Using the Oven - When???

[amber]

At what point can we start using the oven. After the dome is done? Chimney installed? Insulated?

I ask this because there are 5 weekends left till Thanksgiving and 9 till Christmas. We really want to have the oven finished (insulated and everything) by New Year's, but family comes for the next 2 holidays. Thanksgiving and/or Christmas pizza...

Any thoughts?

[egalecki]

Re: Using the Oven - When???

I used mine some before I had the insulating vermicrete on over the blanket, and before I built the transition and put on the chimney. The vent front gets pretty hot. I think you'll have a hard time getting to pizza temp without at least the blanket insulation.

Curing with the blanket on is a good idea, because you can pull the blanket back a bit to check for smoke, which would indicate cracks to fix.

You can use it without a chimney, but it smokes a lot more. And when you put the vent/chimney on, you'll have to wait a week to use it again, and probably have to do a little more curing to drive out any moisture that got in when you built the vent/chimney. I did.

Bear in mind that no matter when you use it, it takes a while to settle in. Mine still varies on time to fire, etc. But I haven't been able to consistently use it yet, either.

I expect you'll just have to go by what you have finished, and when they come, how desperate you are to have pizza! I know my family is just impressed no end just by the oven itself, even without having had anything out of it. (the ones who don't live here, I mean)