Structural Slab for new WFO

[david s]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

The seven fires in seven days routine is designed so that people do not jump to big fires straight away. You should proceed slowly or you are asking for more trouble. If you see visible steam then you are going at it too fast, back off. Flame up the flue is also a no no and asking for trouble.

Think of your oven as anew car. You wouldn't jump in it and drive it up to max speed the first time you drove it. Be a gentleman and treat it gently.

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Hello David s!
That was a joke about trying to see flames out of the chimney. But I have no doubt if you put enough wood in at one time, there would be flames jumping out of the top... right now, I have pipe scaffolding surrounding the oven and galvanized scaffolding planks on the top--I want to be able to put a tarp over everything in case we get rain-- cannot build any kind large fire.

There has been no visible steam anywhere, but when I uncover the WFO in the evenings after having it covered from when I leave for work--5:45 or so, there is moisture on the pericrete/and render. But nothing feels hot anytime on the exterior of the oven--at anytime anymore.

Gotta see if I can find a chicken somewhere to cook. Only whole chickens I have seen recently were the frozen variety from Brazil--they look more like Robins by their size. Only things that fly around here are crows and ravens, little too chewy for my taste if you could catch one--"no guns in Japan" except for the police, military, and underworld groups.

I don't know if cars need to be broken in anymore.. with old type bearings, that may have been the rule...I think the new engines could go 100% right off the line and do fine! But I don't know anything about things like that---my wife tells me I don't know anything about anything! She says that I keep on "jabbering only to hear my own voice"...maybe its true! Get senile from hearing foreign words all the time ---

As far as being a "gentleman", I am practicing singing country songs --my the late "George Jones" while driving to work. The Japanese drivers must think I'm nuts to be mouthing words behind closed windows...Or maybe they think I'm just another "stupid foreigner"! Probably both true! Cheers!

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Great news! found two dead frozen chicken from Brazil! I don't speak Portugese so I could not ask them if they were good or not! 1 KG - 500 yen! What a rip, could get breasts for same price but 2KG! Sure love breasts

The oven got a day off! Saturday will be the 4th gentle burn, and I hope the frozen chicken is thawed by 6PM. If you have a special recipe for frozen chicken (always welcome) for first WFO feast! Have a cast iron deep fry pan with pyrex type lid--works for regular ovens! So, if I am gentleman-like--it should be O.K. for the wood recycler!

Oven turns dried burning oak into fluffy gray ash! Back to nature!

Something addicting about a flame--just like watching it and enjoying the warmth!

What do other people do to get a whole chicken? Grow their own? Maybe another good idea--except they would get names right away and then it would be difficult to eat someone you knew on a first name basis!

[david s]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

[ Have a cast iron deep fry pan with pyrex type lid--works

What do other people do to get a whole chicken? Grow their own? Maybe another good idea--except they would get names right away and then it would be difficult to eat someone you knew on a first name basis![/QUOTE]

rule number one. Never give an animal you intend to eat, a name.

We always use the open roast technique. Ie without a lid. It crisps up the skin yet the meat is left delightfully moist.

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

You never fail!
Thanks for the advice, tomorrow is "frozen brazillian chicken" no name, baked in a WFO with no lid!

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

When I was growing up, my spring part time job was raising chicken! If I remember, they were called " White Leghorn" or something like that! Over a three to four month period, they were raised- loose, but in open enclosures above the ground. They grew from chick size to around 5 lbs. The Italians in my home town loved these chickens because they had yellow fat under the skin! I don't know how old I was, but one year it was 200--next year 400 chicks. Sold them by their live weight, but plucked and cleaned them for sale. BTW never gave them any names--too many to remember! Also, they are very stupid cannibals--if any of them had a distinctive feature--like a missing head feather or something like that--the others would peck them to death! Poor thing would run around and everyone would peck at the odd feature until the chicken was dead --then they would trample it flat!

Current cage raising is not much better--chickens cannot even move enough to see their butts--eat, crap and when large enough get butchered!

Another life story! pretty soon I'll run out! cheers and enjoy your chickens!

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Sunday was another oven curing day.

Started the oven this morning --it took off right away and in no time at all it was getting really hot. Today's plan was to do a chicken and not go too hot.

The structural slab- bottom was cool as normal concrete. The perlite and render were cool as well. Was on the internet until around 10AM so the fire had burned down with only embers--no active fire. If I was going to do chicken, needed a door (made one from 24mm floor sheathing plywood, with a little leg to keep it closed) Added a little wood, this time the dome cleared right down to the oven floor. Waited quite a while--maybe close to an hour, then put the little thermometer into the oven--temperature was 220-250 range at floor level.
Closed the oven door--flames were down to a small amount of hot coals again.

The little chicken took around an hour to cook completely, but I noticed that since the door was in place, the dome pericrete was getting hot again. Must still be water in the insulation or below oven. Actually the render was quite warm almost down to floor level.

This evening, the fire had been out since around noon, but the oven was still 325F. didn't look at the C. scale because I had told my wife she could still make cookies or banana bread at that temp. She was in no mood to start baking on a Sunday evening--so kept the door in place, removed the chimney and covered everything with a tarp. Cannot risk an overnite rain.

Other progress--got the oak all split. Need to stack it up another day. Sore muscles tonite from swinging the firemans' axe all day long!

All in all--a really good day!

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Well, I think the oven is nearly cured.
I don't have the patience to give advice to new builders who are not looking for advice but want someone to agree with them! My time is too valuable for that! There are may of you who have helped me--you know who you are...Thank you!
You are truely professionals and your experience is greatly appreciated.

Time to move on--and enjoy this new boy's toy!
Sayonarra from Tochigi!

[mrchipster]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Well, I think the oven is nearly cured.
I don't have the patience to give advice to new builders who are not looking for advice but want someone to agree with them! My time is too valuable for that! There are may of you who have helped me--you know who you are...Thank you!
You are truely professionals and your experience is greatly appreciated.

Time to move on--and enjoy this new boy's toy!
Sayonarra from Tochigi!

When you get some nice looking food take some photos. I would really like to see one of your first pizza...

Chip

[david s]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

So how was the chicken? Most new WFO owners tell me that their first chicken was the best, most moist chicken they've ever eaten.

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Baked chicken-moist, but by the time I got around to eating it--heated twice, it was OK. I think all the hype is in the anticipation--like a kid waiting for Christmas. Had regular pizza twice, different temperatures--door was both times closed. temperature read 375F with door off; when opening door to check pizza was 450F. Did not care how long it cooked as long as it cooked. Made mistakes on Banana Bread--baked at way too high temperature--black all around but inside still moist (edible after minor surgery). Same problem with Rye bread today, read open oven temperature looked fine but after 20 minutes- opened the door to find temperature much higher and rye bread really dark! Getting good at cutting off char from things.

My oven cooking abilities are like a lot of so-called craftsmen I've seen--expert at making garbage out of perfectly good ingredients. I hope it improves with time or my tastes adjust to bad cooking technique..... just for the sake of using the WFO!

Should start a new thread--all the things that can go wrong with cooking in a WFO..."What came out less than acceptable and marginally edible!"

The oven shows no signs of internal damage from my poor firing technique. Insulation and render could use some bandaid repairs. Must still be moisture surrounding this oven! The fire burned for around 4 hours today...that is from fire-up to just a pile of ashes inside. At times, I had some nice oak pieces burning and the dome max'd the IR thermometer at 550C...Everything white right to the floor, only sign of soot is 1/3 of the transition upper parts where the fumes exit the oven and travel up the chimney. The entrance was built as a separate part that also formed the base for the chimney---there is a huge temperature difference between the dome and this area. There was a 2" x 1/2" shiplap section between these sections..I guess a thermal break...but nothing that would physically separate the sections. but still the break is apparent.

The oven was left unattended from 9:30AM till noon. There was plenty of wood to burn inside but I needed to do some shopping and gathering of things. The max temperature I read was when I returned at noon---oven open IR max. Nothing surrounding that is combustible so just let it cure on its' own!

I anticipate firing it many more times before attempting any additional render coats. Just have to figure time when I have days off.

Anybody ever design a vacuum type cleaner to take hot ash and coals from the oven? Bet it could be done if a person were careful with materials--nice to clean out junk when it is still hot!

[mrchipster]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Anybody ever design a vacuum type cleaner to take hot ash and coals from the oven? Bet it could be done if a person were careful with materials--nice to clean out junk when it is still hot!

First pizza is better with live fire and door off. And at 700-900 F.

Second general rule for baking is done in the oven at 50-150 F. Higher than conventional oven for about 60% of the normal time. i.e. 10 minute normal bake would be 6 min in WFO.

Third get a rake and metal dust pan to rake out the coals and most of the ash, put them in a metal air tight container, they make great charcoal for grilling or smoking smudge fire for meats, and then make yourself a blow pipe. The remaining ash when blown will get into the air inside the hot oven and blow right up the flue. Do not mess around with a vacuum.

I used an aluminum ski pole as my blow pipe it is wide at the top and tapers nicely to concentrate the air. Others have used copper tubing/pipe with a reducing coupling at the end to reduce the diameter at the end.

Chip

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

The reason I'm doing my pizza at low temps is because "no oven tools yet"!
I have to rely on what is lying around the kitchen-that I can scrounge without getting too much grief-for entering someone elses sacred space!

One thing I just cannot understand--Like in the case of a kitchen...the guy does all the work making an entire kitchen from scratch and when it is finished, the spouse declares it "their space"!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I know why bakers work at night... More private time to play with their ovens!

Guess I'll have to change my lifestyle --from drinking the local hooch to all times of the morning--to fiddling with an oven n drinking local hooch to all times of the morning!

Thanks for the temperature/time info--and other baking tips.

BTW, talked to some people at Razor Edge Systems in Ely...they said that the lakes had opened but a lot of ice damage from strong winds in some areas of the state! I was ordering some hones and sharpening guide from this company...lived in the vacinity for 45 years and never heard of them. Try to perfect sharpening skills from Japanese finish carpenters and my latest partner gives me a book on sharpening in English from a guy name John Juranitch. Really amazing results on block planes, chisels, axes, knives..etc. Told the same story to the manufacturer and they are sending me a free copy of the sharpening book signed by the author!!! Check it out!

[mrchipster]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

I made my metal peel out of a pizza pan, I cut off the rim with an angle grinder and screwed it to a wood pole.

All my other tools are also home made. Some I will be getting rid of because of obvious design flaws but some are very useful.

I will look into the tool sharpening company. Thanks.

BTW northern Minnesota had the latest ice out in history this year and several lakes had ice until last week.

Keep on cooking, it will get better.

Apple smoked ribs from last night.

The local hooch sounds interesting, I might need to pay a visit. And if you venture back here you are always welcome to stop in.

Chip

[mikku]

Re: Structural Slab for new WFO

Probably a combination of cold temperatures and unusual amounts of snow. About 20 years ago, when I still was living up there---we had similar conditions--went snowmobiling with some friends, back when you could get away with drinking and snowmobiling...The friend named "Bill" was really sauced and wanted to ride on the lakes---he got bogged down in the slush with one of those heavy big machines...if he hadn't stopped to pee, would have been fine. Spent most of the evening trying to get him out of the mess.

I have a friend of mine that has a fabrication shop. I can get most metals from him in almost any thickness. One thread said 1.6 mm aluminum and another said same for stainless. I thought of cutting the pieces the way I liked them and have my friend weld in pieces where a pole or pipe could attach. He has cut offs that I can sort through. I'm sure a day off with him in his shop could produce some very nice tools... But right now...really no time.

Those ribs look great, I can almost taste them. There is supposed to be a place to purchase different cuts of meat here called "The Meat Guy"--usually meat with bones attached are not sold here. That is true specially for US imported meat and same for Australian Beef. something to do with mad cow worries. I usually buy whole loins of pork either US or Canadian and cut my own chops.

Anyone on this web make any sausage that they would share a secret recipe?

I don't have any plans on returning to Minnesota in the near future, I'm really tired of the flight between Tokyo and MSP...too long and cannot afford Business or 1st Class... A big guy gets pretty cramped up in Economy! I talk to relatives in Minnesota every Sunday via Skype in a way to stay in contact.

My chisels and planes are usually pretty sharp--can shave with them also. The guy in Ely's instructions make sense and the blades sharpen a whole lot quicker than I was used to. Some things might take longer to prepare the right angle in the first place--like a buck knife type of knife I carry around..but reading his book is no waste of time. I do not know if there are free downloads somewhere or not--but it is not that expensive to buy.

When I returned to USA in 2001, I worked with a couple of young carpenters. Their chisels were more like putty knives but with more chips. I showed them how I could chisel through oak with a couple of taps and they could not believe it. I do not know if they continued to sharpen like I showed them or not--but at least they saw what sharp should be.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts and photos!
Gary