building the oven

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

Now I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong/differently than before... but it'll have to wait
I got the pictures fixed, now I need to figure how everybody else gets the thumbnail size to explode when clicked.

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

I have no idea, at the moment, how to create the thumbnails at the bottom of the post, so, for now, here's a few more of another pizza party.
Again, a picture from the front to show it's not going to cave in... at least not without any help.



and a before & after of a white pizza...

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

I should add that the metal bar across the top is there just for a piece of metal I had on top to act as a temporary roof to keep water off. I didn't have that there to start, and I noticed a hearth temp problem with that pizza party. Sure, enough, the piece of insulation underneath my hearth bricks was wet.

[C5dad]

Re: building the oven

Tman

This is a really cool oven that is like the energizer bunny. I would have placed a c note that a failure would have happened by the end of the fire!

As for the thumbnails, use the reply button under the last posting. The click on the paperclip (next to the smiley face) and upload the pictures one by one. It will take some time. You can only upload 5 pics as well.

Keep it up

[mklingles]

Re: building the oven

What's the brick count for the oven?

How big is the floor cooking surface (about) -- or how many 14" pizza's can you cook at a time?

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

C5- Consider that bet placed. Please mail the money to... Thanks for the info on pictures. I won't feel like such a techno newbie now.

Mkingles- Around 600. The concrete pavers make a 4x4 landing. I did place a layer of clay pavers (bricks) to start with under the whole thing because I was worried about the pavers failing due to heat. Over that went a piece of 2x3 insulation board, then another layer of pavers. So, basically the cooking area is 2x3, and I probably could do 3 pizzas at a time, but I usually only do 1, sometimes 2. The long narrow shape and the small opening make moving pizzas tricky. I could've went smaller in size, but we had a lot of pavers, so at the time, we just went with it. Looking back on it, I should have put the pavers on edge instead of flat to have more mass on the floor, but it seems to work just fine, as you can see. One of the downsides of these clay pavers, was they were not a good size to work with. Two bricks on edge did not equal one laying perpendicular to it, but at a cost of $50....

[stephen*z]

Re: building the oven

yea! some times you have to just go for it and the heck with the rules. there are videos on the web of women cooking beautiful bread in things that look like holes in the floor using grass clippings.
I say Rock On! to you.

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

Thanks Stephen! It doesn't look too pretty, but makes great pizza!!

[Taxin]

Re: building the oven

Hey Tman those pizzas sure look good not a pretty oven but it sure looks like it works in a pinch !

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

Hasn't been fired up in awhile... too cold on the days when I wanted to do it. I may give a go this weekend!

[Taxin]

Re: building the oven

Awesome! My Casa2G was just delivered loaded on the truck

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

Well, after 7 months it's still standing and I put it to work yesterday.

It takes about an hour to clear the ceiling and get it ready for pizza. I also tried Reinhart's country classic dough. It went well, and was super smooth to work with. Surprisingly though, my wife and I both didn't like it as much as our Wolfgang Puck recipe. I'll start some experimenting with different hydrations to see if their is a happy medium.
I am starting to realize that in this fashion, it's basically just a pizza oven. I'll need to figure something for when we actually have money.

[countryboy]

Re: building the oven

Good to see that thing is still going!!

At this rate, you may NEVER build a permanent oven!! LOL!

CB

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

I haven't posted to my own thread but I have been using the oven which still stands today in the same shape it was in previously. I can get it up and keep it at 725*... I actually would like o cook hotter than that, but it does have it's limitations. The humidity here has been terrible.. hit 88% one day.
I have found the Forno Bravo dough recipe to be very good. I need to find some 00 flour to really give it a go.

[mekdigital]

Re: building the oven

I love this oven! It shows that a man can jump on the moon, if he really wants to?!