curing clay in a freeze

[brian morris]

I ambitiously took on a cob oven project a little late in the year, and got behind some.
I recently got a cob layer applied, which will go under the firebricks, with insulation around it.
The clay is obviously still drying, yet it's set freeze in the evenings in about three days. ~28 degrees, for a few nights anyway.
Is this no big deal, or should I be worried?

Also, should I simply wait for Spring to finish the rest, or wait for a "warm" (no freezing at night) spell and knock the rest out?
Thanks in advance!

[Gulf]

Hi Brian,

Welcome to the forum. Imo, you should keep the clay from freezing until it is dry. A simple tarp placed over the build is usually enough this far South. Place some type of spacer inside to keep the tarp from touching the clay. That will give it some air circulation and act as a dead air space for insulation. That will protect it from freezing on all but the worst days in the deep south. For those extreme dips in temp, you can place a drop light inside.

I built my oven over the winter. Mine was brick and mortar, but the same rules apply for all water based materials. An "easy up tent" cover is also what a lot of us use to protect the build from rain water from getting to the insulation. I'm not familiar with what type of insulation is used under a cob oven, but I'm sure that it doesn't need to get soaked.