eathering
W History
T
here’s a stripped-down beauty to this place, with its exposed rafters,
brick walls and steel roasting machinery. Built in 1892 in Burlington, Iowa,
this roastery is an archive of coffee history.
“From my research, I believe this might be the only intact Jabez Burns coffee
plant still in existence from this era,” says the building’s owner, Kevin Bangert.
When Bangert purchased the property, he learned that it was once part of a
wholesale grocer’s empire. The roasting plant was operational until shortly after
World War II, when it was abandoned. Bangert expected to restore the operation
himself, but now he’s hoping to find someone with the proper resources and love
of history to take on the project. There’s an artifact around every corner— like the
cast-iron Jabez Burns spice mill (left), with wood hoppers for whole spices and
a bucket elevator for moving stone-ground spices upstairs for bagging. And the
dusty pile of roasted beans that sits in the de-stoning trough, untouched for the
past 70 years. And the cogs of a belt drive that are sculpted to resemble legs. If you
close your eyes, you can almost smell the scent of coffee in the air and visualize
those legs racing to keep up with demand on the packaging line.
Spice Mill
44
r ooaas st t
photo by Tommie Ouverson
J a n u a r y | F e b r u a r y 2 0 11
45
Weathering
History
Burns Coffee Roasters
THIRD FLOOR
ABOVE Rear view of the brick kiln showing the
belt/pulley operation used to turn the roaster
drums, plus a blower motor used for the coal
burners. (photo by Kevin Bangert)
LEFT Burns coffee roasters.
(photo by Kevin Bangert)
facing page Burns roaster front with green-
bean hoppers.
46
r ooaas st t
J a nJu
an
a ruya r| yF e| bFreubarruya r2 y
0 11
2 0 11
47 47
Weathering
History
Grinder/mill room
with roasted bean bin
SECOND FLOOR
ABOVE Grinder/mill room with roasted bean bin.
LEFT Ideal Steel Cut coffee mill.
facing page Burns #12 grinder.
J a n u a r y | F e b r u a r y 2 0 11
49
Weathering
History
Movers &
Shakers
ABOVE Part of the de-stoning
operation, which operates via
gravity and a vacuum system.
Roasted beans travel down a
trough, and at an opening the
roasted beans were vacuumed
up to the third floor, while the
heavier items such as stones fell.
Inside this container is a mixture
of beans and stones that were
separated from the good beans.
These have been sitting for about
70 years, untouched.
LEFT Green-bean hoppers in the
ceiling are attached to bucket
elevators to carry the beans
from floor to floor. This part of
the operation was used to mix
the green beans. One of the
bucket elevators travels up to
the roaster, where the beans are
deposited into the hoppers, ready
to drop into the roaster.
facing page Third-floor
roasting room, cooling operation.
50
roast
J a nJu
an
a ruya r| yF e| bFreubarruya r2 y
0 11
2 0 11
51 51
Weathering
History
Packaging Room
ABOVE Detail of belt drive.
left Roasted bean trolley dump cart.
Facing page Scott net weigher.
52
roast
J a nJu
an
a ruya r| yF e| bFreubarruya r2 y
0 11
2 0 11
53 53
Weathering
History
If you’re a roaster, you know the quote:
“It’s not IF you’re going to have a roaster fire,
but WHEN.”
Still Standing
left Front of Burns coffee roaster.
below Cooling operation, Burns
sample roaster.
Photos copyright Tommie Ouverson and
Kevin Bangert. For more information and
photos, contact [email protected].
Make sure you’re
prepared with
Roast magazine’s
18” x 24”
Fire Poster.
Beautifully
designed to help
make your
roastery safer
and stylish at
the same time!
$15.00 ( i nc l u d e s
s h i p p i ng i n t h e un i t e d s tat e s )
phon e 503.282.2399 | w eb www.roastmagazine.com
1631 NE Broadway No. 125, Portland, Oregon 97232-1425
54
54
r or oa as st t
J a n u a r y | F e b r u a r y 2 0 11
55