Great video. Thanks for posting. We ordered our 500g and are taking the Intro to Roasting course in Minneapolis next month. Feel free to post more videos. There aren't enough of the 500g gas.
Michael, Thanks for your comments. I've done a ton of roasting on the 500 gram..... over 120 lbs of coffee i think and I have learned so much. I'll try and put together another roast video soon.
Yea, Mill City really is a great resource. Best of all, they are available on the phone and are more than happy to help you get started. Thanks for the encouragement.
@rdevel0p, The roaster is rated for 500 grams but I know it can roast much more. I have heard that the roaster can handle double capacity or 1 Kilo. Honesty, if your thinking of using it for a business it will be a great machine, but you will be roasting more often with the smaller unit. BTW, All my new coffee content is on my new channel (Virtual Coffee Lab) found here th-cam.com/channels/N82dHiZsPXk80URpDVsbsg.html so check it out and subscribe if you want. Are you considering buying a roaster?
Hi Mike regarding your gas gauge. I have a 1kg using propane and a little confused when I here 50% overall fuel. To me when i look at the same gauge you have, when i hear 50%, I associate that with the middle bar thats in between the 2-3 KpA. can you elaborate? Thank ty
Eric, depending on your local gas pressure (natural gas) or what type of regulator you are using (if you are using propane) determines your maximum gas pressure capable. In my case, my max gas pressure is 1.8 water column. When I roasted at Mill City, their max pressure was like 4 or 5. So, turn on your roaster and open the valve until the needle stops going up. That is your max pressure. So in my case, 50% of my max pressure is just under 1 water column on the gauge. Hope that helps clarify.
Hello Aleksandar. I switched over to Natural Gas because it is inexpensive where I live. I already have NG in my home and making the connection was easy. I didn't want to worry about running out of gas in the middle of the roast or having to refill or switch out tanks. Other than basic plumbing work, the only special task was drilling out the jets. Inside the roaster where you see the two burners are 2 jets. These regulate the amount of gas as it flows out through the diffusers. You will need to purchase some extra jets from Mill City which you can drill out. This way, your originals can always be put back in to run LPG in just a few minutes.
@@mikeszoneThanks for the quick reply! Did you need different gas intake adapters on the roaster - (LPG/natural gas) ? I think that natural gas plugs are different than LPG?
@@amatijaca Yes, I did need to get a few fittings to match up the valve to the flexible gas line. I just posted an article on my website that talks about setting up your roaster and there are a few pictures there that show my setup. Maybe soon I can get more specific about the plumbing and connections in a future article. There is a section that deals with the NG conversion with a great link which discusses the jets. See my article here www.mikeszone.com/5-important-questions-to-ask-before-you-set-up-your-coffee-roaster/
@@mikeszone just one more question - did you ever try to use one of these "electrostatic smoke eliminators" for your coffee roaster? I am mostly concerned about my neighbours complaining about the smoke when roasting.. I am currently using a Gene Coffee roaster.
Mike, do you use a power transformer to plug yours in? I have a 500g roaster on the way and am looking to get my 120 to 220. Was wondering if you had any recommendations? Thanks!
By default, the roaster is prepped for 220 and mill city roasters either includes or will sell a step down transformer to work with 110v. I have the step down the mit and plug that into a traditional home 110 outlet
@@mikeszone That's what I was hoping to hear! I just emailed Mill City to see about a transformer, as one wasn't mentioned when I ordered it. Thanks for your videos, they have been terribly helpful when it comes to getting ready for my Mill City 500g. I'll be running a setup quite close to yours. The only difference is figuring out how to run the vents out of my window. I don't have glass block.
Thanks for the review. How did you decide on this roaster? I’m currently considering a huky 500 but this may also be an option (with some additional months of saving). Does there seem to be any used market for a roaster like this? Thanks!
Hello Matt. I wrote a couple of blog articles comparing other roasters. First is my initial query as I transitioned from a behmor to a drum roaster found here - www.mikeszone.com/upgrade-from-the-behmor-1600/ and the second was my final comparison between the Mill City and Dietrich roaster here - www.mikeszone.com/mill-city-500-gram-vs-diedrich-ir-1/ Take a look at these as they might help.
Matt, sorry I missed your other question about the used market. There aren't many of the 500 gram roasters that go up for sale but they are out there. Prices on these have gone up but that is mostly because they have added more features. In the long run, for me it was clearly worth the investment. I roast for friends and family with this roaster. I also use it as an activity for me and my kids to do together.
MikesZone Thanks Mike for your links. Very helpful! Definitely seems like the mill city is the way to go in terms of features. Certainly a bargain at 3,500 but 5,000 is a little harder to swallow when comparing to the $1800 huky 500. I imagine having good local support may be worth it though in the long run. Tough decision. Are you comfortably able to roast 1 lb at a time frame or is the actual ideal roasting volume less? Have you ever found yourself wishing you had gotten a 1KG roaster instead? I also started roasting on a popcorn popper and have continued to do so for the past 5 yrs with decent results but it’s about time for an upgrade! Side note: I appreciate your additional links for Bible studies. Nice to find a fellow Christian roaster!
@@matthewtoeneboehn7784 I always roast 1 lb at a time with roasts . There is a lot that goes into asking the question about roasting volumes. If you want to talk, reach out to me on my site with the best way to contact you and we can talk more. Yes, there have been times when I wish I was roasting on a 1KG machine, especially when I am roasting for an event we are hosting OR something at church. The ability to roast 1 lb at a time is nice and would be hard to do on the larger machine. I guess it would be best if you can anticipate further down the road what you might be doing as far as volume. Lastly, as far as gas, airflow and drum speed go, I chose the mill city for more control of my roast. I first began roasting 500 gram which is over a lb but buying 1 lb bags from sweet marias caused me to just roast the pound. I'm now starting to buy coffee through crown coffee at 22 lb bags.
Did the 500g roaster come with the gauge and valve to control gas pressure? I am starting the "installation planning" process and have been looking at different options for gas lines as well as ductwork. I found a 6'x20" deep table that I may use. Not sure if 20" is deep enough. 6' would be wide enough for the machine and my laptop.
Michael, sorry for the long delay. Yes, the roaster comes with a gauge and valve to control gas pressure. I would recommend at least a 24" deep counter so you have room for your venting and chaff collector.
I used 3" stove pipe that is double walled. Also known as "B" vent, this stuff is great. Several brands offer twist and lock pieces. I purchased "B Vent", which is a double walled vent rated to be in contact with wood. That means the outer wall of the pipe never gets hot enough to burn anything, even wood. I can touch the stove pipe with my hand while roasting. The best way to get these supplies is through your local "SMALL" hardware store. Be sure to take measurements of your coffee roaster area, exactly where you will position the roaster, and even draw a sketch of how you think it should vent. Take this with you to the hardware store. They will take the time to help you piece it all together and show you how it is assembled.
Hello Michael. Converting to Natural Gas was easy. The bottom line is a larger hole/orifice is required to be drilled into the brass jets that sits beneath the the tube that holds the burner. A machine drill should be used and depending on your gas pressure at home will determine the exact size bit to use. Machine bits are sized by number, like 64 or 67. The larger the number the smaller the hole. The 500 gram roaster is rated at producing 10,000 BTU so if you go to your local (small) full service hardware store, the kind of place that sharpens your mower blades and you bring them your brass jets, they can drill them for you. There is a chart for natural gas that will tell you an approximate size to use. I purchased 2 extra sets of jets from Mill City so i could play around with different sizes. I think I have mine drilled to 64. There is a really good article on homebarista that talks about this here www.home-barista.com/home-roasting/tj-067-converting-from-propane-to-natural-gas-t30402.html BUT I would give Mill City Roasters a call and talk to Nick or Steve. By the way, that article has a link to the gas chart I was talking about. How do you know when you drill enough???? Well, if your guessing and not using a chart you should watch the flame color. You don't want a yellow flame. You don't want a solid blue flame. I think the best approach is to discuss it with Mill City. Be sure to know your gas pressure. The reading on the roaster gage at full gas will be a good indicator. My gage tops at about 1.8 bars at full gas. Hope that helps.
Michael, converting to NG was pretty straightforward. There is some plumbing work that needs to be done to connect to your natural gas line. You will also need some replacement brass jets (orifice) that are set up for propane. These get drilled out a little bigger to accommodate for the different gas. There are several good articles online about this. search on the home barista forum and you will find an article that outlines the conversion process. in detail. Mill City can sell you the replacement jets. The drill number will vary based on the gas pressure you have at your home/business where the roaster is hooked up. I used a #67 for my Natural Gas and I think#74 is how they come setup for propane.
Hi Amber. As far as I know this generation of the 500 gram that I have is not nsf certified. NSF does not regulate or require that your product be certified. The north 500 gram is CE, IEC, and ROHS certified. Mill city Roasters supplied two 3 kg roasters in the subterranean Roasters Guild training area as the official machinery sponsor for the US Roasting Championship (USRC). See the current roaster specs here
Hi Steve, yes, it is pretty big. It definitely is not a "portable" roaster. So, the current model measures 38 in x 19 in x 30 in. A Huky is 15.75x7.5x13.8inches which is about half the size. A Behmore, which many home roasters have, measures 17.5 × 10.5 × 12.5 in. Again, about half the size. The Mill City Roaster has a heavy duty drum and housing so I would say this is more of a commercial grade roaster compared to the Huky.
Great video. Thanks for posting. We ordered our 500g and are taking the Intro to Roasting course in Minneapolis next month. Feel free to post more videos. There aren't enough of the 500g gas.
Michael, Thanks for your comments. I've done a ton of roasting on the 500 gram..... over 120 lbs of coffee i think and I have learned so much. I'll try and put together another roast video soon.
Thanks for the review - I'm just using a small behmor but sure wish to be able to afford one of these in the future.
keep it up! Looking at the roasting course as well. They offer so so much good content on their TH-cam channel its crazy
Yea, Mill City really is a great resource. Best of all, they are available on the phone and are more than happy to help you get started. Thanks for the encouragement.
What's the price for this roaster generally?
Mike, although it is a 500g roaster, how many grams do you think it is actually good for?
@rdevel0p, The roaster is rated for 500 grams but I know it can roast much more. I have heard that the roaster can handle double capacity or 1 Kilo. Honesty, if your thinking of using it for a business it will be a great machine, but you will be roasting more often with the smaller unit. BTW, All my new coffee content is on my new channel (Virtual Coffee Lab) found here th-cam.com/channels/N82dHiZsPXk80URpDVsbsg.html so check it out and subscribe if you want. Are you considering buying a roaster?
@@mikeszone thanks for the reply. Yes I'm looking into roasting in small batches and starting as a home business.
Hi Mike regarding your gas gauge. I have a 1kg using propane and a little confused when I here 50% overall fuel. To me when i look at the same gauge you have, when i hear 50%, I associate that with the middle bar thats in between the 2-3 KpA. can you elaborate? Thank ty
Eric, depending on your local gas pressure (natural gas) or what type of regulator you are using (if you are using propane) determines your maximum gas pressure capable. In my case, my max gas pressure is 1.8 water column. When I roasted at Mill City, their max pressure was like 4 or 5. So, turn on your roaster and open the valve until the needle stops going up. That is your max pressure. So in my case, 50% of my max pressure is just under 1 water column on the gauge. Hope that helps clarify.
Thanks for the video! I am just curious, why did you switch from LPG to Natural Gas? Was the change-over in gas supply difficult?
Hello Aleksandar. I switched over to Natural Gas because it is inexpensive where I live. I already have NG in my home and making the connection was easy. I didn't want to worry about running out of gas in the middle of the roast or having to refill or switch out tanks. Other than basic plumbing work, the only special task was drilling out the jets. Inside the roaster where you see the two burners are 2 jets. These regulate the amount of gas as it flows out through the diffusers. You will need to purchase some extra jets from Mill City which you can drill out. This way, your originals can always be put back in to run LPG in just a few minutes.
@@mikeszoneThanks for the quick reply! Did you need different gas intake adapters on the roaster - (LPG/natural gas) ? I think that natural gas plugs are different than LPG?
@@amatijaca Yes, I did need to get a few fittings to match up the valve to the flexible gas line. I just posted an article on my website that talks about setting up your roaster and there are a few pictures there that show my setup. Maybe soon I can get more specific about the plumbing and connections in a future article. There is a section that deals with the NG conversion with a great link which discusses the jets. See my article here www.mikeszone.com/5-important-questions-to-ask-before-you-set-up-your-coffee-roaster/
@@mikeszone yes, the devil is in the details - always!! Thanks again..
@@mikeszone just one more question - did you ever try to use one of these "electrostatic smoke eliminators" for your coffee roaster? I am mostly concerned about my neighbours complaining about the smoke when roasting.. I am currently using a Gene Coffee roaster.
Mike, do you use a power transformer to plug yours in? I have a 500g roaster on the way and am looking to get my 120 to 220. Was wondering if you had any recommendations? Thanks!
By default, the roaster is prepped for 220 and mill city roasters either includes or will sell a step down transformer to work with 110v. I have the step down the mit and plug that into a traditional home 110 outlet
@@mikeszone That's what I was hoping to hear! I just emailed Mill City to see about a transformer, as one wasn't mentioned when I ordered it. Thanks for your videos, they have been terribly helpful when it comes to getting ready for my Mill City 500g. I'll be running a setup quite close to yours. The only difference is figuring out how to run the vents out of my window. I don't have glass block.
Thanks for the review. How did you decide on this roaster? I’m currently considering a huky 500 but this may also be an option (with some additional months of saving). Does there seem to be any used market for a roaster like this? Thanks!
Hello Matt. I wrote a couple of blog articles comparing other roasters. First is my initial query as I transitioned from a behmor to a drum roaster found here - www.mikeszone.com/upgrade-from-the-behmor-1600/ and the second was my final comparison between the Mill City and Dietrich roaster here - www.mikeszone.com/mill-city-500-gram-vs-diedrich-ir-1/ Take a look at these as they might help.
Matt, sorry I missed your other question about the used market. There aren't many of the 500 gram roasters that go up for sale but they are out there. Prices on these have gone up but that is mostly because they have added more features. In the long run, for me it was clearly worth the investment. I roast for friends and family with this roaster. I also use it as an activity for me and my kids to do together.
MikesZone Thanks Mike for your links. Very helpful! Definitely seems like the mill city is the way to go in terms of features. Certainly a bargain at 3,500 but 5,000 is a little harder to swallow when comparing to the $1800 huky 500. I imagine having good local support may be worth it though in the long run. Tough decision.
Are you comfortably able to roast 1 lb at a time frame or is the actual ideal roasting volume less? Have you ever found yourself wishing you had gotten a 1KG roaster instead? I also started roasting on a popcorn popper and have continued to do so for the past 5 yrs with decent results but it’s about time for an upgrade!
Side note: I appreciate your additional links for Bible studies. Nice to find a fellow Christian roaster!
@@matthewtoeneboehn7784 I always roast 1 lb at a time with roasts . There is a lot that goes into asking the question about roasting volumes. If you want to talk, reach out to me on my site with the best way to contact you and we can talk more. Yes, there have been times when I wish I was roasting on a 1KG machine, especially when I am roasting for an event we are hosting OR something at church. The ability to roast 1 lb at a time is nice and would be hard to do on the larger machine. I guess it would be best if you can anticipate further down the road what you might be doing as far as volume. Lastly, as far as gas, airflow and drum speed go, I chose the mill city for more control of my roast. I first began roasting 500 gram which is over a lb but buying 1 lb bags from sweet marias caused me to just roast the pound. I'm now starting to buy coffee through crown coffee at 22 lb bags.
Did the 500g roaster come with the gauge and valve to control gas pressure? I am starting the "installation planning" process and have been looking at different options for gas lines as well as ductwork. I found a 6'x20" deep table that I may use. Not sure if 20" is deep enough. 6' would be wide enough for the machine and my laptop.
Yes, my roaster did come with the gauge and valve control
Michael, sorry for the long delay. Yes, the roaster comes with a gauge and valve to control gas pressure. I would recommend at least a 24" deep counter so you have room for your venting and chaff collector.
Hi I was wondering if you could tell me more about your venting. Where you purchased it and what brand thank you
I used 3" stove pipe that is double walled. Also known as "B" vent, this stuff is great. Several brands offer twist and lock pieces. I purchased "B Vent", which is a double walled vent rated to be in contact with wood. That means the outer wall of the pipe never gets hot enough to burn anything, even wood. I can touch the stove pipe with my hand while roasting.
The best way to get these supplies is through your local "SMALL" hardware store. Be sure to take measurements of your coffee roaster area, exactly where you will position the roaster, and even draw a sketch of how you think it should vent. Take this with you to the hardware store. They will take the time to help you piece it all together and show you how it is assembled.
How did you convert over to NG? I've read about a wire drill set. Do you have a part # I could use and... how do you know when you've drilled enough?
Hello Michael. Converting to Natural Gas was easy. The bottom line is a larger hole/orifice is required to be drilled into the brass jets that sits beneath the the tube that holds the burner. A machine drill should be used and depending on your gas pressure at home will determine the exact size bit to use. Machine bits are sized by number, like 64 or 67. The larger the number the smaller the hole. The 500 gram roaster is rated at producing 10,000 BTU so if you go to your local (small) full service hardware store, the kind of place that sharpens your mower blades and you bring them your brass jets, they can drill them for you. There is a chart for natural gas that will tell you an approximate size to use. I purchased 2 extra sets of jets from Mill City so i could play around with different sizes. I think I have mine drilled to 64. There is a really good article on homebarista that talks about this here www.home-barista.com/home-roasting/tj-067-converting-from-propane-to-natural-gas-t30402.html BUT I would give Mill City Roasters a call and talk to Nick or Steve. By the way, that article has a link to the gas chart I was talking about.
How do you know when you drill enough???? Well, if your guessing and not using a chart you should watch the flame color. You don't want a yellow flame. You don't want a solid blue flame. I think the best approach is to discuss it with Mill City. Be sure to know your gas pressure. The reading on the roaster gage at full gas will be a good indicator. My gage tops at about 1.8 bars at full gas. Hope that helps.
Michael, converting to NG was pretty straightforward. There is some plumbing work that needs to be done to connect to your natural gas line. You will also need some replacement brass jets (orifice) that are set up for propane. These get drilled out a little bigger to accommodate for the different gas. There are several good articles online about this. search on the home barista forum and you will find an article that outlines the conversion process. in detail. Mill City can sell you the replacement jets. The drill number will vary based on the gas pressure you have at your home/business where the roaster is hooked up. I used a #67 for my Natural Gas and I think#74 is how they come setup for propane.
Is it nsf certified?
Hi Amber. As far as I know this generation of the 500 gram that I have is not nsf certified. NSF does not regulate or require that your product be certified. The north 500 gram is CE, IEC, and ROHS certified. Mill city Roasters supplied two 3 kg roasters in the subterranean Roasters Guild training area as the official machinery sponsor for the US Roasting Championship (USRC). See the current roaster specs here
millcityroasters.com/shop/coffee-roasters/500g-1lb-gas-coffee-roaster/
Looks really big for only 500g roaster
Hi Steve, yes, it is pretty big. It definitely is not a "portable" roaster. So, the current model measures 38 in x 19 in x 30 in. A Huky is 15.75x7.5x13.8inches which is about half the size. A Behmore, which many home roasters have, measures 17.5 × 10.5 × 12.5 in. Again, about half the size. The Mill City Roaster has a heavy duty drum and housing so I would say this is more of a commercial grade roaster compared to the Huky.