Oven floor cooling to quickly

[JFoster0403]

Hey all,
I've been cooking pizzas for a while now in my oven. Ever since I started I've been having the same problem. I fire my oven for about 30 or 40 mins, or until the floor reads 700-800 on the thermometer. I'll put the first pie in and it comes out perfect, crisp brown crust and everything. The problem is, when ill go to put the 2nd or 3rd pizza in, it seems like the oven cooled down to the point that its taking longer to cook. The bottom doesn't brown the same and by that time the top starts getting a little too done. I'm not sure if its a matter of me not firing the oven enough or something with the insulation. The cooking surface sits on 3 inches of ceramic fiber board and the dome is surrounded by 3 inches of ceramic fiber blanket. If anyone has any suggestions I'm open for any. Thanks!

[Les]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

J, if you haven't saturated the oven that may be a part of the problem. It sounds like you are WELL insulated. Try putting the pizza in a different spot between pies. After a few, rake some coals over the floor and reheat for a few minutes. That's the way I do it and it seems to work.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

Gudday
When the pizza is being cooked.It's important the keep some active flame so the heat keeps radiating around the oven floors and walls. I keep some sticks in the entrance and there are preheated and will burst into flame once the first start to die down.
Perhaps the oven is not fully saturated with heat? I look at a fire covering as much of the oven floor as possible for an hour and 1/2 to two hours. By moderate I mean no flame out the chimney ( waste of heat) but plenty of flame and active coals. A bit of ash removal as you go allows air into the active fire.iI don't use any wood thicker than my wrist and usually smaller that way it heats and catches fire fast.
Regards dave

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

I fire my oven for about 30 or 40 mins, or until the floor reads 700-800 on the thermometer.

You are definitely under firing, 30 to 40 minutes.

If you shut the oven up and let the heat equalize for 30 minutes you will find the oven is barely warm to touch.

You have to fire the oven for way longer than that to get the bricks saturated for cooking pizza.
I fire for longer than that just to do a roast which takes half the heat required to do pizza.

Try firing (with a good fire) for 1 to 11/2 hours before you do pizza.

[Bacterium]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

And once up to saturation point all the black soot (carbon) from the fire burns off the dome (inner).

[david s]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

On my oven the dome goes white well before it is saturated with heat. I guess all ovens are different. I continue firing for at least another 20 mins after it's all gone white.

[Bacterium]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

David s that's an interesting point..... I used to find most of the dome cleared to white consistently with time, except for the last inch or so up from the bottom. Like you say its a form of measure but varies for each oven.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

except for the last inch or so up from the bottom. Like you say its a form of measure but varies for each oven.

Your oven is still wet then, or is sucking moisture up from somewhere and keeping the temps down in the bottom inch.

[Bacterium]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

Your oven is still wet then, or is sucking moisture up from somewhere and keeping the temps down in the bottom inch.

That was my first oven...which sat on a bed of sand directly on top of concrete base

I expect things will be a whole lot better with current build....

[david s]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

David s that's an interesting point..... I used to find most of the dome cleared to white consistently with time, except for the last inch or so up from the bottom. Like you say its a form of measure but varies for each oven.

That persistent inch of black around the base of the dome is an indicator of the oven being wet down there and holding the temperature down. Once properly dry it all go white more quickly and more evenly.

[V-wiz]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

David i think because your oven is small the direct contact of flame on the dome is what burns off the black, even though its not fully saturated.

[david s]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

David i think because your oven is small the direct contact of flame on the dome is what burns off the black, even though its not fully saturated.

That is possible, although a bigger chamber simply allows a bigger fire. Don't you have the whole chamber full of flames when your fire's really going?

[Spunkoid]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

It is not the direct flame contact that burns off the black but high temperatures. When the oven comes up to temperature, that is what burns off the black. I tend to light my oven about 2 hours or so before I am going to start cooking pizzas in it. I have a large fire, scrape the coals off to the side and will add a little bit of wood later to keep the heat up if I am cooking a lot of pizzas. When I start cooking, I usually have a pretty big bank of coals on the side. If the oven is really hot, I can cook the first pizza in 45 seconds, or if not careful, burn it in 30.....

[david s]

Re: Oven floor cooling to quickly

I always cast some semolina on to the middle of the floor before the first pizza. 3 secs until it turns black is right. Two secs = too hot. 4 secs = too cold. If it's too hot I either wait a bit or place the first pizza half in the oven and half in the entry, then for each subsequent pizza push them further in.