What is wrong??

[Filthymutt]

Re: What is wrong??

Thanks, for that info. the learning process continues

[mrchipster]

Re: What is wrong??

Ok well ignorance is hitting me square in the face once again, guess its time for another reading break.

Chip, your door is on the outside of your outer arch? So your vent is behind the door?

Yes, I use my insulated door at the decorative arch, raised up about .75 inches and it acts as a blast door because most of the combustion air enters the oven under the door.

And you close your door with the fire blazing? Even with a gap, the fire still gets enough air?

If I have a very large fire it will begin to huff and chug, then it is time to take the door off because there tends to be smoke created when it is huffing.

Once I begin to cook pizza or other high temp items the door comes off.

I've been leaving my door open the whole time I'm firing and cooking. Should I be closing it?

Your choice, I think I get my oven hot with less wood this way but it is not scientific just a feeling.

Equalizing ? Why? How? I've just let my fire burn down to coals and never touch it.c

To bake bread or other items without a live fire. I put my insulated door on as soon as i am done cooking with a live fire, i rake out my coals the next day. equalizing is Not an issue when cooking with a live fire

[Filthymutt]

Re: What is wrong??

Ok well ignorance is hitting me square in the face once again, guess its time for another reading break.

Chip, your door is on the outside of your outer arch? So your vent is behind the door?

And you close your door with the fire blazing? Even with a gap, the fire still gets enough air?
I've been leaving my door open the whole time I'm firing and cooking. Should I be closing it?

Equalizing ? Why? How? I've just let my fire burn down to coals and never touch it.

[mrchipster]

Re: What is wrong??

Wow, 8 days ! Amazing!

Can you tell me how hot the floor bricks should be getting optimally ?

Well thus far I have made a rudimentary door cut from a leftover sheet of calcium silicate board. And I left a gap at the bottom for a little air flow. The gap is an inch high/ten wide. The door to sheets thick, so less than an inch. I'm going to remake the door, double thick plus a wooden outer skin. With a thermometer. But what of the gap, necessary ?

Bob

My floor typicaly is about 20- 50 degrees F cooler than my dome after I equalize it.

Insulated door on, coals raked out, wait at least 1 hour to equalize.

I do not have any gap for my insulated door it fits tight. When I am burning I put some brick shims under the door for air and have it placed at the decorative arch. See photo

[mrchipster]

Re: What is wrong??

Hey chipster

That's amazing cooking 8 days after a firing.


No top up firing required.

Not sure i can find anything that will cook at 108F but I guess I could be dehydrating something.

I could be doing some smoking, I guess, but it would need to be something safe like cheese or nuts, I do not think I would want meat in at that temp.

[oasiscdm]

Re: What is wrong??

Hey chipster

That's amazing cooking 8 days after a firing.


No top up firing required.

[boerwarrior]

Re: What is wrong??

My floor bricks right next to the fire get to about 800 degrees. That is too hot to cook pizza on so I push all the coals to the side and normally wait about 30 minutes before cooking. I suspect your oven is still a bit damp which is why the floor is not getting any hotter yet. If you are clearing your dome then the roof and wall temperatures are correct.

Well done! Keep at it - I'm sure you will get your floor temperature up with time.

[Filthymutt]

Re: What is wrong??

It will even get better overtime with a good insulated door. The heart of the fire is not important, the temp of the bricks is, and once you get the oven fully dry you may see even longer heat retention.

Mine is still 106 F today and I cooked twice since I had fire, once for some chicken and once to bake bread, fire was 8 days ago and average ambient has been about 55F - 40's at night and 70's in the daytime.

Wow, 8 days ! Amazing!

Can you tell me how hot the floor bricks should be getting optimally ?

Well thus far I have made a rudimentary door cut from a leftover sheet of calcium silicate board. And I left a gap at the bottom for a little air flow. The gap is an inch high/ten wide. The door to sheets thick, so less than an inch. I'm going to remake the door, double thick plus a wooden outer skin. With a thermometer. But what of the gap, necessary ?

Bob

[mrchipster]

Re: What is wrong??

It will even get better overtime with a good insulated door. The heart of the fire is not important, the temp of the bricks is, and once you get the oven fully dry you may see even longer heat retention.

Mine is still 106 F today and I cooked twice since I had fire, once for some chicken and once to bake bread, fire was 8 days ago and average ambient has been about 55F - 40's at night and 70's in the daytime.

[Filthymutt]

Re: What is wrong??

Success! Finally got hold of Calcium Silicate blanket and went overkill on it with 150 sq.ft. worth. Fired up the oven at least a dozen logs worth. Cleared the dome! But I'm still wondering about temps. The heart of the fire, in the coals is only about 630C (1166F) and my hearth bricks adjacent to the fire top out at 300C (572F).
Is that as high as it should get?
I burned and kept it stoked for four hours. Closed the door on the coals about 9:00pm. This morning made Blueberry muffins in there. Closed the door again and reheated leftover pizza tonight 26 hours after the original firing without a relight. Amazing heat retention.

Bob

[brickie in oz]

Re: What is wrong??

BTW, 3 pieces of wood is weak. Get that sucker going with the fires of hell - flames jumping out the top and the entry (very cool to watch).

Thats the way......

Sounds like the oven is still wet.

[Les]

Re: What is wrong??

Is the heat not spreading because of lack of insulation?

The heat isn't spreading because fire brick is a crapy conductor of heat. You can get the oven incredibly hot without the insulation, it just won't retain the heat. BTW, 3 pieces of wood is weak. Get that sucker going with the fires of hell - flames jumping out the top and the entry (very cool to watch).

[mrchipster]

Re: What is wrong??

Measuring the temp of the coals will always give you a high reading it has nothing to do with the brick.temps,

[Filthymutt]

Re: What is wrong??

Thanks all, Yup, once I get the enclosure done and insulation in (can't get a blanket here gong to fill the enclosure with loose vermiculite) then I will go much hotter.
I was measuring at the coals 625C after 3 pieces of wood.
And was not waiting long enough.
Impatience, is always my downfall

I'll burn today but I won't try going too hot until the insulation is all in.

[deejayoh]

Re: What is wrong??

takes 90-120 minutes for a cured oven to clear. Your new oven will take longer and probably more wood. Just keep stoking the fire. And 3 logs is not many. My 39" takes 4-5 logs going to clear