Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

[SCChris]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

I think at 800 you're there. Time at temperature is a plus, remember that just because the interior temp is X degrees the dome is far from saturated. My feeling is holding the temps for extended periods keeps the water moving out of the oven much better than going to temp and backing off.

JMO

Enjoy your oven!

Sincerly

Chris

[V-wiz]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

Thanks for the help guys, really appreciate the feed back, i was able to hit 700f today, but no too long, once it hit that mark i let it go down by itself, by not adding more wood, when it got to 700 i was up by the dome, and heard it crack some more, the cracks running from the bottom to 2/3 up. No smoke coming out, i feel like every firing or every 100f up the oven expand even more, which in return causes cracks.


The next step is 800f , is 800 still considered curing? Or is that the scary fire? You guys speak of. As soon as im done curing ill insulate and stucco the dome.

[stonecutter]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

V, relax, man.

A fire raging off to the side is the same as one in the center. I thought SC gave some good advice and went with all the prior recommendations. That is, it will take a little time to bring the oven to even temps ( read: slow and steady) and move your fire around. 700*-900* is the same whether the fire starts in the middle or the side.

Have a beer and cook something...you are ahead of me with the curing process.....I'm only two days in

[SCChris]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

I feel the heat stress problem is amplified by the presence of moisture in the oven structure. This isn't to say that differences can't be an issue but that where you have water holding the temperatures in one area down and a dry area where the temperature is free to rise you have a greater potential for stress cracks. If you have concerns about uneven heating, take your time to get to temp. Rather than 2 - 3 hours build a smaller fire and take 4 hours. Right now your oven is still in curing mode and it will continue to dry certainly through 10 solid burns and maybe more. Part of this breaking in period is also the drying of the supporting concrete slab and this drying doesn't relate to stress in the oven but it does relate to how long your oven holds the heat.

On a separate note, are you related to the LA bread baking group? I see they are bringing a group member's oven live this weekend.

Chris

[V-wiz]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

I don't. I figure the airflow is better sweeping around then straight in.

Cyclonic is what I imagine..

Chris

Got it. Thanks man. However that stiff is the same point i was trying to make, or ask, you are centralizing your heat mostly to that one side, then moving the heat over, or adding it over to the rest of the sides. So since you have your heat focused in that one area doesnt this stress the dome? Having one area 700F VS the other areas being 450F. For example.

[SCChris]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

I don't. I figure the airflow is better sweeping around then straight in.

Cyclonic is what I imagine..

Chris

[V-wiz]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

I start 2-3 hours ahead of pizza and unless I make a mess or the deck gets too cool, my fire stays around the exterior wall. I start the fire on either the left or right and move the burn to the other side. When I say move the fire I really just add wood to the side that I'm moving toward..

Does this help?

Chris

So you dont start your fire in the center? contrary to how other start the fire?

Thanks Chris.

[SCChris]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

I start 2-3 hours ahead of pizza and unless I make a mess or the deck gets too cool, my fire stays around the exterior wall. I start the fire on either the left or right and move the burn to the other side. When I say move the fire I really just add wood to the side that I'm moving toward..

Does this help?

Chris

[V-wiz]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

V-wiz,
For Pizza I like a 725 to 750F deck and my pizzas take a couple of minutes. When I'm cooking pizza I keep a good fire running, not large, not small and when the fire burns down I add a log. I like to saturate the oven so I burn for 2 - 3 hours but could cook pizza at 1.5 hours. Once I'm done with the pizza I put a couple of sticks on the fire to push a bit more heat into the bricks and then shut the door. Cracks are normal and as long as they're not structural, you're OK. Yours look fine at the stage you're at.

Chris

PS.. I often raise the almost done pizza up in the dome to finish the pizza cooking.

Thanks Chris, i appreciate your feed back, however that doesn't answer my question, i was referring to when you guys heat up the oven and the fire/flames are centralized in the center.

[SCChris]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

V-wiz,
For Pizza I like a 725 to 750F deck and my pizzas take a couple of minutes. When I'm cooking pizza I keep a good fire running, not large, not small and when the fire burns down I add a log. I like to saturate the oven so I burn for 2 - 3 hours but could cook pizza at 1.5 hours. Once I'm done with the pizza I put a couple of sticks on the fire to push a bit more heat into the bricks and then shut the door. Cracks are normal and as long as they're not structural, you're OK. Yours look fine at the stage you're at.

Chris

PS.. I often raise the almost done pizza up in the dome to finish the pizza cooking.

[V-wiz]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

Anyone? i will be firing it up tonight, the advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[V-wiz]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

Also do the cracks look normal for a 600F firing? i also have hair line cracks on the inside wall. Is this normal? i know its okay but is it normal? i guess it is as the oven expands from the great deal of heat? Thanks

[V-wiz]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

My next firing will be 700F, is 800F the finishing cure fire? or is that considered the "Scary" fire?

WHen you guys make a fire for pizza, you build a huge fire in the center, then when they are down to coals you spread them to the side right, now because you have this huge/scary fire in the center, doesn't this heat up the top of the dome quicker and much more hotter than the rest of the dome, if so doesn't this mean that it could cause the dome to crack because one area heats up alot quicker than the other areas? am i understanding this correctly?

[stonecutter]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

Started curing mine today.

[V-wiz]

Re: Steady good heat without the large flames. How?

600 F cure firing





and the cracks thus far.