Started, sort of

[pjk]

Hi All,

Well I've sort of started the oven project. As mentioned in my intro a few weeks ago, I bought a heap of firebicks, mortar, insulating boards and blankets, etc.. I'm still planning, what I'll finally build, and have been enjoying all the info I'm collecting on this great site. I know that I should have planned first, and then bought, but I always figured it will all get used somewhere.

Anyway, I've laid a base pad, decided it was too small and have since put a couple of extra footers either side. Yep, ass about again, but all fun.

Thanks to this site I also read about the one hour oven, and so I decided that I'd use a few (about 180) of the solid reds that I'd collected and put one together. Figured it would be good to have it around while I build the taj. I've fired it up a couple of times and it works great, so I can only imagine what a real one will be like. Cooked a few pizzas at asbout two minutes each, and have done a few trays of ribs, lamb cutlets, and a pork roast. Bloody fantastic.

A couple of pictures attached, maybe, I'm not sure it's going to work. One of the construction zone, one of the one hour oven firing up (forgot food picture), and one of the local wildlife that got too close to the house and young children.

Should have plans worked out in the next week or so I think. I'll keep reading and learning.

Cheers,
Peter

[christo]

Re: Started, sort of

Looks like you are off ot a great start!

1. Trial oven
2. Finished the pad and had a beer
3. and it looks like you've put a lawyer out of his misery

Have fun!

Christo

[mastergene]

Re: Started, sort of

i hope its not a mamba! They dont like pizza I hear!

[dusty]

Re: Started, sort of

Let the fun begin! Looks like a perfect setting for your project.
I'm glad I didn't hear of the "one hour oven" before I started. I would be tempted to call it good.
Dusty

[asudavew]

Re: Started, sort of

Let the fun begin! Looks like a perfect setting for your project.
I'm glad I didn't hear of the "one hour oven" before I started. I would be tempted to call it good.
Dusty

Then how would you cook the whole pig?


Peter, it is good to see you have started.

How well does that one hour oven work?

[dusty]

Re: Started, sort of

Might have to take an extra hour and rebuild it around the critter.
dusty

[Acoma]

Re: Started, sort of

Dave, the pig would be the one hour rotisserie.
Peter, you dog. To have so much land, and snakes to cook. It is great to see that you have realized early how important each step is, with each one building on the last.

[pjk]

Re: Started, sort of

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the feedback.

Christo, read me like a book.

Mastergene, no, not a mamba, just an aussie copperhead, about #4 in australian most venomous and #11 in the world. Bloody pain in the backside, a couple every year, and they give me the creaps.

Dusty, yep I have a great setting, and want to make a nice area next to the house once I get it all done. Big granite boulders up the back of the block, I'll catch one in an update photo at some stage.

Asudavew, the one hour oven works pretty good, but obviuously doesn't hold heat for a long time without any mortar. I just double skinned it, offset stacking solid reds. I put a gauge in it, and it topped out over the 550F that the guage goes up to, but then it cools pretty quick back down below 300F once the fire dies down and you start cooking. Good for 3 or 4 small pizzas at 2 - 4 minutes each, and then sit a couple of trays of meat for 45 mins or so. Taste is great. I'm having a bit of a cook in it next weekend, so will try to remember to take a couple more photos. It makes you pretty excited about how a real one will work, espeacially if you are using firebricks. Having said that, I could see that a well constructed oven using only solid reds, heat mortar, and good insulation would also do a good job for the casual home cook.

Acoma, feel free to come and get a few snakes, plenty about. Prefer a bit of kangaroo myself.

Cheers,
peter.

[Mark CH]

Re: Started, sort of

G'day Peter,

I realised you were an Aussie when I read the quote "...Bloody fantastic"! I look forward to seeing your progress. BTW where did you get your bricks 'n stuff from and how much? I'm still in the planning stages but would be keen to get some pointers.
Cheerio,
Mark

[Bacterium]

Re: Started, sort of

Peter.....how about skewered snake in the 1 hour oven.....
seriously though the 1 hour oven is a top idea to get you motivated

Keyneton is a nice spot....I own at the Bushland resort.....will be watching for those characters next time......we just mainly get the brown snakes here....the buggers even show up in the river.

[pjk]

Re: Started, sort of

Mark,

I've sent you a few details in a PM on what I got. Hope it helps you, let me know if you need any other info.

Damon,

I'm just up the road from Bushland near the golf course. Let me know next time you're up this way, your're welcome to come and check progress and/or for a cook up. Leave the browns at home though, they're a bit quicker than the coppers'.

Cheers guys,
Peter.

[Acoma]

Re: Started, sort of

Peter, let him bring one up in a cage and see which one wins. Good entertainment? Pizza, beer and snake fight.

[Bacterium]

Re: Started, sort of

thanks Peter.....not sure when we are over there next as just been away to Mildura a few months ago........but will have to do it though ......

[mr g]

Re: Started, sort of

Hi Mark CH, (and Peter who started this thread - love the oven)there is a bloke in Eaglemont that sells second hand firebricks - don't buy them all because I haven't picked up mine yet !!
I think he also sells out of Cranbourne if thats any help.

I'll be going in the next couple of weeks to get mine so I can keep you posted on the condition of the bricks.

I found him in the Trading Post online. Search for firebricks. He is a potter by trade but seems to know a fair bit about ovens/kilns etc - he even has some oven plans that he's trying to flog but this site is way better for that. In fact he is the one that started me thinking that a simple lime mortar mix should be able to do the job rather than all those other types that are being suggested here and elsewhere. Although that's another can of worms - can't seem to get a straight answer on that.

My father who was born and bred in Italy insists that Lime/Local sand that they could scrounge and field stones was all they used and they lasted for decades being used daily. Although their ovens wouldn't have experienced the heating/cooling cycles that a typical one here would.

As for things like vermiculite just do a search on the net for "vermiculite Melbourne" and a few sites should pop up. I can give you specific details if you like.