 6:56pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
I got it now. I'll go with the B for sure. (Now I got to find a better price than $1300 for it!) Maybe I'll just go to Taiwan myself......1.5 hr flight. Thanks again.
Posted Fri Dec 21, 2012, 7:45pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
bucko Said:
I got it now. I'll go with the B for sure. (Now I got to find a better price than $1300 for it!) Maybe I'll just go to Taiwan myself......1.5 hr flight. Thanks again.
Gundy Senior Member Joined: 13 Jan 2013 Posts: 2 Location: San Francisco, CA Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sun Jan 13, 2013, 8:16pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
Hi Everyone,
Currently considering upgrading a Behmor to a HotTop B. Reason is because I want more control. More specifically shorter roast times (in the 14-16 minute range).
I roast 8 oz batches and like them just short of second crack which which tends to be 2 to 2 1/2 minutes from start of first crack for me.
On a Behmor @ P1, roast curve goes straight up and I usually get ~14 minute roast times on 8 oz. Great but I don't want a rocket for my roast curve. Using P3/P4, better curve but roast times for what I'm trying to achieve on 8 oz tend to be in the 19 to 22 minute range. That seams too long (baked).
- What are the average roast times on a HotTop? - Is anyone using a Behmor and getting shorter roast times than 19-22 minutes with P3/P4 - For those that have had Behmor and HotTop, did you find one to produce better roasts over the other?
Prof Senior Member Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 631 Location: Seattle Expertise: Pro Roaster
Espresso: PV Lusso, Enrico of Italy Grinder: Pharos 696, Zass Drip: Brazen, Aeropress Roaster: Behmor, TO/SC, Poppery I
Posted Sun Jan 13, 2013, 8:42pm Subject: Re: Hottop v. Behmor
Hi Everyone,
Currently considering upgrading a Behmor to a HotTop B. Reason is because I want more control. More specifically shorter roast times (in the 14-16 minute range). 8 oz roasts in the Behmor should take less than 15 minutes in all cases. Your voltage might be low. Does the Hottop have the ability to work past low voltage?
I roast 8 oz batches and like them just short of second crack which which tends to be 2 to 2 1/2 minutes from start of first crack for me. Try opening the door for 10 seconds after 1C is humming along. Maybe a second time as well. That will extend 1C.
On a Behmor @ P1, roast curve goes straight up and I usually get ~14 minute roast times on 8 oz. Great but I don't want a rocket for my roast curve. Using P3/P4, better curve but roast times for what I'm trying to achieve on 8 oz tend to be in the 19 to 22 minute range. That seems too long (baked). Why not use P2? Determine when 1C kicks in for the bean you're using and adjust the parameters so that the power shift to 65% starts a little after that point.
- What are the average roast times on a HotTop? - Is anyone using a Behmor and getting shorter roast times than 19-22 minutes with P3/P4 - For those that have had Behmor and HotTop, did you find one to produce better roasts over the other?
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