36" in Seattle

[Les]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Yet, it is obvious in the photo that I am getting some sort of white residue on the external face of the arch. It isn't black anyway, like the inside of the vent, it's white. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Any ideas?

It's called Efflorescence. It's caused by the salts in your brick/mortar - very common and does no harm. It happens with moister. Sealing will help a bit but not 100%.

Les...

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Ninth curing fire. I was shooting for 700F, but it reached 750F and then very briefly registered 800F. I spread the fire out asap when that happened.

I cooked my first "food". Actually, this represents a second attempt at this cuisine. Cinnamon toast on the dispersed coals.

BTW, here's a video showing how my vent/flue/stove-pipe/chimney draws. It is an absolute dream to watch. I am, admittedly, a little confused. You can see from the video that I am getting a superb draw with virtually no escape out the entrance. Yet, it is obvious in the photo that I am getting some sort of white residue on the external face of the arch. It isn't black anyway, like the inside of the vent, it's white. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Any ideas?

Cheers!

YouTube - ninthCuringFireChimneyDraw4.mp4

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

"Poured" the second terrace (of three). This one is 50/50 vermiculite/perlite. I wasn't convinced I had enough vermiculite for the whole job (after completion, I am now sure that I did have enough, but whatever) so I went shopping, intending to buy more, but I was able to get medium grade perlite for half the price. The perlite was sketchy. Some of it was ground to dust, but the largest particles were easily half an inch. Just kind of a "mixed bag" (pun intended).

Anyway, this is 8:1, just like the first terrace, 140 quarts of 50/50 vermiculite/perlite (about 4.7 cubic feet), 17.5 quarts of portland, hydrated approximately 3:1. The hardibacker will, of course, be left in place, whole thing eventually to be covered in surface bonding cement, waterproofed as effectively as possible, and each terrace transformed into a planter bed.

It's a good thing I'm putting those "T-bolts" (bolt-and-fender-washer combo) through the hardibacker; they aren't adhering at all, not even a little bit. On the first terrace, there were a few small sections around the vent that I didn't bother to lock on with T-bolts and after letting it set and cure for several days, I took off the rope that had been holding the form tightly in place and those small pieces of hardibacker fell right off. I'll have to mortar them back on. I have been slightly dampening the inside the hardibacker before filling in the vermicrete, but it doesn't matter, the vermicrete just didn't stick to it at all.

I sure hope to hell that the surface bonding cement holds on to those tall vertical hardibacker walls. If not, I'm really screwed.

Cheers!

[vintagemx0]

Re: 36" in Seattle

I think you have the right idea Kebwi - it WILL work much better. As you know, there's a difference between heat and temperature. You lost temperature simply because there wasn't much heat stored in the bricks.

When I cured my oven, I thought "why not do each curing fire for a long period of time?" I would constantly feed the small fires for two or three hours. I just maintained a small fire for a long period of time (more heat, not higher temperatures). I didn't have any problems, but I wouldn't know if it helped either. I did notice the bricks were still warm (not hot) the next day.

The last time I used my oven, we cooked 4 pizzas and then put the door on after the flames died down. The next morning, it was 250 F in there, and we lit a small fire and got it over 500 F in less than an hour. We waited for it to cool to 375 and baked some bread, then we put in a whole chicken at and put the door back on. The chicken was done in about an hour. We put the door on, and I checked the next morning and it was 250 F in there. The next morning it was still 150 F in there!

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is a learning curve involved with the heat management, but the heat holding potential is nothing you should worry about given the amount of insulation you used.

Glad to see you're about ready to start cooking!

Ken

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Seventh curing fire, apex of the dome fluttering upwards of 530F very briefly. It wouldn't stay that hot if I didn't blow on the coals constantly. I wrapped the arch form which has been serving as a door in foil, just to make sure it would be safe when I seal it up for the night. I always put the "door" in after the curing fires because I put the next day's wood in to dry out and I want to keep the heat in (and the condensation out).

I had the idea of putting some chicken-pot pies in the oven, thinking they would cook as the oven came down in temperature but it lost its heat extremely rapidly. Down to 100F within a few minutes of spreading the fire out and closing the door. I guess ovens don't work this way. You can't heat them up to a target temperature, you just have to heat them all the way up and use the lower temperatures on the way back down...I guess, I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, I expect better results as the curing process proceeds. It's just too early, needs more time to cure and drive residual moisture out.

Cheers!

[EDIT: I never posted a photo of my eighth curing fire. To preserve the chronology of this thread, I have attached it to this post well after the original post-date.]

[bbell]

Re: 36" in Seattle

I can guarantee that you'll be spending more than that by the time you walk out. Enjoy.

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Keb, Pacific Food Importers (PFI) carries the 50lb bags of caputo as well as selling it by the pound. Great source for all things Italian. Fresh mozzarella as well. https://www.pacificfoodimporters.com/

I called them. You're right, they sell bulk by the pound ($1.00/lb as of this writing) and 50lb bags ($38.50)...so Merlino is cheaper at $33. I just don't know why I found a reference online stating $15 per 50lb bag. Got my hope's up. Oh well.

PFI, on the other hand, is open on Saturdays, so that's practically worth the extra $5 right there.

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Here's their actual retail outlet location: Find Us

Thanks, I'll check them out.

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Hey Keb,
You should try putting some wood in those heavy (contractor) garbage bags.. If you keep enough wood in it for one fire and seal it,, the black should absorb the heat/sun and help dry the wood.... Right ?????
congrats on the fires
Mark

Really? Seems like any moisture in the bag would be sealed in. I admit, the bag would heat up, but it would just be sopping wet when I opened it...I think. It's an idea worth considering.

[bbell]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Here's their actual retail outlet location: Find Us

[bbell]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Keb, Pacific Food Importers (PFI) carries the 50lb bags of caputo as well as selling it by the pound. Great source for all things Italian. Fresh mozzarella as well. https://www.pacificfoodimporters.com/

Also, I found it helpful to start the fire at the very front of the oven where there's more air and once it starts blazing, slowly push it to the center.

Great build.

Bill

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Hey Keb,
You should try putting some wood in those heavy (contractor) garbage bags.. If you keep enough wood in it for one fire and seal it,, the black should absorb the heat/sun and help dry the wood.... Right ?????
congrats on the fires
Mark

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

My fifth and sixth curing fires. The sixth was the first with "big wood" (heh heh). Dome center temps just barely in the 400Fs. It's all I can do to get the wood to burn. I have to blow on it constantly or it just smolders. Everything is just a little bit damp. Seattle is very humid right now. I leave wood to dry in the oven after it goes to coals and I close it up for the night, but it doesn't matter, it's still just a little bit damp the next evening.

I will have to try the electric heater trick (or storing wood indoors).

Started sourcing foodstuffs. San Marzanos are easy, Caputo 00 less so. I found a source of 5lb bags for around $5 and 50lb bags for $33 (Merlino's, a restaurant supply store who also had 3kg cans of San Marzanos), but quite a bit further away and only open work hours (MF 8-4 or something to that effect). I saw a reference to the same place selling the 50lb bags for $15, but it was obviously desperately out of date. I don't know if it's worth the $17 savings to drive $3 more gas plus wedging it around my work schedule.

How far will a 5lb bag go?

Starting to think really hard about a door design. I'll need it very soon if I'm going to do any bread with the the later curing fires (or post-pizza fires).

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Will the SBC definitely adhere to (and support itself up) a vertical 20" hardibacker wall? It won't "fall away" from the hardibacker or fold/buckle/collapse like a ribbon under its own weight? Should I wrap the walls in expanded diamond lathe first?

Hey Keb,
you can see in the pic my oven before I used the SBC on the dome, But the walls are 4 blocks high and have the first coat of SBC on them.. It's really like Icing a cake..... I pnly had a problem with one batch that I made too soupy, but I just let it sit for about 20 minutes and it was fine... and yes I did apply it directly to the cinderblock without any lath..

Good Luck
Mark

[Tscarborough]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Surface Bonding Cement. It is formulated to create code compliant walls from loose stacked CMU. It will do just fine on the Hardi. If you vermicrete is reall loose, you may want to do 2 coats on those areas, with the first being very loose (wet).