Curing strategy

[RCLake]

Re: Curing strategy

Lake, am I right in thinking you're the first forum member to try this new curing technique? I think that should be worth a BOTM nomination, too...

Nah, I'm just a guina pig. I do enjoy having the fire going all day, I wouldn't have enjoyed the old method at all.
It's starting to rain, so no fire today.

[Acoma]

Re: Curing strategy

Frances, are you running for some political office? Sounds like you are throwing BOM slips like they are candy Hey, I made mac and cheese last night, can we nominate it? Kidding Frances.

[Frances]

Re: Curing strategy

Lake, am I right in thinking you're the first forum member to try this new curing technique? I think that should be worth a BOTM nomination, too...

[RTflorida]

Re: Curing strategy

I did my curring fires under the old formula - 200,300,400 and so on for 7 days; only just reaching those temps, then letting the fires burn out. I used my IR and only measured dome surface temps. After the first couple of fires I sort of deviated and made the fires more spread out on the hearth after noticing only the dome peak was getting near the desired temp. I think the new formula should be a much more thorough process.

RT

[RCLake]

Re: Curing strategy

Great. So we do 10 hour burns at a maintained temp. RC, get some beers and have fun. Don't forget some food to cook in there.

Way ahead of you on that one. Every time I add a log or adjust the logs and the flame starts the dome gets in the low 400s but mostly I'm at 375. I haven't used nearly as much wood as yesterday.

[Acoma]

Re: Curing strategy

Great. So we do 10 hour burns at a maintained temp. RC, get some beers and have fun. Don't forget some food to cook in there.

[james]

Re: Curing strategy

RC,

I think you are within the right zone. You will always get different temperatures at this stage, with the fire hitting the top of the dome; the back hotter than near the opening, etc. Just keep it there for as long as you can today, and again tomorrow.

10+ hours if possible, then close the door when you are done for the evening.
James

[Acoma]

Re: Curing strategy

If RC has different location readings, should he go to the highest reading, then be sure that spot througout curing does not exceed that days requirement? He has one spot at 400 but should be at 350. Does this mean he is exceeding the oven temp?

I would then look at all temps, find the highest temp point, then use that as my guide for curing. Is this correct James?

[RCLake]

Re: Curing strategy

I checked my oven thermeter in our kitchen oven and it's reading correctly. I have it in the WFO, close to the front entry and it reads about 150. The IR gun has the floor and the back wall about 225 and the dome about 350-400. 350 is the goal for day 2 so I've decided the dome temp will be my control point. I really don't want to overfire it this soon, however if the target is let's say the back wall, then I may have to extend the number of days.

[james]

Re: Curing strategy

Do you remember Ghostbusters? Don't cross the beams. That would be bad. :-)
James

[james]

Re: Curing strategy

Either air temperature inside the oven, or the average temperature of the inside of the dome. You can test it with your hand or an infrared thermometer.

It is definitely not the temperature of your thermocouples, as those are set deeper in your dome and/or floor -- and if the thermocouple hits 350?F, the inside of your oven will be a lot hotter than that; which would be bad.

It's really important to be patient and not go too hot inside the oven. Very important.

James

[Acoma]

Re: Curing strategy

RC, I was wondering that too. Are we to do the curing temps, gauged on air temp within the oven? I would think so based on the concept of ovens built before without the ideas of thermocouples. Hopefully James, DMUN, RT, Ken, or others with a clear answer will tell us.

[RCLake]

Re: Curing strategy

RC, this would likely be air temp. The goal is to have heat dry out moisture from first point of contact, which is internal face. Then the moisture is driven out with increased temps, which is deeper within the brick, and backside of it, as well as the cladding. This goal is to slowly drive out, and dry out the moisture. If you go to high at first, the brick and morter crack due to moisture present. Make sense?

The concept makes sense and I understand the concept but I'm still confused about what temperature to be measuring. Day two and my floor is 250-300, dome 400+ but air at 160(could be a bad gauge, I'll put it in the oven to check later today).

So I'm shooting to have the dome 350-400 for today.

[david s]

Re: Curing strategy

I use one of those gas rings with a long braided metal hose attached to a 9Kg LPG gas bottle, set it at 1/2 throttle and let it burn all night. It doesn't go over 200 C which is safe. We use the procedure to dry out clay work in our kiln prior to biscuit firing to avoid steam explosions. Gas flame is the best for eliminating water. I then light a wood fire and keep it gentle by using heat beads. Build up slowly until all the damp patches on the outside stucco are gone then build up to 400 C. Hope this helps.

[Frances]

Re: Curing strategy

After spending so much time building the oven, I found the most difficult bit about curing was just lighting a small fire, letting it go out, and not doing anything else with the oven for the rest of the day...

So from that point of view, messing around with a small fire all day long would have been great! So I'd definitely give it try if was doing it over...