How is the smokecatcher constructed on neapolitan ovens?

[ugnsnisse]

How is that cap put together? In every video I've seen it just magically appears on the oven.

I guess it has to be insulated so the stucco or tiling won't crack? Do they the put a mesh under and one over and someting in between?

Could I just smear the "home brew mortar" on a fine enough mesh bent into shape?

I have some 50 mm fire mat that I would like to use, but then i would need to seal it underneath so that fibers can't get loose and fall down on the landing/pizzas.

Anyone?

[david s]

Ask Forno Bravo.

[deejayoh]

I posted a video of how those ovens are put together on the forum before. here it is again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM9zteuE8UA. Those are Acunto ovens. What all the top pizzerias in naples use.

[AndrewT]

Ha ha. In the video at 3:30 it says, "Now, the smoke will rise through the hood toward the chimney, instead of being trapped in the oven."

[ugnsnisse]

I've seen that. They use steel shaped roughly.

I don't think Ferraras or other similar ovens do that.

Besides that I think "how it's made" could go more into detail, lots of stuff that is hard to understand in that video. Like how to shape a sheet of metal so it will fit snugly to a round shape.

[ugnsnisse]

Thinking about skipping the internal vent. Can not really see any advantages with it.

If I close the oven door the vent will continue to circulate and cool down the oven faster than it would without it. During operation it probably does more damage than good by drawing through more air than just the smoke and fumes.
Only thing good would be when heating up, then maybe it is useful.

Is their vent design really helping anything?

[ugnsnisse]

Going for this style instead. Will paint it black and put a perforated heat shield on the lower front part. Don't really believe in the internal vent. Insulation will do a better job.

[david s]

What kind of material are you planning to use?

[ugnsnisse]

The one in the picture is the one I made, It's made of a kind of carbon steel, same as Acunto uses in the video around the oven and on top. Only the visible part is stainless on theirs.

Being carbon steel it has to be painted or it rusts incredibly fast.

[david s]

Your oven should last generations, but not so sure about steel unless it's stainless, especially as heat accelerates corrosion.

[ugnsnisse]

I'll bolt it to the front steel plate so it will be replaceable if it rusts away.