New build in SW Arizona

[jeffrorrt]

Having had my first wood fired pizza only a few months ago in Sedona Arizona, I just knew I had to build a WFO. I bought a few books on the subject (probably use the pages to start my first few curing fires LOL), and then stumbled upon the Forno Bravo site and this forum. Personally I really think that this could be more aptly titled the "WFO Bible and Discussion Group", as the wealth of knowledge, expertise, and mostly trial and error wisdom contained in this forum are far superior to ANYTHING else I've found!
I've been an avid bread baker for the past few years, and initially wanted to build a barrel vault, but the Pompeii design I feel is far superior.
25 years ago I built a small smokehouse for smoke curing my own meats and sausages, so when my wife gave me the green light on the WFO, I decided to incorporate a CMU smokehouse into my design with integrated firebox. NCman is sending me his hand me down IT and I've developed a brick angle cutting jig, based upon the one I've seen here that I will post some pics of later. Again just a big THANK YOU to all forum posters, moderators and anyone else who has put their ".02" in. It helps, is appreciated, and I for one am damn glad you're here! Hope top start laying out my floor this weekend!!

[boerwarrior]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

welcome! good call on the Pompeii versus barrel. My wife makes bread and she easily uses the Pompeii oven for that. Much harder (but possible) to use a barrel for one minute pizzas.

[hodgey1]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

, I decided to incorporate a CMU smokehouse into my design with integrated firebox.

First, welcome to a wealth of information. I am very interested to see your design with intergrated fire box. What is a CMU smokehouse and can you elaborate on what your design might look like when incorporating the the two devices "smoker & pizza oven" together?

I love to smoke meat, i currently use a Cookshack brand smoker and also have a WFO for pizza and bread baking. I would love to figure out how to do a more traditional type of smoking method using my WFO instead of my temperature controlled electric smoker?

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Chris,

After many years of successful 10-hr pulled-pork burns in my offset smoker, I set off to adapt my process to my recently operational 39" Pompeii oven. I wait until the oven cools down to about 250F and load my pork shoulders and a charcoal basket with oak lump charcoal. I light one end of the small amount of charcoal (3-4 handfuls, laid in a 'log' shape) and leave the door slightly ajar. This amount of charcoal fills the oven with smoke and burns slowly enough to last about three hours. The heat to slow-cook the shoulder comes exclusively from the oven.

The smoke profile of the pork is nearly identical to my offset-smoked shoulders, only the WFO takes a lot less hand-holding and significantly less charcoal. If you try this, just make sure you you suspend your meat on a rack over a pan with water in it. My first attempt resulted in a pile of charred drippings from the brined pork.

[jeffrorrt]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Chris, CMU = concrete masonry unit aka cement block, not cinder block which are made from coal cinders.

[jeffrorrt]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Chris, I'm looking forward to smoke cooking in the oven also which as Gianni mentioned is in temps far above actual meat smoking which is traditionally done at temps between 90 -140 degrees F.
Jeff
P.S. will post pics soon

[NCMan]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Welcome to the Forum, Jeff. I look forward to following your Build.

[jeffrorrt]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Here are some pics of my progress to date. My patio sloped almost 3 inches in 12 feet, so I had to pour a leveling slab. I etched the existing slab with muriatic acid and added fortifiers and bonding agents to the bag mix prior to pouring. From left to right the layout goes like this....Hearth stand....fire box for smoker with BBQ pit above......smoker. For the dome on the smoker I welded a "form" together using 1/2 inch rebar, then wired stucco mesh to that, then clad the form with a sand mix first, then regular concrete 3 inches thick.

[jeffrorrt]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

In these pics more progress.... smoker dome complete.....firebox lined with firebrick, template for oven done, and BBQ pit ready for firebrick, door for firebox 90% complete, space above firebox will be a proofing oven for bread dough. On a side note it was 111 degrees F here yesterday, my IR thermometer read 129 on the smoker.....maybe i wont need a fire LOL

[jeffrorrt]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Here are some pics, and a spec sheet for the brick angle gauge I built using inexpensive materials from Walmart, I spent less than $20.00 on everything. and plan on using the Pompeii dome calculator, and the "twist and turn" method for my brick cutting. I wanted to build it out of plastic so I wouldn't have to worry about water saturation if I used wood. I used an electronic level to determine washer count.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Nice take on brick jig. One thing I learned, don't cut you whole course at once, may 6 or 7 bricks, then see how they fit and make adjustments as needed. Also, do you best work on the back half of the dome, ie staggered joints, best brick faces. The back half is all people see after all said and done.

[jeffrorrt]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Thanks for the advice Russ, I grew up helping my father build masonry fireplaces as a side job, and he taught me about concrete and block work also. I plan on starting my first course out at the entrance and working towards the back, and reversing the process on the second course by starting at the back. I hope this will eliminate "sliver" bricks mid course, which to me are visually unappealing.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Sounds like a plan.

[jeffrorrt]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Hi gang,
Had a day off today, so I thought I would devote some more time to the WFO. I was able to cut my FB board (which was slightly damaged and were of different thicknesses by almost 1/4 inch) ,but que sera sera!! time for lemonade!!! I also cut my dome floor and arch template. As I noticed the FB board is slightly compressible, I'm going to load the floor template over the high spot with some bricks to bring it to the height of the rest of the floor. Questions, comments, advice, critiques are always welcome

[kbartman]

Re: New build in SW Arizona

Hi gang,
Had a day off today, so I thought I would devote some more time to the WFO. I was able to cut my FB board (which was slightly damaged and were of different thicknesses by almost 1/4 inch) ,but que sera sera!! time for lemonade!!! I also cut my dome floor and arch template. As I noticed the FB board is slightly compressible, I'm going to load the floor template over the high spot with some bricks to bring it to the height of the rest of the floor. Questions, comments, advice, critiques are always welcome

Just came across your build, your off to a good start. Cool idea on the smoke house, looking forward to watching the progress. Very nice block work.

I used the FB board also and it also was damaged and of varying thickness. I complained, and FB sent more. Which ended up being a big plus for me.


You ask for critiques not a critic. I hope this is well taken and not me being critical. Your oven opening seems like the width is not very wide and the height over the 63% golden rule. It might just being a optical illusion. I wish mine was a little lower.

Ps,
Don't make the same mistake I did and try to flatten the high spot with a piece of 2X4 and a hammer....