How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

[DimTex]

About how long should I count on it taking to get my oven to the right temperature for cooking pizza? I am using dry oak so I know I can get the fire hot, just wondering how long I should count on it taking?

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

Hi Dim,
There are many variables,,, based just upon oven alone, But to that I say It usually takes me anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half....

Mark

[DimTex]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

Do folks start their fires in the front, center or rear of their oven? Also, when should you move the wood and coals towards the rear to make room for the pies? Finally where do you take your temperature measurement with a infrared thermometer?

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

I build my fire in the center, I also keep two fire bricks on the side of the oven, as the dome heats up and I add more wood, I put it on the two fire bricks on the side, It burns better when its not sitting in a pile of embers.. It also keeps the dome charged with heat, I brush everything to the side about 15 minutes before i plan to put in a pizza, lets the floor temp balance out and often cool down if it is too hot..

I brush off the floor with my brass brush, then i have a 5 foot, 1/4 inch copper tube flattened on the end, I blow thru it to move any of the residual ash out of the way..

Good Luck And Enjoy
Mark

P.S. There are a tone of youtube videos about cooking and lighting a WFO

[DimTex]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

Thanks, and I will look at the YouTube videos

[texassourdough]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

I fire hard and fast using juniper and my oven is usually clear in 45 minutes to an hour max. I usually switch to oak for pizza but it really isn't necessary. I basically load the entire oven and I push it toward the back over the first half hour or so and pull coals forward to keep loading the hearth. I use larger logs on the side to serve as supports. When cooking I have an iron andiron to hold the logs off the hearth so they burn better.

[thebadger]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

I think it depends on how dry your wood is. I "allow" 2 hours but I would say 1-1/2 hours...

Even after 1 1/2 years I still like to heat it up slow.

Dick

[RTflorida]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

Several variables - hearth and dome thickness, amount of insulation, size of oven (smaller will heat faster), type of wood, wodd moisture content and the size of your fires.

I'm with texas on this one.....fast and furious, I can get my oven white in just under an hr, then let it stabilize for about 10-15 minutes.

I start my fires using the "top down method", almost under the flue - but just inside the dome a little. This heats up the flue faster and gets the draw process going...once the small stuff really gets going I begin to throw more wood on and increase the log size with each added log - to 3"-4" max. when it starts to get "scary" I push the fire to the middle, toss in my FB log iron, and proceed to build a truly scary fire ("plasma effect" as CJ would call it).

RT

[Breven]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

I don't know about everyone else, but I haven't used my laser thermometer since the first few fires. I noticed that the entire dome gets covered in black soot...the soot starts to burn off starting at the center of the dome and working its way down the walls. As soon as the soot is gone...the oven floor is about 900 degrees. I push the fire to one side, brush the floor, then give it a quick wipe with a damp cloth wrapped around the end of the ash dragging tool that comes with the little ash shovel- and we're ready to cook. No thermometer needed. I also use dry oak, start right in the center. Go big...real big if you want to heat it in an hour.

[Aldream]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

Thank you Breven for the tips.

[BurntFingers]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

I have found similar to Breven's suggestion that once the soot is burnt off everything is ready. In my oven I lay out wood in a single layer all around the hearth and build a rick of wood in the center which I light. The perimeter wood catches on from the extreme heat and creates a ring of fire around the center fire. I brush it with the brass pizza brush. Then throw in some flour to see it turn brown or black depending on the heat. I close the outside door that lets air in and smoke out the chimney to keep the fire going for pizza. If it is bread, I let the fire die down and brush the coals out with a garden hoe I use only for the oven. Then wire brush, long brush, mop out with wet mop and then close the inner door. That door prevents any air or heat escaping out the chimney. Let the oven rest and stabilize. Then bake.

[Neil2]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

I start slow. A small "campfire" sized fire in the front for about 1/2 hour. I then push this to the middle and load it up for the main burn. This burns down to coals in about 45 min, I then push this to the back and start cooking.

[scottz]

Re: How Long To Reach The Right Temperature?

Hi Guys,
I have a refactory dome oven and I find that it takes around 45 to 60 mins to heat to pizza hot levels depending on the type of wood I use. Living in on the west side of Australia, I find the best wood to use is a hard wood called Jarrah. I burns hot and kicks the temp right up!! A friend of mine cut down a number of trees on his block and gave me a trailer load. This wood is call Bankshia and although it give great smoke and taste to the food, because it is very dry and soft...it take longer to get hot. I found it hard to start with to work the temp out...but you find after a bit you get to know your oven...i didnt believe that at first...but its true!! I start with the fire in the centre and when the carbon is burnt off i move it to the side and watch in delight as the flame licks the roof and around to the other side!!