Temperature questions !!!!

[waltiti]

Hi guys,

I read a lot and at the end I really confused.

I want to know how much need be the temperature of the oven for differents food, include pizza, but I need to know the temperature needed on inside the oven Air and the temperature of the surface ( fire bricks ).

The reason is because depending where I do the fire, the surface get different temperature. Provably I do something wrong when I build the oven, that the reson of differents temperatures, I have the oven for a almost 2 years now, and I use it every weekend, the oven is inside, so the wind is not the problem.

So, when the dome temperature get 700 - 800, I get the infrared gun and check it... If I start the fire on the right side, the surface get 500 - 550 , but if I start the oven on the left side, the surface gets 650 -700, almost the same as the dome air temperature. In the last case pizzas come so fast, an you can distract a second because get burned easy. And if i put the fire on the back, the front have a lower temp, like 200 degrees less in the front surface than in the right or left side of the oven.

So guys, I will appreciate any advice on temperatures, to cook in the right way.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

Burn your fire long enough that the oven is heat soaked, and then it will be a consistent temp all over.

Temp wise, here is a rough chart(temp/Style/Time to cook):

850+ Neapolitan, 45-90 seconds
700-750 NY Neapolitan/New Haven coal, 1-2 minutes
600-700 New York Elite, 3-4 minutes
550-600 New York slice, 4-6+ minutes
450-550 American, 6-12 minutes

[waltiti]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

Thanks @Tscarborough

So both, the air in the dome and bottom firebricks surface of the oven where you place the food need to have around the same temperature...? Or the temperature chart you give me is for the dome and not the surface.


I start the fire inside the dome in the right side normally and let heat up for almost 2 hs, after that I start to place the pizzas, sometimes other food like turnovers, sucking pigs, etc. but for the turnover and pig I only need around 500 deegrees;... my problem is with the Neopolitan, surface always have less temp ( around 200 deegrees) than the surface and the neopolitan sometimes have the edges and top cheese with some burns, but the bottom need more cooking time to be crsipy.

Thanks for the help

[Tscarborough]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

If you go by surface or air temps, you are not getting a real reading of the oven temp for a usable amount of time. To actually use the oven for more than a pizza or 4 you need to heat soak the brick, then ride the temp wave down, cooking the appropriate food at the temperature of the oven mass.

Until the mass is heat soaked, the temp gradient will always be moving into the mass, cooling the surface in spots according to where the actual fire is.

[jeeppiper]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

This is just a guess, but to me, it sounds like your insulation underneath your hearth might have some moisture in it. The moisture is taking the heat from your hearth bricks.

[david s]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

An infra red gun only reads the surface temperature. So higher readings may result if taken soon after moving coals or if flame is on the dome. If you let the flame die and waited 20 mins the temperature will even out and you would get a truer reading. Because of this problem they are not that useful, just keep firing and cooking and leave the IR gun, they can be confusing.

[deejayoh]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

I think it is good practice to move the fire around when you light the oven. Start in in the center. When the dome starts to clear at the top, bank it to one side. When it clears there, bank it to the other. That way the oven gets more evenly saturated with heat.

Read the chapter on oven temp management in the link that I included in this post. It should be helpful
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f17/...ood-19121.html

[waltiti]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

Guys im start using the heat gun when I see my pizzas burned at the top edges and at the bottom looks like a pice of paper, also I can't use too much sauce because the dought get wet and is a disaster.

Thanks for the advice, but I don't think have mositure on the bottom, I use the oven every weekend.

Thanks for the link @deejayoh I will read that and see if this help me, thanks a lot !!!!!!

Thanks guys

[kstronach]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

what temp is your floor when you're cooking pizzas? you should be looking for about 700f on your laser gun or thereabouts. what's your floor make up? have you got any/much insulation under?, it sounds to me like that could be your problem? something doesn't sound quite right if there burning on the top but not cooking properly underneath. if you're firing every weekend moisture won't be an issue

keith

[waltiti]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

The best result I get is, I start the fire on the left side with oak, the surface gets 650 -700 after 2hs , the air temp in the dome reads 850, I start cooking pizzas, and when I see the edges start to toast, around 1 minute, I put over the pizza, a pizza pan to protect the pizza edges of burning, and let the pizza cook for 1 more minute, and is done perfect. Thats my technic with the pizzas. For bread, grilling or roast is different.

[david s]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

Slight burning of the edges is characteristic of wood fired pizza. Some folk like that slight charred bitterness. You don't have to eat it. Getting the sauce right up to the edges will help it not burn so much.

[waltiti]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

Yes, I know

I think something is wrong in my oven , that the surface don't have a high temperature that accord with the air surface to cook like other ovens I see.

[deejayoh]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

I think there's probably nothing wrong - just learning curve on managing the oven.

Why don't you posts some pics of the oven so we can all see what you're talking about? Might help.

[waltiti]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

Ok I will take pictures also i have some old ones of the building progress .

Thanks guys

[kstronach]

Re: Temperature questions !!!!

The best result I get is, I start the fire on the left side with oak, the surface gets 650 -700 After 2hs , the air temp in the dome reads 850.

Your temps sound ok to me after me after 2 hours, maybey you could try firing for longer to saturate the brick more? Otherwise the heat is always being pulled into the deeper part of the brick that isn't fully heated and inturn will cool the oven slightly, however after 2 hours and at those temps you should not have a problem cooking a handfull of pizzas.

Your dome temprature wants to be hotter than your floor temp to cook your pizza evenly

Put some pics up of your pizzas too if you have any so we can see your 'burning' i personally like the charred spots!

Whats your dough recipie? Your not adding any sugar or oil are you? This could cause some burning at higher temps

Keith