Driving heat across the cooking floor

[CanuckJim]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

I think we might be in Bob Musa territory. He said, I think, that you "don't want a big fire, you want a frightening fire." It may be that in the beginning some of us are a bit timid about this, hence the floor does not get hot enough. The dome will go white at about 750 F, but I always shoot for something in the 900 range before letting the oven moderate. This guarantees that the floor will be hot enough.

A while back, I posted a few fire pics in the photo gallery, as have others with similar experience. Maybe have a look. There is one that shows what I call the "plasma" stage, where the very air seems on fire. That's what you're looking for.

Burn time is a question that seems almost individual to each and every oven. It's a matter of mass and insulation, plus wood type, plus beginning temp of the floor, plus fire size. Don't forget, you want to generate as much flame as possible.

Jim

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

I pretty much wait until my entire dome goes white before I start cooking. That may mean just starting your fire 15-20 minutes earlier than you think you need to...

Any I second the "frightening fire" idea...that is what you need...

Drake

[james]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

I think Robert said something like "if you kids don't say cool, and your wife doesn't say holy "%&#*$#", it's too small.
James

[El Puaco]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

I'm learning as I go in the pizza making part. Much like my learn as you go process with the oven building part. I've been getting over 800 on the oven floor at first and having some heat drop off as I make pizzas. I've tried adding wood to the fire as I cook and also dragging some coals on to the floor again for a minute or so to try to heat the floor back up. Mostly I dragged coals onto the floor to burn up any toppings that flew off of my first pizza tries. Any thoughts on this? I love the frighteningly large fire idea too. How do you feel about the size of the fire (along the side of the oven) as you continue cooking?

[Richard]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

After oven comes to temp, etc. I add a piece of wood to maintain a flame that comes to the center of the dome when baking pizza.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

I think the key to maintaining good floor heat is a flame licking most of the way across the dome at all times. Again, what Richard said!

I don't think hot coals does the trick, has to be flame. It bounces off the dome and charges the floor with heat. Coals do seem to work well for charring off those spilled ingredients.

Drake

[Acoma]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

I think we might be in Bob Musa territory. He said, I think, that you "don't want a big fire, you want a frightening fire." It may be that in the beginning some of us are a bit timid about this, hence the floor does not get hot enough. The dome will go white at about 750 F, but I always shoot for something in the 900 range before letting the oven moderate. This guarantees that the floor will be hot enough.

A while back, I posted a few fire pics in the photo gallery, as have others with similar experience. Maybe have a look. There is one that shows what I call the "plasma" stage, where the very air seems on fire. That's what you're looking for.

Burn time is a question that seems almost individual to each and every oven. It's a matter of mass and insulation, plus wood type, plus beginning temp of the floor, plus fire size. Don't forget, you want to generate as much flame as possible.

Jim

Jim, you speak of plasma heat and photos in Gallery. Would you be so kind as to show the plasma photo here again? As for deep dish pizzas, how would one properly do this? It appears that frequent conversation is on thin pizzas.

Robert

[Dutchoven]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

Here's a photo of mine of what I think Jim is calling the plasma stage
Best
Dutch

[CanuckJim]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

Dutch, Acoma,

Dutch's pic says it well, although I'm adding mine here as well. I suspect that for deep dish pizza, like some breads, the floor temp should be a bit lower to assure a full bake of the crust. I'd bow to the pizza experts on that one, though.

Jim

[jwnorris]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

In homage to Richard, its gotta be big.

J W

[CanuckJim]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

Acoma,

Go to the Photo Gallery and look for my Crib Fire pics under Vent and Chimney. They show the beginning of a "frightening" fire.

Jim

[Acoma]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

Jim, J W, and Dutch, thank you for the photos. These help to establish what appears needed for longer sustained heat, especially on the cooking floor. Jim, I will go to the Gallery to see the pics you reference above. It makes sense to do deep dish at lower temps. I guess if you want a couple deep dishes at the same time, one might consider 650 degrees for 8 minutes? Someone can confirm this with experience to the deep dish.

Acoma.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

Here are some more "plasma fire" pictures from my firing today.

The first one shows the starting fire, note some of the flames licking over the lintel and up the chimney...that is the part that makes the wife say oh !@#$!

The second picture is about 2 minutes later.

The third and fourth are about 20 minutes later. The fire has been pushed back into the oven.

(Finally got my camera fixed! Yea!)

Drake

[Acoma]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

I must say that you guys create flames that are quite impressive, plasma like. I look forward to my wife saying oh $#%^ too. Well, you guys can impress!! Drake, congrats on getting the camera fixed.

Acoma.

[Dutchoven]

Re: Driving heat across the cooking floor

The flames going up the vent into the chimney definitely get some reactions from people...especially when the fire is located more in the back of the oven and the flames are shooting forward across the dome/vault...looks like you're looking into the pit of hades...wife got nervous and used the same expletives and warned me of a chimney fire!
Dutch