Well i quess im building an oven!

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i guess im building an oven!

Hi Lance,

Welcome aboard!

Why are you planning a barrel oven? Why not a Pompeii?

Are you planning to make a high mass oven? They take longer to heat up but make loads and loads of bread.

If you are going to cook more than bake, you will want to consider the lower mass Pompeii oven. It is much more practical for home use. Mine is still 350F 12-18 hours after removing the fire...so still a lot of mass. Sometimes the biggest problem I have is a too-hot oven. I have waited several hours for mine to cool to a proper bread baking temp (I would call mine a medium mass Pompeii, I have about 1" of additional mass on top of the fire bricks).

Do download the Pompeii plans and let us know your thoughts!

Drake

Thanks for all the responces everyone, i did download the Pompeii plans as a guide and helper when i get stuck on something, but the barrel design looks so much easier to construct. That is the main reason for choosing the barrel.

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

Fireandflames
Have you downloaded the FB Pompeii oven plans? If not do so, it is a great resource and really will spell out how best to tackle this project...find it at the FB store...download is free or you can be a good guy and pay a little bit to help support a great charitable cause!...either way we will certainly continue to help!
Best
Dutch

Thanks for the support! I will take pics of the location today!

[dmun]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

the barrel design looks so much easier to construct

It isn't, really, the original half-brick design is easy, as well as being strong, and light, and quick and economical to construct.

James, the founder of FB, worked to develop a practical round oven design after building two barrel vault ovens, and being dis-satisfied with them.

One of the reasons for all that concrete around the barrel vault oven is that the stresses that the arched roof puts on the vertical side walls. All that mass has to be heated up every time you fire the oven. This isn't a problem if you bake multiple batches of bread every day. You never loose the heat from the previous day, and you don't need the blistering heat that pizza likes. Mostly the folks who are pleased with the barrel vault design are serious bakers.

It's also hard to sweep the ash out of the corners.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/w...s-round-2.html

[RCLake]

Re: Well i guess im building an oven!

Thanks for all the responces everyone, i did download the Pompeii plans as a guide and helper when i get stuck on something, but the barrel design looks so much easier to construct. That is the main reason for choosing the barrel.

I would decide on what type of oven you build by how you are going to use it, not how hard it is to build. Building has been a fun part, now I need to learn the cooking part. If you have access to lots of wood the higher thermal mass in a barrel oven isn't an issue.

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

I understand what your saying, mabye i will take a second look at the round oven idea... i guess i would say the majority of what i will be cooking is pizza and other baked dishes with a light sprinkling of breads. I guess i can count on the cool people here to help with the construction, and i really like the idea of a lighter oven! Also my brick count will be smaller...hmmm

[asudavew]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

well...

my dome stays hot for 2 to 3 days!

no need for a barrel...
Pompeii is the new pink....

Less material, less wood, definitely the way to go....

Just my 2 percent of a dollar....

[gjbingham]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

Yup! Do some more reading. As always, dmun's right on track. James first built a bread baking style oven, but was unhappy with the results and work required to get it hot enough to make pizza. You just need to ask yourself what you want to do with the oven, and build the type oven best suited to your needs.

You can beef up a pompeii style pizza oven with extra cladding outside the dome to give you more retained heat for extended bake sessions, but it will cost you more wood and time to get it hot. Most importantly, don't underinsulate, especially beneath the floor of the oven. That's where all my residual heat seams to go.

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

Well i think you guys have me convinced... why am i so scared of the dome construction??? The plus is the plans have it all laid out!

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

I was checking out different products my work has and stubled on ceramic fire brick and american fibrex block insulation i think i should buy some from my work what do you think?

Mount Etna Partners, LLC - Refractory insulation,Ceramic insulation,Block insulation,High temperature,Specialty insulation,Vacuum former,Insulation manufacturer,Insulation fabricator,Insulation,Mineral wool

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

Here is the site location.

[dmun]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

I like it! It's strategically located behind the neighbor's shed so they can't see what your doing until the chimney sticks up!

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

That pic is decieving there is an alley behind my fence and that house has a 5-6 metre yard till his house. And whats cool is all the people around me love and have fire pits so im gonna be a hit.....finally im important!
Im crazy i find something i like and dive in with both feet, about two weeks ago i found a cheese and sausage making site and already ive made a queso blanco cheese and some awsome pork sausages. I cant wait to taste my homemade mozza on a fired pizza MMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

I cant believe it the small town i live in actually had somthing i needed, VERMICULITE! The hardware store got a surplus of the stuff and could not sell it so the guy gave me a deal! Check out the deal i got....

2 - 180L bags for $70

reg price 1 bag for $79.99

[FIREANDFLAMES]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

Hello all, i have dug my hole and was wondering i only dug down approx 7-8" on average and i hit clay, is this deep enough?

[Gareth]

Re: Well i quess im building an oven!

i only dug down approx 7-8" on average and i hit clay, is this deep enough?

It depends on your frost line, you want to be below it if al possible.