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SCTO

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 8 months ago

Stir Crazy/Turbo Oven (SC/TO) FAQ
SCTO Images

Stir Crazy/Turbo Oven (SC/TO) FAQ

What does SC/TO stand for (or SC/CO, SC/GG, etc)?

Stir Crazy, Turbo Oven - (or Convection Oven, or Galloping Gourmet, or whatever the heck your Oven is called) - This is a coffee roasting creation that combines a WestBend StirCrazy Popcorn Popper with some sort of Convection/Turbo Oven. This in a great way to roast larger batches of beans without spending a lot of money.

What size Stir Crazy should I buy? (the 6 qt or the 8 qt)

There is no difference between the base of the 6qt and 8qt Stir Crazy, so unless you'll be poping popcorn in it as well, go for the less expensive 6qt.

What is the least amount of coffee that I can roast in the SC/CO setup?

Roasts of 150g-200g have been reported, but the smaller the roast, the greater the smoke output.

Should I disconnect the heating element on the Stir Crazy?

The Stir Crazy surface only reaches aprox 320F and then a thermostat turns it off. Since the Turbo Oven will raise the temperature all the way up to 500F, it will end up being off most of the time - it's up to you. Some leave it connected, some leave it disconnected.

What should I use to monitor the internal temperature? Candy Therm? or something else?

Either, but digital units will give quicker readouts.

Why modify the center of the stir crazy's stiring shaft and cap?

The center cap and driveshaft is made up of plastic which can potentially melt under the higher temperature of the Turbo Oven. There are many ways to fix this problem. Some involve replaing the entire driveshaft and cap with metal parts, others put foil over it and cap it off with thermal glue.

What is the preferred agitator on the stiring arms to keep the beans moving?

The sky's the limit. European-style barrier strips are popular (ripped out of the plasting housing and slid onto the orginal stiring arms and tightened down). Others have installed cut and flattened copper pipe, spacers, and whatever else is laying on the garage floor.

There's a lot of chaff at the bottom of my SC after roasting? Is there a way to vent this stuff?

A 'vent' can be created that the chaff will blow out of by creating a gap in the spacer ring - See some of the pictures below.

Everything was working fine, but now there's too much chaff and it won't escape through the vent hole?

This problem may only reveal itself on coffee that has more chaff. The vent hole is probably too narrow. Simply add another spacer in your vent shaft to make it a bit wider.