New guy lurking about

[PaulMc]

Hello to all, new to the forum and wood burning ovens. At this point all I have is an idea that I want to add an oven to my back yard. So I'm in the dreaming stage and will be searching the forum and reading all I can to start planning what I hope will be an awsome project and addition to our home.

[SableSprings]

Re: New guy lurking about

Welcome Paul! This is certainly the best place to turn your WFO dreams into reality. One of the best summaries of help and info is in the newbie forum...take some time to go through it all, it's a terrific resource for you and well worth your time! (here's the link to it)

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/newbie-s-survey-forno-bravo-treasures-15133.html

From my perspective there are several things to consider in planning for your oven: (I know there are more, but these turned out to be major points for my build...)

1) Access to kitchen is important. You'll be making lots of trips back & forth.

2) Wood storage means more than just a having little stack underneath the oven. Think about where to put a cord or more of wood...woodshed maybe?

3) Give yourself plenty of flat surface area attached or near the oven.

4) You will need to have plenty of space around the oven for working the oven when the crowd gathers for pizza (which is inevitable).

5) Make sure you have some sort of cover, so you can work the oven if it rains or the sun's beating down hard (and keep food from getting soggy or dried out before or after its turn in the oven).

6) Think about what and how much you will be cooking in the oven...oven shapes, sizes, and openings really matter, i.e. (How many pizzas do you want to be able to have going at one time? If you plan on baking anything with residual/stored heat--bread or roasting meats, you want to make sure you have plenty of hearth space and oven insulation. Will your roaster fit into the oven opening with a turkey in it?)

7) Plan on putting a lot of time & energy into the project if you're going to build it yourself...the kits offered by Forno Bravo are well worth the money and ultimately are a great value if you are short on time or don't trust your ability to tackle a build that involves cutting & mortaring bricks.

Keep posting & spend lots of time looking at the photo albums of builds...lots of great ideas, help, and experience available here!

[PaulMc]

Re: New guy lurking about

Thanks, Great information. I will definitely be doing a lot of reading.

[jeeppiper]

Re: New guy lurking about

Paul,
Welcome! I really envy you. Building an oven is journey. The way I see it, there are 3 phases to a WFO.

Phase I - Planning & Research
Phase II - Construction
Phase III - Cooking

Each phase is memorable. I spent many months researching and planning....eventually, I hit a point where I thought had considered as much as humanly possible....then it was time to take the plunge and begin construction. It took me about 9 months, never lost my motivation. I had a vision of cooking that first pizza. Once completed, it was time for that first pizza....and what a disaster that pizza was! But we were proud of it and ate it anyway, eventhough it was mangled and covered with ashes.

The third phase, Cooking, is without bounds. Developing your technique for pizzas is but one tiny part. Exploring what you can cook and how you can cook in your oven never ends. A WFO brings a neighborhood together. It is a gathering point for family and friends.....

Like I said, I really envy you and what lies ahead for you.

[PaulMc]

Re: New guy lurking about

Thanks I agree with everything you said the best part is becoming a gathering place for family and friends.