A drum roaster is a simple machine that punishes neglect in one specific way: the roast stops being repeatable. Here is the schedule we recommend.
Every roast day
- Empty the chaff tray before you start. Chaff in the tray is chaff waiting to smoulder.
- Wipe the cooling tray — oil film from yesterday's batch makes today's beans taste like yesterday's.
- Check the flame colour through the sight glass at first light. A yellow, lazy flame means the air/fuel mix has drifted.
- Listen at charge. Any new rattle is worth ten minutes now rather than a bearing later.
Weekly
- Clean the drum's sight glass and the sample probe. A coated probe reads low and you will chase a phantom temperature drop.
- Vacuum the cyclone and the duct run you can reach. A blocked cyclone shows up as smoke coming back through the loader.
- Check the damper linkage moves freely through its full travel.
- Inspect the gas train for leaks with soap solution at the unions — never with a flame.
Monthly to quarterly
- Lubricate the drum shaft bearings to the schedule in the manual. Over-greasing is as bad as under-greasing.
- Check drum belt tension and look for glazing.
- Descale or replace the thermocouple if readings drift against a known reference.
- Inspect burner nozzles. A partially blocked nozzle gives an uneven flame and a hot spot on the drum wall.
- Test the safety interlocks — gas proving, flame failure, over-temperature.
Parts that actually wear
Gaskets and door seals, sight glass, burner nozzles, thermocouples, drive belts, and the cooling tray's stirring arm bushes. Keep a set on the shelf: they are cheap, and waiting two weeks for a gasket costs more in lost roasting days than the part did.
Two symptoms that mean stop
- Gas smell at any point other than first light. Shut the gas off, ventilate, do not relight until it is found.
- Roast times suddenly 20% longer with the same batch and the same settings. That is usually a blocked flue, a fouled probe, or a burner running lean — all three are worth stopping for.
What the warranty covers
Two years against manufacturing defects. Wear parts are consumables and are not covered, which is normal for this class of machine. Spare parts are supplied long-term — quote the model and serial number and we ship from stock or production.
