Cold WFO steam injection test

[stonecutter]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

I'd pay $4 or $5 for that any day.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

I'll take either ones any time. I'm still trying to dial in pizza.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

I still think the steam injection needs a bit of tweaking. I had one loaf that appeared to be short on steam. I'm thinking a center of the oven loaf. I will look for that next time. In the video you can see the swirling so I think the center of the oven has a bit of eye of the hurricane effect. So perhaps a second pipe or the direction it's pointing...I'll work on that.

[SCChris]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Wow. The difference is parallel to what I saw when I picked up Tartine and started using a cloche. Being able to get these results in a Pompeii... Wow.

Chris

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Bread with steam. I will be the first to say that my hand feel was a bit off on this bake. It has been a while since my last bake so the first run is always a bit off.

This loaf took a bit of a roll because it set too close to another loaf. But over all I like the improvement from loaves in the past.

The last picture is an example of no steam (and other issues) a good bread eye can clearly see the huge difference.

[SCChris]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Thank you for taking on the steamy subject. I'm really looking forward to seeing the results..

Chris

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

I got to play with the steam injection with a real load of bread. I must say I am impressed. I cranked up the heat and was running at 10psi. For about 2 minutes before loading the oven I pre-steamed and steamed through the loading process. Once loaded I ran full steam for another 5 minutes.

I will post some pictures later. Working on some oatmeal raisin bread today.

Last nights bake was another memorable one. I failed to sleep the night before so I got the bread started late so it was close to midnight when the bread went in. As we were taking the dough to the oven the stars were out. Within minutes a summer storm formed over my oven. Once the bread was in the oven the sky opened up we had driving rain, wind, lightning and thunder. I was hoping the storm would pass by the time the bread was done, but that was not the case. I have a large cover over the oven but with the wind we were still getting damp and this blowing mist would not be good for fresh bread. We ended up pulling the bread out of the oven and putting it on the cooling rack then shoving it in the storage area under he oven the only dry place available.

[fragarcolin]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Let's see if I can figure out the video thing.

I just tested the steam injection system on the wfo. I did the test on a cold oven just to watch the steam and flow. In a hot oven the sound disappears and you can't see the steam cloud so it's hard to tell what's going on. In the video the steam is running at 8 psi. I think I would be able to increase the pressure but that will take more testing.

Next will be testing with a load of bread.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Vixcv7pSs&feature=youtu.be

I saw this video and it sounds good...

[mrchipster]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Faith, taking us to new and innovative heights with every post!

We bow to your ingenuity.

Chip

[SCChris]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Well hot damn! That is very cool!! A Pompeii steamer. I can't wait to see the baking results.

Thanks

Chris

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Most of my bread is proofed in a couche so that does rob some moisture. I have a proofer that has humidity control so I can get it quite moist in the cabinet. When I score the loaf I don't get any sense of drying or skin because the loaf stays in the couche until the last second before it hits the peal.

I do know that by the time the last loaf goes into the oven the first loaf has sprung and the crust is starting to brown. So those loaves do not get any benefit of steam due to a full oven load.

I also see a benefit of the steam injection for the things that don't have the large dough mass that bread does such as pastries and croissants.

This also has me thinking my next oven will have a lower ceiling so that the steam generated will have less cubic feet of air space to get lost in.

[texassourdough]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Hi Faith!

Looks good and straightforward.

One of the challenges that differs somewhat for each of us is the general humidity level where we are. Here in central Texas it is fairly dry and I have to be pretty careful to avoid excessively drying the skin of my loaves during proofing and especially when loading a bunch of loaves into the WFO - it can only take seconds. One of the great pleasures of my class at SFBI was having the ambient humidity high enough that the skin did not dry quickly, the skin stayed flexible, the steam hit hard in the injection oven, and loaves were wonderful.

I suspect you are a somewhat high humidity area most of the time so I would think you will not have to be very concerned about drying the skin, but if you sense any dryness or stiffness to the skin of the loaves when loading you might want to seek to find a way to keep them moister during proofing/loading. Probably not necessary but for me the loaves that are a tad dry show signs when they bake...

Really looking forward to the results!
Jay

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Well what I found... even with a full oven ... it's the time it takes to load the first loaf to the last, the first loaf's crust is almost set. I started to pay attention to my ugly loaf's and they were the first in the oven. So I'm thinking that if I can blast steam while loading I can counter some of that effect.

I also can use it for smaller batches to give that good crust.

The gauge tells you the actual pressure with in the pot. The rattler is the round thing on top of the valve with 5- 10-15 printed on it. With a pressure caner that rattler will go tink, tink, tink, tink, when the pot gets up to the selected pressure of the rattler ( it acts like a pressure regulator) if your tinks get real quick your getting over your desired pressure and that you adjust with the amount of flame under the pot.

So when I turn off the valve to the oven the steam goes back to the rattler and that regulates the pressure between uses.

If all goes to hell, there is a large safety plug that will pop out around 18 psi and release all pressure in the pot.

[Laurentius]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

Faith,

You know that the more you fill your oven the lease you will need this, its great for 1 to 6 loaves.

[Laurentius]

Re: Cold WFO steam injection test

LOL. it's a small hole and besides you purposely put a big hole in your oven. You know the hole that you put the door in.

I did run the tube through the door on the first test...but it was a real pain in the butt.

Heheheheheehh, but did I have a chose on that one.