How come?

[RCP]

Perhaps a silly question but I am new so forgive me. How come you can't use lump charcoal in a wood oven? I use it in my Primo ceramic grill.

Thanks

[GarnerAC]

Re: How come?

Yeah! Why not???

[Les]

Re: How come?

Perhaps a silly question but I am new so forgive me. How come you can't use lump charcoal in a wood oven? I use it in my Primo ceramic grill.

Thanks

You would have to build a lump charcoal oven. The good news is that they are exactly like the ones you will find on this site...

[boerwarrior]

Re: How come?

I think that at least one problem is that charcoal burns at a much higher temperature than wood. Charcoal can easily burn at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and can produce small localized hot spots even higher than that. Those temperatures are going to destroy a brick oven pretty quickly. At least the floor.

One theory says that charcoal was invented by our ancestors to smelt metal - because wood fires could not get hot enough to do that.

[Les]

Re: How come?

I think that at least one problem is that charcoal burns at a much higher temperature than wood.

I believe there have been several people here that have used it. I have a friend that just bought an egg and it has fire brick - he's burning coal. I never tried it because my wood is pretty much free.

[GarnerAC]

Re: How come?

Well maybe so but I can get Royal OAk Lump for about 6.50 a bag and I buy it by the truckload for my BGE so I have it on hand ALWAYS.
I have Live Oak all over the place cut and stacked that I dont like to use in my big BBQ pit anymore. Partial to Post OAk and Pecan. Im going to have to experiment i suppose. Hopefully this Live Oak will work in the WFO because its just gonna sit here. I find it too bitter for my Brisket, Ribs and Yardbird

Soooo what kind of wood do you guys use?

[Les]

Re: How come?

Soooo what kind of wood do you guys use?

I start with pine, it's all over the place. If I'm cooking w/ fire, I migrate to walnut or oak.

[deejayoh]

Re: How come?

Beehive ovens - which are similar to our WFO's - are what were used by the pioneers to MAKE charcoal. Light a big fire in your oven and close the door. You'll have plenty of lump charcoal. I doubt it burns any hotter than wood without the introduction of forced air (e.g., a bellows)

I burn mostly hardwood. Apple, cherry, maple. I'll use Doug Fir or cedar to start my fire - but it pops too much to cook with it. Doubt you get much of either of those down in Texas

[Dino69]

Re: How come?

I used lump charcoal to cure my oven and it worked very well. I was able to control the temperature and the duration, I would let it go for hours at very steady temps, of each burn easily with no ill effects to the oven or the oven floor.

David

[david s]

Re: How come?

Forno Bravo say, or at least they used to, that their warranty would be void if you use charcoal as the fuel. Give them a call or if anyone from FB is moderating, maybe they could chime in. I use brickettes (a brown coal product here in Australia) to cure ovens because it produces virtually no flame which works really well when driving the water out of a new oven.

[GarnerAC]

Re: How come?

Well Im hoping the Live Oak will be good and not too smokey/bitter like it is on my BBQ Pit. I start my Green Egg with a large propane burner which should work well in the WFO as well.

[boerwarrior]

Re: How come?

I use what they call "valley oak" here in California and it works fantastically.

Quercus lobata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I occasionally also used some aged Manzanita - Manzanita has a very pungent smoke but when used in the Pizza oven it is great. Maybe because the temperature is so high?

I think you will be fine as long as the wood is dry