Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

[james]

I came across this on the Internet today, and it has me thinking. We need a standard method of describing heat in a wood-fired oven, ranging from warm to very hot. Now that we have finished V1.0 of the Cooking e-Book, I can see that this will help.

Can we come up with a wood-fired version of this?

Their "very hot" isn't very hot.
James

Conversions

TEMPERATURES

Gas Mark 1 = 140C = 275F = Very cool
Gas Mark 2 = 150C = 300F = Cool
Gas Mark 3 = 160C = 325F = Warm
Gas Mark 4 = 180C = 350F = Moderate
Gas Mark 5 = 190C = 375F = Fairly Hot
Gas Mark 6 = 200C = 400F = Fairly Hot
Gas Mark 7 = 210C = 425F = Hot
Gas Mark 8 = 220C = 450F = Very Hot
Gas Mark 9 = 240C = 475F = Very Hot

[jengineer]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

almost laughable when one is talking about dome temps in the 800's and floor temps between 700 and 750 for cooking pizza.

Maybe a flat factor (1.71) can be applied to the 425 number to equal 725F

Mark 1 = 243C = 470F = Very cool
Mark 2 = 266C = 510F = Cool
Mark 3 = 293C = 560F = Warm
Mark 4 = 316C = 600F = Moderate
Mark 5 = 338C = 640F = Fairly Hot
Mark 6 = 360C = 680F = Fairly Hot
Mark 7 = 385C = 725F = Hot - throw the pizza in!
Mark 8 = 410C = 770F = Very Hot
Mark 9 = 432C = 810F = Very Hot

nah looking back at those numbers you should come up with your own scale

[james]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

Here is a shot at a wood-fire temperature scale. I would appreciate comments on this -- it's a first cut.
James

[CanuckJim]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

James,

Not too shabby for a first cut. I think you have it knocked. Breaking it down further would not add a lot of useful information. Under the "some bread" temp, you might add pan breads, enriched bread, sweet breads or some such.

Jim

[jengineer]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

add in how Mississippi is to be used

hopefully they won't have a high threshold for pain

[Chickensoup]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

Why do we have to cook at such extreme temperatures, compared to a conventional oven? how is it possible to slow cook.....say a Morrocan tangine at such elevated temps?

remember i'm learning.

chicken

[PizzaPolice]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

I love the Mississippi's. Kinda says it all like the white dome and how the first couple turn out.

[texassourdough]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

Hi James!

Nice idea! I agree, Mississippi's need to be defined. The other useful scale would be flour blackening which is probably useful for 500 to 800 degrees or so. A little experimentation with an IR thermometer should provide a useful column for judging hearth temp.

Jay

[dmun]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

Why do we have to cook at such extreme temperatures, compared to a conventional oven? how is it possible to slow cook.....say a Morrocan tangine at such elevated temps?

Pizza is cooked at blistering temperatures, and a few other things, chicken pieces, chops, shishkebobs, pita breads, that sort of thing.

Lower temperature dishes are cooked with retained heat cooking, the fire is shoveled out, the temperatures drop to normal oven temperature, and in go your breads, cakes, roasts, that sort of thing. Later you cook your merangues, your slow simmered dishes.

You get the idea. It's a declining temperature curve.

[KEmerson]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

And a "Mississippi" is...? I remember it as a counting method, only barely reliable from one person to another depending on their concept of time, especially when someone pronounced it "missippi".

[dmun]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

Said deliberately, "mississippi" takes a second to say. It's a way of counting seconds.

[KEmerson]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

But that isn't even close to clear in James' schedule.

[SCChris]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

Many steak houses using IR broilers up past 800F for grilling. Is this temp range somthing that makes sense in WFOs?

Since I'm still in the building stage, please excuse my ignorance if you find it.


Thanks

Chris

[texassourdough]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

WFOs do even better than 800. They can do in the 1000 to 1200 range - like Ruth's Chris. You will want to buy or make a Tuscan Grill. You fire the oven just as for pizza but pull the coals to the front of the hearth instead of cleaning the hearth - and put the Tuscan grill in a ways (can get tricky due to the heat! I use a long pair of fireplace tongs). Keep the fire going good. You will have coals about 2 inches below the steaks and the dome should be 1100+. You won't be able to cook a steak over about an inch thick any more than medium rare because it will char first.

My favorite way to do steaks!
Jay

[SCChris]

Re: Temperature ratings in wood-fired ovens

Thanks Texas! I remember a rare lamb loin, chared at about 850F, make that seared rather than chared. Although I also remember many chared rare sirloin baseball cuts.... Oh man!!!

Chris