Wood direction

[Fahad75]

Hello, i have 38 inch round oven. I usually push the coals and wood to the back of the oven to start baking. Yesterday, i put the wood to the left of the oven, i noticed that the dome became black again but the floor is very good for baking but the smoke leaking increased.

Can i put the wood to the right? What is the difference?

Any advice?

Thanks

Fahad

[Aegis]

Re: Wood direction

Hello, i have 38 inch round oven. I usually push the coals and wood to the back of the oven to start baking. Yesterday, i put the wood to the left of the oven, i noticed that the dome became black again but the floor is very good for baking but the smoke leaking increased.

Can i put the wood to the right? What is the difference?

Any advice?

Thanks

Fahad

Hi Fahad,
Your dome blackening is from a lower temp and creosote emmisions from the wood. Doesn't matter where you put the wood in the dome, if the temps lower and the wood is not well seasoned you will get the black pitch on your dome.
As far as where to place the fire, I usually put mine to the left (because I am right handed) it is easier for me to manuveur the pies inside the oven. The back versus side, the side does two things has heat from front to back and allows the fire to side sept the incoming air for combustion. The air gets preheated and circulates nicely throughout the dome. The side fire also allows you to see the side of the food that is nearest the fire for browning charring purposes. When the fire is in back you cannot see the browning taking place and turning the food is guess work. Plus the fire on the side provides light on what your cooking front to back.
Hope this helps!
Enjoy your Oven!
John

[Fahad75]

Re: Wood direction

Thanks Alot Aegis

The proplem is that the wood ovens are not very popular in the country and we live in desert climate (mostly we use gas and diesel ovens) so the wood quality is not that much here.

Thanks

Fahad

[Phxdt]

Re: Wood direction

I have always placed to the side, makes it easier just in case I push the pie too far back. Given its spherical shape, shouldn't matter on wood placement

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Wood direction

What I think and it may be total crap but take it for what it's worth. I think what you have going on with the blackening of the oven is a lack of oxygen. When you start your fire the oven burns from front to back because the oxygen is getting used up before it can get to the back. So I think when you push the fire to the side the back side of your coals are receiving less oxygen and snuffing out a bit. So less oxygen ='s less heat and more smoke/soot. Just a thought.

As far as baking pies...what ever feels right for you.

[texassourdough]

Re: Wood direction

As Faith says, the black soot suggests something is wrong. Could be lack of oxygen, could be weird wood, but it could be improper/inadquate firing of the oven (especially given wood is sparse and you are probably trying to save it.

If you put the fire in the back you will almost certainly eventually shove a pie into the fire! I speak from the voice of experience (second pie ever! Years ago!) I moved my fire to the side - which makes feeding it a LOT easier) and no longer have any concern about that!

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Wood direction

Weird wood? LOL I'm trying to picture what weird wood would look like. Would it dress strangely? Perhaps it would grow upside down or something. Perhaps it's just twisted. Thanks for the chuckle (even if was just sparking my imagination of what weird wood was.)

Happy New Year

[texassourdough]

Re: Wood direction

Hi Faith!

Glad to give you a chuckle! My allusion to weird wood comes from the idea that I have NO idea what kind of wood they might have in Kuwait and I can envision it being a really low BTU wood that doesn't burn well or heat well. But???

If you want another chuckle (or perhaps a sad vision), imagine a folded pizza - almost calzone like, shoved under a burning log and covered with ashes and burning embers. That was my second pizza! (I thought I had the paddle UNDER the pie but apparently not and when I snapped the paddle forward the pie folded and the vision was realized! My admitted moment of severe oven embarrassment!)

Happy New Year and Chuckles!
Jay

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Wood direction

Not Funny!!! but I still laughed.

My first pizza...Came sliding off the paddle like a seasoned pro. The toppings did not even give a suggestion of movement. (such a proud moment) Then the moment was over. In about three seconds I noticed the pie was turning jet black on the bottom as the charring crept up the side of the crust. I quickly grabbed the peel just to discover that the pie was stuck to the floor. I tried to nudge my way under but my peel acted like a snow plow and shoved the whole pizza into this pile of dough, sauce and cheese. At about 6 seconds the pile of stuff looked more like something out of a slasher movie ...then it caught fire. A perfect ending to that debacle.

Faith

[SCChris]

Re: Wood direction

LOL.. Faith and Jay, I can relate to the Extreme Oven Embarrassment. Been there done that!

Chris