Starting your fire

[jeff]

Re: Starting your fire

Ok ok.
I'm home for a bit, (shutup SwissBrit, you vixen you) .
Still love you mob, and all that you stand for.
And I see you silly buggers still worry about burning gum trees (aka Eucalypts).
Seriously, I'm surprised some have had problems. I do remember a post on this forum from way back, and offered to trace the species. To my experience, none smell bad, some burn real good, and some just sulk and turn into charcoal. (Oh, I just love wood that charcoals: bit of a kick start next AM, and when The Dog forgives me for the preceeding evening, all is good). Open the vents, put on the billy for coffee, and away we go. Bacon, tomato and eggs to follow.

We live in the bush. Dunno what you mob call it. Anyway, this mob (nice fellers, eh) came in to clear the regrowth under the powerlines. I've stacked an estimated 27 oven burns. 20 hours labour(maybe, plus 2L fuel.)
Strewth, a bloke is indeed lucky.
You lot stay safe eh.
Jeff.

[FigliodiMariaeGiovanni]

Re: Starting your fire

jp.... that's an inspirational link....I will try that!

Top down


Oh I must have missed this, GLAD that I found it!

Thanks JP and Xabia

[FigliodiMariaeGiovanni]

Re: Starting your fire

Try dynamite - it'll get the fire started quicker... and give you a great excuse to build a new oven after you get out of jail....

I'm a bit late but thanks for the belly laugh! LMAO
Thanks for all of the info on this forum!
But now I am scared that I don't know enough [like JP does] to start an oven.
I have a dream of opening a WFO eatery someday. But what will it take to keep enough wood on hand, not to mention starting.

[Mitchamus]

Re: Starting your fire

I wonder what species they exported to USA.

Probably one with the highest commercial oil yield... which could account for the taste...

although It could be though that we just can't taste it anymore.. we are soaking up the oil from the air every day...

The first time I noticed the constant smell of eucalyptus was when I got home after a 3 month overseas holiday, as soon as I walked out of sydney airport...

[Mitchamus]

Re: Starting your fire

I am rather impatient...and have found that my leaf blower tends to angry up the flames quite well...

plus it sounds like there is a balrog trapped in there somewhere

[mmmhumous]

Re: Starting your fire

Been using the old wigwam method with cardboard at the centre and mainly sycamore wood. Been lighting it with my chef's blowtorch, doesn't quite have the "holy crap" factor, but it seems to work ok.

I quite like the smell of burning eucalyptus (been chucking trimmings in during my curing fires along with some lavender and rosemary).

[bluetung]

Re: Starting your fire

I use a combination of firelighters and newspaper, in a smallish cardboard box, with pine kindling on top with some bigger pine, start the fire at the front of the oven and then before the box burns push it to the back of the oven and add some more wood

[david s]

Re: Starting your fire

Jeff,

We use Eucalyptus all the time. Fallen branches that are easy to break and quick to burn. Never had a problem with bad taste. I wonder what species they exported to USA.

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Starting your fire

I just came across this great plug for the top down burn.

Top down


Pat

jp.... that's an inspirational link....I will try that!

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Starting your fire

There's an illustration of a top down burn setup at the bottom of page 3 of this document, called the Council Campfire Fire Lay. The Boy Scouts renamed a very old world method of fire building.

http://www.mbcenter.org/pub/pdf/notes_firebuilding.pdf

Not a bad document George...interesting it's from the Phillipines

[david s]

Re: Starting your fire

Thanks for the top down info. Must try it. I find a little garden flare oil is helpful for starting as is a length of copper pipe that you can blow a blast of air exactly where you want. Also use it to blow the ash away from your cooking area.

[jpmanley]

Re: Starting your fire

I just came across this great plug for the top down burn.

Top down


Pat

[gjbingham]

Re: Starting your fire

There's an illustration of a top down burn setup at the bottom of page 3 of this document, called the Council Campfire Fire Lay. The Boy Scouts renamed a very old world method of fire building.

http://www.mbcenter.org/pub/pdf/notes_firebuilding.pdf

[Dutchoven]

Re: Starting your fire

I think I will be firing today...plan on trying the top down burn and I will try to post some pics
Dutch

[talisker63]

Re: Starting your fire

What about someone posts a picture of the stack for the top down burn?
Before they light it and some progressive shots as it ignites?

Please?