40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

[cobblerdave]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

You're right there, fuel is one thing we have plenty of!

Gudday
I've heard that said before, the real "cost" of firewood comes with the time and effort it takes moving, cutting and even just feeding the fire. Instead of being an advantage of having lots of wood it then becomes a burden.
I agree with what Stonecutter is saying, put your efforts into rectifying that floor now rather than finishing an oven that will be a burden rather than the pleasure that they should be, you'll be less likely to use it otherwise.
Regards Dave

[Blunt Tool]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

This is what a forum is for, IMO. Do not hesitate to ask questions....a good discussion helps everybody to push the bounties of what they know.

Stonecutter I agree - a forum is for asking questions and sharing knowledge. But that relies on the goodwill, time and patience of others, none of which are limitless! I really appreciate the input from your good self and others here on this thread. It wasn't really my intention to leave the dome uncovered and uninsulated, but it was suggested and I was just trying to work through the possible benefits in my mind. Thanks to you all I have a better grasp on it all now, or at least I think I do, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it works in practice! I will take your advice and turn my attention to more interesting things like curing and cooking!

I can't get back down there for about a month now to continue the build, so no more questions from me for a while!

Thanks again,

Andrew

[wotavidone]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

It's just nomenclature associated with heating the oven masonry. Saturation implys an even temperature throughout the thickness of the mass.

I was just having a tongue-in-cheek laugh, because no oven is ever going to have the bricks saturated with heat, in the dictionary definition of the term.
I use the term the same way, heated to the point that the brick is pretty much the same temperature all the way through.

[stonecutter]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

I figured, but there it is in case anyone else wondered what it really means .

Although, saturation as it relates to heat stored in the masonry is applicable and appropriate

[Uncle]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Hi Andrew,

Wow! you have had some serious advice and help.

I think you have made the right choice in going forward given everything else.

If you want to post me a paper/cardboard template of the door opening, I will make you a steel door with stand and handle. Saw an example last week.

Puppa

[Phrogplt]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Andrew,

I have read all the back and forth concerning your oven. I will tell you from experience what will happen. If you just continue your build and insulate the dome properly you will cook great pizzas and anything else you want. I made the mistake on my first oven of not insulating the floor at all, guess what happened? After two years of cooking pizzas, pulled pork and lamb it still works great. My floor did get cold faster than the dome and I had to spead hot coals over the floor the heat is back up to get a nicer color on the bottom of my pizza.
You actually have insulation below your floor, your floor is just thicker than normal. I will agree that you will not acheive the optimal thermal dynamic properties, but life goes on and you will have tons of fun and great memories making pizza with the little ones. I have an 11 and 7 year old and we have made pizza making, cooking and eating a family gathering.

Nick

ps, got luck on your move Stateside. We have plety of WFO builders throughout the country.

[Blunt Tool]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Hi Andrew,

Wow! you have had some serious advice and help.

I think you have made the right choice in going forward given everything else.

If you want to post me a paper/cardboard template of the door opening, I will make you a steel door with stand and handle. Saw an example last week.

Puppa

Hi Colin

That sounds like a good deal and I will take you up on it.

Many thanks!

[Blunt Tool]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Andrew,

I have read all the back and forth concerning your oven. I will tell you from experience what will happen. If you just continue your build and insulate the dome properly you will cook great pizzas and anything else you want. I made the mistake on my first oven of not insulating the floor at all, guess what happened? After two years of cooking pizzas, pulled pork and lamb it still works great. My floor did get cold faster than the dome and I had to spead hot coals over the floor the heat is back up to get a nicer color on the bottom of my pizza.
You actually have insulation below your floor, your floor is just thicker than normal. I will agree that you will not acheive the optimal thermal dynamic properties, but life goes on and you will have tons of fun and great memories making pizza with the little ones. I have an 11 and 7 year old and we have made pizza making, cooking and eating a family gathering.

Nick

Nick,

Thanks very much for your post, and your vote of support!

I have no doubt my oven will have its idiosyncrasies, and I am looking forward to learning them and doing my best to make the oven work as well as it can. My boys are also getting excited about the firing, and all the pizzas to follow!

Cheers.

ps, got luck on your move Stateside. We have plenty of WFO builders throughout the country.

Thanks also for this.
We expect to find out in the next few weeks which part of your country will take us, and then we can really start to plan things and get excited!

Andrew

[Blunt Tool]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Hi All,

Just a progress update on my build.

I had an enforced break of about a month, but then got back down there and finished the entrance. Had a bit of trouble with the outer arch.... for some reason it just didn't go up as easily as the inner one. Looks OK though I think.

Last weekend I started on the walls of the housing and starting curing. Great to get the first fire lit!! First day held the fire at around 100 degrees for about 4 hrs; 2nd day was around 150 degrees for 6 hrs. My bricklaying wasn't as fast as I'd hoped, but should still get the walls finished this weekend with some more curing. On track for the roof and pizzas come Easter!

Andrew

[NCMan]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Andrew....lookin' good!! It won't be long and you'll be cooking in it! Nice job.

[Blunt Tool]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Andrew....lookin' good!! It won't be long and you'll be cooking in it! Nice job.

Thanks very much!
I can almost taste that pizza?.

[Blunt Tool]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Update from this weekend:-

Brickwork complete, albeit still in need of a clean up.
Roof to go on next.

Another 2 days of curing complete also.
Saturday oven temp between 150 - 200 degrees ? for about 8 hrs. Sunday got it up to around 250 degrees for about 6 hrs.
Looking fine on the inside so far. No cracks appearing as yet (and hopefully won't from here?).

Andrew

[Greenman]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Hey Andrew - looking good and you should be getting past the danger zone for monumental cracks. My point of anxiety was when I had the first 'big scarey' fire and other than some minor cosmetic cracks inside it ended up fine.

With that sort of heat you should be able to roast things in there while you run your curing fires. Might not be pizza but the first chicken was a pleasant surprise for me.

Onwards and upwards............

[Blunt Tool]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Thanks Greenman.

I reckon I do one, maybe two more curing fires up to around 300 C. Then I'll let her rip!

I'm just trying to source more blanket insulation to put over the dome and under the housing. I've used ceramic blanket for the first layer, but it wasn't cheap and cost me nearly as much in shipping to get it down here. I think I can get Rockwool locally - will add another couple of layers of this and fill the rest of the space in the housing with loose vermiculite. That should insulate pretty well I think and help offset the extra mass under the hearth.

Andrew

[Greenman]

Re: 40" brick oven on Tasman Peninsula

Cobblerdave or David S might have some better advice but if you have a layer of ceramic fibre blanket you should get by very nicely with Rockwool and loose vermiculite. That would equate to a lot more insulation than most of the igloo builders use.