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Dear Forum. I am planning a pizzeria here in Cozumel and could use some advice on building my oven. First I wonder if someone could take a look at the oven that inspired me to try to build my own at the following link
w.hornosartesanos.com/hh-meneses.htm to see what I am trying to hybridize into a pizza oven in fact any feed back would be greatly appreciated. Looking at the Pompeii specs I noticed that for every 6 inches of increase in diameter of the cooking area there is 1 inch increase in vault height and that ratio applies to either the Neapolitan or the Tuscan version.
If I apply that ratio across the board to a 72 inch oven the vault would be 20.5 in for the Neapolitan or 25 in for the Tuscan versions. Considering the concern about the cooking surface being too hot with the high duty fire brick that I plan to use and the comment made at the Forno Bravo website (Starting the Oven Dome) about the exaggerated difference of opinion about the two different styles of ovens I wonder if building the Tuscan model (because of the brick type) might be the way to go. What I would like advice from the forum is thermal mass 3 inches or more? I know that there is no such thing as too much insulation. As far as insulating the hearth an opinion on using crushed glass and coarse sea salt like in the Spanish Oven (from now on referred to as the SOB) instead of vermiculite and cement and how much insulation 4-6 inches? In building the lower compartment (that I will from now on refer to as in it?s literal translation the Burner) the Spanish builder states that the Burner should be sufficiently reduced so it does not cool off the oven and sufficiently ample so one can make fire and give it other uses. I think the Burner would be useful in keeping the oven temperature and fine tuning the same. However, remember one fires this oven the same way as the Pompeii on the oven floor and when it reaches temperature one pushes the embers down to the Burner through the opening at the back, I'll call that the Chute and that done one has the whole oven floor as cooking area ( I find that a very appealing bonus in a commercial setting). Upon looking at the pix on the SOB website and seeing how the fire goes up the Chute from the Burner and hits the dome at the back of the oven I feel that one could effectively maintain the oven temp in this fashion, if it doesn?t we will maintain the temperature the traditional way. Hence the questions. It looks as if I want a hybrid, I think is worth the risk, the only downside that I see is that the Burner won?t be able to maintain temp. I think this is one of those times that it worth trying to have your cake and eat it too!
So in recapping, the following are points that I require input and advice on from the resident sages in the forum.
1. Considering the high duty brick that I intend on using and the Burner compartment that I wish to include, should I go with a Tuscan or Neapolitan dome in height?
2. In the hearth insulation, which media to use Pompeii (vermiculite&cement) or SOB(crushed glass&coarse salt) and how much (in inches) or high tech isolpac. Would additional thermal mass (Island Hearth) in the oven floor be recommended? We plan to be open 11hours a day.
3. For dome insulation, it will be a round Igloo, vermiculite & mortar or fiberglass as in the SOB or a combination of both? or tech isulfrax? and how much insulation in inches? The place will have A/C and I wish to make the kitchen and restaurant as cool as possible.
4. It will be closed vent, with a lever / guillotine glass door, with a 10 in chimney with a flue to help controlling combustion.
5. The opening will be 33 in wide and 12 in high since we?ll be making 20 in NYC pies. A friend referred to the pizza I'm trying to make as Neo-Neapolitana
6. I might not find Portland cement in Mexico, what qualities should I look for in the cement for this project?
7. Last question?.. WILL IT FLY??????????????
Please allow me to thank you in advance. My best regards. dmanfish
w.hornosartesanos.com/hh-meneses.htm to see what I am trying to hybridize into a pizza oven in fact any feed back would be greatly appreciated. Looking at the Pompeii specs I noticed that for every 6 inches of increase in diameter of the cooking area there is 1 inch increase in vault height and that ratio applies to either the Neapolitan or the Tuscan version.
If I apply that ratio across the board to a 72 inch oven the vault would be 20.5 in for the Neapolitan or 25 in for the Tuscan versions. Considering the concern about the cooking surface being too hot with the high duty fire brick that I plan to use and the comment made at the Forno Bravo website (Starting the Oven Dome) about the exaggerated difference of opinion about the two different styles of ovens I wonder if building the Tuscan model (because of the brick type) might be the way to go. What I would like advice from the forum is thermal mass 3 inches or more? I know that there is no such thing as too much insulation. As far as insulating the hearth an opinion on using crushed glass and coarse sea salt like in the Spanish Oven (from now on referred to as the SOB) instead of vermiculite and cement and how much insulation 4-6 inches? In building the lower compartment (that I will from now on refer to as in it?s literal translation the Burner) the Spanish builder states that the Burner should be sufficiently reduced so it does not cool off the oven and sufficiently ample so one can make fire and give it other uses. I think the Burner would be useful in keeping the oven temperature and fine tuning the same. However, remember one fires this oven the same way as the Pompeii on the oven floor and when it reaches temperature one pushes the embers down to the Burner through the opening at the back, I'll call that the Chute and that done one has the whole oven floor as cooking area ( I find that a very appealing bonus in a commercial setting). Upon looking at the pix on the SOB website and seeing how the fire goes up the Chute from the Burner and hits the dome at the back of the oven I feel that one could effectively maintain the oven temp in this fashion, if it doesn?t we will maintain the temperature the traditional way. Hence the questions. It looks as if I want a hybrid, I think is worth the risk, the only downside that I see is that the Burner won?t be able to maintain temp. I think this is one of those times that it worth trying to have your cake and eat it too!
So in recapping, the following are points that I require input and advice on from the resident sages in the forum.
1. Considering the high duty brick that I intend on using and the Burner compartment that I wish to include, should I go with a Tuscan or Neapolitan dome in height?
2. In the hearth insulation, which media to use Pompeii (vermiculite&cement) or SOB(crushed glass&coarse salt) and how much (in inches) or high tech isolpac. Would additional thermal mass (Island Hearth) in the oven floor be recommended? We plan to be open 11hours a day.
3. For dome insulation, it will be a round Igloo, vermiculite & mortar or fiberglass as in the SOB or a combination of both? or tech isulfrax? and how much insulation in inches? The place will have A/C and I wish to make the kitchen and restaurant as cool as possible.
4. It will be closed vent, with a lever / guillotine glass door, with a 10 in chimney with a flue to help controlling combustion.
5. The opening will be 33 in wide and 12 in high since we?ll be making 20 in NYC pies. A friend referred to the pizza I'm trying to make as Neo-Neapolitana
6. I might not find Portland cement in Mexico, what qualities should I look for in the cement for this project?
7. Last question?.. WILL IT FLY??????????????
Please allow me to thank you in advance. My best regards. dmanfish
and I think I'm going to use this design concept (separate box) I really like it. I do agree it could use some tweaking here and there. any thoughts?
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