42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Applied 320 pounds of stucco this weekend (brown coat)... sigh... have about the same to go before color coat. But is is good exercise! The oven's efficiency continues to improve; The oven is 315 degrees tonight - last fire was Halloween (Pizza 10/31, Bread 11/1 and again 11/3). It was about 80 degrees here today - lots of misting to keep the stucco curing - not drying.

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Mild weather does allow WFO progress! I placed a stucco scratch coat on the metal framed surround for the oven chimney. On rest of the block structure needing stucco, I went strait to brown coat. Here are some photos of the oven enclosure ready for color.

Notice the tortoise den on the back side of the oven stand.

I plant to bolt wooden back rests to the Pony wall seating.

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

After troweling on the brown coat stucco and bringing some texture to the surface with rubber float:

I was ready for an easier way to apply the color coat.

I decided to spray on the color coat; managed to get all 350 sq feet applied! I used 3) 90 pound bags of grey base stucco, pigment, and a sprayer designed to apply drywall texture. I will post photos of finished stucco after some clean-up.

[deejayoh]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Looking good dvm!

I have completely stalled out on the stucco application for my oven. The lath and paper are on, I just have a lot of inertia with taking on the stucco application. Not sure why!

anyway, good on you for pushing forward - and the results look great.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

dvm,

Way to go, keeping on plugging along. Looking nice.

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Had a great WFO weekend. My oldest was home from college and wanted to bake. I modified my basic pizza dough to a garlic-herb-parmesan bread and my son found a recipe for chocolate, cinnamon bread; made a mixer full (2.5 kilos) of each.


I did a bit of mortar mixing too. Placing firebrick in the fireplace adjacent to the oven. First attempt was to create and install a "panel" of splits tilted off the back wall - that was a fail. Second attempt is buttering and placing bricks one at a time - using a plywood profile to set the angle - so far so good. It does take a bit of contortion to get in there.

[Laurentius]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Hi DvM,

Looking at the photo of you and your son, I see your past and his future. A truly spitting image. It looks as you two really enjoy each others company.

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Yes the poor guy does look much like me - and we have a younger (13 year old) copy too. We are having a good time with the oven!

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Did something new (for me) with the oven today.
I fired it yesterday morning with almond wood (as usual). After some pizza for lunch I removed all of the coals to an air tight ash bin and left the door off for a few hours until the oven reached 475 degrees. I then baked two dozen 200 gram garlic and herb roles last night. After baking I closed the oven up tight.
At noon today I put the (now cold) wood coals along with a few splinters of pine and a 2 inch Almond branch into the (350 degree) oven. With some encouragement from my torch, it ignited and began to produce lots of smoke.
I put chicken on a rack over an aluminum pan and placed the door ajar. When the temp probe in the meat read 180 degrees I pulled it out - the result was great! Good smokey flavor, Attractive browned skin and the meat remained moist.
WFOs are not just for Pizza and bread any more!

[Laurentius]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Make mine 3 rolls, and 1 piece of chicken,and hot sauce on the side. Thank you.

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

I am enjoying finding uses for each day of the oven's cool down cycle - different recipe for each day. I suppose I should get back to actually finishing the construction. Humph.

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Something New
I smoked a Brisket today. I fired the oven Tuesday evening (and made pizza). This morning at 8 am (Saturday) the temp was 275 on the back wall. I clean out the ash and put in cold almond wood coals, one stick of almond fire wood and a handful of Hickory chips. I got them burning the placed the Brisket in the oven on a rack over an aluminum foil pan.. I had prepped the meat with a rub the night before. I put my door on but propped it up so air entered under the door.
I put a thermometer in the meat and another k-wire thermometer in the air (on the rack) next to the meat.
The first three hours I applied a mop sauce to the meat and a new handful of hickory chips to the embers once an hour.
At 1 O'Clock the over air temp was down to 210 and the meat temp had reached 160; the meat temp was climbing VERY slowly. I decided the meat was adequately smoked so I removed it, mopped one more time and covered with foil, placing it in the 300 degree oven in the house.
At 5 pm the temp probe read 180 and I pulled the meat out (I thought I was going to 190 but could not wait any longer). I discovered that the probe was in a large chunk of fat ( I trimmed the meat the night before but had not recognized this slab of fat). Served it up with garlic mashed potatoes, butter nut squash and broccoli.. Next time I will trim better and ensure the probe is in meat not fat - the meat was nearly over cooked. I think I will also start cooking about 12 hours earlier (at around 325 - 300 degrees). One day a door with adjustable slots will allow better control of temp and smoke.

[Gulf]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Look's great DVM,

I seared and presmoked one before putting it in the oven. I haven't tried a brisket with the wood chips in the oven yet. But, that is next on the list. How did the smoke flavor turn out? Also, how long is the cable on the meat probe?

[dvm]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Hi Gulf

The meat thermometer has a 36 " probe (I got it several years ago - possibly from HD). The probe attaches to a sending unit and the receiving display works anywhere in the back yard (but not in the house).

The Brisket was ok, Then chicken I cooked last week was better. With the brisket - I was going for a very low temp - in order to maintain the heat, I was very stingy with air flow into the oven. The result is that my wood did not produce smoke as well as with a more open door. Also with the poor air circulation, the meat was a bit coated in creosote - easily trimmed off with the crust - But I generally like eating the crust! Next time I will start with a hotter oven and allow more air flow - I think think a door with vents will be part of the answer eventually.

I am prepping to put a landing in front of my oven - I am going to pour cement corbels followed by a poured and polished landing. I want to try exposing the aggregate in the corbels (as you did). I am using bagged redi-crete and I plan to vibrate the pour (a wand in the cement - not a form vibrator). If I pour on a 65 degree day (we even dipped below 32 degrees last night - but that won't last a week around here) - how long before I should remove the form - 12 or 24 hour? Also to expose the aggregate are talking sponge or wire brush?

[Gulf]

Re: 42" FB Pompeii Oven with 19" dome, and adjacent fireplace, in the O.C.

Thank's for the info on the probe. Your brisket set me on fire to try a couple of chuck roasts. They are in the oven now. I have a damper to play with so along with my vented door I am using it to help control air flow while searing and smoking in the oven. I did not clear the dome, just wanted to get it heated up enough for this cook. We'll see .

If you have any type of intricate designs or want to preserve the 90 degree corners and crisp lines of your form, 12 hours will not be enough. If not, a tooth brush would work at 12 hours. I went 12 to 16 hours and used a small stainless steel brush. I did not try a sponge. That might give a better effect. I would try it (or steel wool) if I were you. If it doesn't expose as much aggreagate as you want it to, you could always go back to the brush. I am sure that the SS brush would work 24 or a little more hours into the cure.

I looked back at your build and am wondering how you are supporting the corbels? I may have missed something. Did you drill some holes in your stand to insert some rebar? I am sure you have thought this thru, just wondering .