Starting your fire

[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!

[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.

[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

[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).

[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

[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...

[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.

[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

[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.

[Frances]

Re: Starting your fire

Hey Jeff, you're back from the wild! With free wood no less, you lucky luddite!

SwissBrit? Now who on earth could that be ???

[blacknoir]

Re: Starting your fire

I tried top down a couple times tonight with no luck.. it seemed like there just wasn't enough oxygen in the oven to keep the paper knots burning let alone start the kindling beneath it.

What did work was the blow torch method! I held that on the lower pieces for a bit and soon enough I had a fire going.

I haven't given up though with the top down method. I'm going to get a better axe tomorrow so I can cut up some smaller kindling to put on the top of the pile and give it another go. I'm curious though where you guys build the fire when you do this. In the middle of the oven, in the entry or in between?

-Shay

[Les]

Re: Starting your fire

I tried top down a couple times tonight with no luck.. it seemed like there just wasn't enough oxygen in the oven to keep the paper knots burning let alone start the kindling beneath it.

Shay, you may have it backwards. I will NEVER start a fire the old way. You put the big stuff on the bottom and increment up to the kindling on top. After the first course, I crumple up a couple of sheets of newspaper. Stack a couple of more rows of wood and do the same. At the end, I top it w/ kindling and the puppy takes off like no other. The great thing about it is you can walk away for 1/2 to an hour without looking back - gives you some time to address the real work.

Les...

[blacknoir]

Re: Starting your fire

wait, so it's like a multi-layer sandwich with a couple sheets of paper in between? ie.

kindling - this is the top
paper
small wood
paper
medium wood
paper
large wood - bottom

I thought top down just had paper on the very top?

[Les]

Re: Starting your fire

Works for me - James has a video posted somewhere. I think he didn't even add more wood to get to temp. I'm not there yet...


Les...

[blacknoir]

Re: Starting your fire

I actually just watched it and was going to post the link.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f41/...ideo-5294.html