should I go wood?

[Jim Bob]

Re: should I go wood?

It's been a while since I posted on the forum. The discussion about wood vs gas will go on for some time, but I can tell you for sure that using wood in fact does impart more flavor from its smoke and definitely is a more moist heat. Heat is heat in my mind is not a legitimate argument. By continually throwing new pieces of oak or hickory or fruit woods on the fire, there is always that smokey flavor absorbed by the pizzas. I did make one big mistake last yr and that was using lump charcoal to start the fire. It was definitely hotter much quicker than wood, but I believe it was what caused the fire brick on the floor to break down and crumble. Oven is a 36" one & is 4 yrs old. I had to replace 12 bricks. First I had to find a friend small enough & willing enough to crawl in that 19" opening do the work. Tricky part was getting that first brick out!. But oven is good as new now and all my friends can't wait for any firings that happen on weekends.

[BurntFingers]

Re: should I go wood?

If you lift the peel towards the end of the cooking so that the smoke from the burning wood wafts over it. The pizza will then get the hint of the smokey flavor of the wood. Using Cherry wood vs. Oak you will notice the subtle difference in taste. Yes, the temperature of the hearth makes a significant difference in the cooking of the dough. Also the type of flour used varies the proper temperature. American flour cooks a lower temperature than imported Italian flours due to the sugar content coming from the barley in American flours.

[JOSHUAFINANCIAL]

Re: should I go wood?

This is an old thread, and I know the topic is covered elswhere in the Forum; but...
Heat is heat. It shouldn't make a difference to taste. The only advantage I can imagine with wood - which might impact the product experience - is that the deck of the oven should get hotter, faster, and probably maintains temperature better than gas.

[that is to say, gas burner like the Drago installed through the floor of an FB-type igloo. I am not commenting on commercial stone deck ovens fired with gas. Nor am I commenting on igloo-type ovens designed for gas-only operation. I assume that the engineers have designed those products to address the issues.]

This is a guess : ) I only know for sure that when I've let pizza hit the deck when the deck wasn't hot enough, the product cooks unevenly (topings and crust burning before dough cooks through & cheese not getting a good melt/spread).

In no way do I taste wood (other than ash and the occasional smoldering ember).

[Java Nation]

Re: should I go wood?

Seeing what you ended with. We inherited a oven that was not installed and trying to switch to gas has anyone done that and what about a vent a hood vs a chimney for the gas unit

[GotRocks]

Re: should I go wood?

For our pizzeria, we're open 6 days, 11:30-2 weekdays, 5-9:30 tuesday to thursday, 5-10 Friday - Saturday.

We have a large (~10 12" pizzas with a fire constantly going) custom brick oven. We probably go through a cord of wood a week. We pay $70 canadian per cord.

MySpace - Terra Cotta - 102 - Male - 318 Pelissier Street, Windsor, CA - myspace.com/terracottapizza

A full cord per week???? What physical dimensions for a stack of wood are you calling a cord? I know a cord as 128 cu-ft, a stack 8' wide, 4' tall, and 4' deep.
if the splits were cut in 16" lengths, you would have 3 lengths of wood from front to back, if they are cut 12" lengths you would have 4 lengths depth.

Some people wrongfully call fractions of a cord misleading terminology such as cord, face cord, rick, or a rack. And those are usually 1/4 to 1/3 rd of a full cord depending on the length cut.

UL, NSF, & ANSI listings?? When do you feel these will be official? Those cetifications would help me immensely for getting a Forno Bravo unit into my upcoming operation with the least amount of hassles..

I am waiting for the literature to show up in the mail so I can move forward with building modifications to get one burning ASAP.
Thank you,

Oh, Angel. Lighten up!! Global preferences are changing, and all I am seeing is french cuisine falling off behind that curve.

[BurntFingers]

Re: should I go wood?

I can't say enough about WFO cooking. Great heat, flavor and it is renewable. We are lucky we grow our own and fire our own.

[blackjack]

Re: should I go wood?

The French Health Ministry is cracking down on wine producers and initiated measures for 2010 to increase the legal drinking age from 16 to 18, ban happy hours and open bars (drink all you can for a flat fee).
John

The French to ban happy hours?? I thought they'd done that years ago....

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: should I go wood?

It might be accommodating to throw a (tiny?) bit of empathy to Angel40204 given France's recent catastrophic nosedive of their coveted wine industry. According to official figures through June 2009, not only are EU exports of French wine down (Germany -21%, UK -27%, Belgium-Luxemburg -15%) considerably, but so are other world markets (U.S. -9%, Japan -16%). 2009 weather has given France a horrendous growing year and worse, The French Health Ministry is cracking down on wine producers and initiated measures for 2010 to increase the legal drinking age from 16 to 18, ban happy hours and open bars (drink all you can for a flat fee).

A year ago, while touring in Japan, I observed one French restaurant (Kyoto) while I saw five pizzerias.

So next time you fire up your oven, take a moment to savor the wonderful wood scent as you raise your glasses and toast this wonderful WFO community and ask: (all together now) got wood?

John

[blackjack]

Re: should I go wood?

If you REALLY want to annoy a Frenchman just remind him that the Italians taught the French to cook...... I am also tempted to remind him that there are more Michelin starred restaurants in Tokyo than Paris. Over here in Europe the reputation of French food is no longer one of excellence but of being staid, old fashioned and living off past glories.

I was in Rome a few weeks ago and we ate at a tiny Pizzeria just off the Piazza Navona. They used a WFO and the pizza was utterly amazing. I noticed that they put a lot of semolina flour in their dough.

This place was so busy with Romans that they put tables in front of the news stand next door as soon as it closed - the news stand owner came back about an hour later and there was a very amusing Italian type arguement - he was paid off in cash in the end.

BTW Pizza Hut use state of the art electric ovens and .......... need I say more?

For sale - one French army rifle, never fired, dropped once.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: should I go wood?

GOT WOOD....... for me wood was the only way. I used to work at a restaurant and they put in a 60,000.00 rotating gas fired stone oven and they make great pizza's. But I have had the chef here (he is a friend) and he prefers my wood oven better....

Good luck

[BurntFingers]

Re: should I go wood?

Wait until you cook sausage or roast game in your oven. It will be like baked mickies in an old wood fired kitchen stove. To die for!

[BurntFingers]

Re: should I go wood?

Wood's good! Once you have a good pizza made in a wood fired oven you'll never go back.

[skemcis]

Re: should I go wood?

Educate my palette? Its getting educated everyday with my WFO. And today, ladies and gentlemen it will be with a Mennonite smoked farmer sausage made with moose and or venison. Hows that for an education?

[MAVANO]

Re: should I go wood?

Well I haveto chime in on this thread ...as they say in Napoli ma che cazz sta a di stu strunz francese, perhaps he should drive to Napoli and INLIGHTEN HIS taste buds and educate HIS PALATE some, and get that creamy gurmet stuff out of his palate. we dont need a french disrespectfull dufus commenting on PIZZA, maybe in france your using electric ovens but not in pizza country!!!!!!!!!!!!! electric oven ba humbug

[devilmaster]

Re: should I go wood?

For our pizzeria, we're open 6 days, 11:30-2 weekdays, 5-9:30 tuesday to thursday, 5-10 Friday - Saturday.

We have a large (~10 12" pizzas with a fire constantly going) custom brick oven. We probably go through a cord of wood a week. We pay $70 canadian per cord.

http://www.myspace.com/terracottapizza