Northeast PA newbie ready to go!

[VasceBimmer]

Hi. I love your oven. You did an amazing job. Do you have contact info/price for the oven mold you purchased from the local guy? Thanks in advance.

[w650gb500]

The whole entertaining area in its current configuration and hopefully the way it will stay.

[w650gb500]

Well, it’s been quite a while since I’ve updated this post, so here it is. We used the oven a dozen times(+/-) so far this year and the outdoor entraining time is coming to a close for the season. It’s been fun and quite a novelty having friends/family over for “pizza nights” and sunsets. We had several family birthday parties as well since it’s way more fun doing this than going out for dinner at some restaurant. All this and getting good enough at making pizzas that I will NEVER go and buy one ever again. It’s been a fun and informative journey down this WFO path and experience/education that I will have with me forever. Who knows, it may turn into something more later in life……

The oven has worked wonderfully just as built. The insulation definitely does it’s job, the damper surely helps help heat in and the door fits/works GREAT. Heat retention is incredible! The floor cleans off really well and at the end of the season with 100+ pizzas cooked, it looks almost like it did when we threw the first one in. The dome has a few small cracks which showed up early after the second or third use. Fortunately they have not become any larger, but I will certainly keep an eye on them moving forward.

After using the oven, the only shortcoming that I can think of is lack of counter space. “IF” I ever build another WFO, the counter space will be 6’-8’ on either side based on how we use it. One side for prep/building and the other side for wood preparation and serving. In our current set-up, we use the grey boulder table behind me to set the finished pizzas to serve everyone. Part way through the season Jennifer offered to her brother to have his 60th birthday party here. He was thrilled at the idea, and after we decided on the guest list(16-18 people), she was worried that our entertaining area wasn’t large enough. She asked if I could add another table for people to stand/drink/eat around. She also asked about some sort of outdoor heater since the evenings are getting cooler. This got me thinking, which can be very dangerous! I tend to think “outside the box”, so I had an idea. How about another boulder table with a heater? Easy, right? Off to my “stash” of rocks/boulders to see what I can find. Here is how it ended up, where it’s located and compared to what the area originally looked like. It turned out to be a very useful addition because the stone actually heats up and keeps the pizzas warm until eaten.

[MarkJerling]

This evening at 6:30pm, the floor temperature was 250* for an average of 18* of heat loss per hour. I will check again tonight for a 24 hour average. Seems like the insulation and build are working but I don’t know what an acceptable heat loss ratio might be. This will work for me.

The height was fine, the problem was standing in one place for 6+ hours. Next time I’ll find a chair and sit! My own fault, but for the first “pizza party” I was intent on making sure nothing went wrong with and in the oven. IT WAS AN AWESOME NIGHT and I can see it becoming addictive!

Since I had no previous experience with pizza dough, I cheated and bought thawed dough locally. They were 28oz dough balls which I let sit sit and rise in the bag. I split them in quarters, floured and wrapped them on trays. I had no idea how much I needed, so I bought 4 packages and ended up with 16 7oz balls! They just kept growing! The 7oz ball makes a thin crust 12” pie. At the end I combine 2 balls to make a bit thicker 14-15” pie and I think it came out better that way. The dough cost me $2.75/ball, so I don’t foresee making my own dough any time soon. I had 2 7oz balls left at the end, and simply threw them in the oven to make some sort of “bread-like substance”. Well, tonite I used one to make garlic bread with dinner and it was a HUGE hit. Absolutely delicious and I can see why you guys bake breads in these ovens.

Once you star experimenting with making your own dough, you won't buy store made! I've been experimenting with cold fermented dough using Caputto 00 flour. Huge, huge imporvement over my earlier attempts.
If you're in a hurry though, then a breadmaker will make a decent pizza dough pretty quickly.

Oh, and have fun using the oven for a roast!

[w650gb500]

This evening at 6:30pm, the floor temperature was 250* for an average of 18* of heat loss per hour. I will check again tonight for a 24 hour average. Seems like the insulation and build are working but I don’t know what an acceptable heat loss ratio might be. This will work for me.

The height was fine, the problem was standing in one place for 6+ hours. Next time I’ll find a chair and sit! My own fault, but for the first “pizza party” I was intent on making sure nothing went wrong with and in the oven. IT WAS AN AWESOME NIGHT and I can see it becoming addictive!

Since I had no previous experience with pizza dough, I cheated and bought thawed dough locally. They were 28oz dough balls which I let sit sit and rise in the bag. I split them in quarters, floured and wrapped them on trays. I had no idea how much I needed, so I bought 4 packages and ended up with 16 7oz balls! They just kept growing! The 7oz ball makes a thin crust 12” pie. At the end I combine 2 balls to make a bit thicker 14-15” pie and I think it came out better that way. The dough cost me $2.75/ball, so I don’t foresee making my own dough any time soon. I had 2 7oz balls left at the end, and simply threw them in the oven to make some sort of “bread-like substance”. Well, tonite I used one to make garlic bread with dinner and it was a HUGE hit. Absolutely delicious and I can see why you guys bake breads in these ovens.

[MarkJerling]

Photos or it did not happen! LOL

All jokes aside. Congrats! It's sure fun having your first pizza party. If your back's killing you, you built it too low!

[w650gb500]

Finally something to report. Over the last few weeks, I was able to fire the oven 4-5 times in stages as per the gentleman who manufactures the casting. It was many long hours sitting and drinking beer, but it must have worked. We make our first pizzas last night!!!! Now, I will admit, I purchased dough from a local Wegman’s supermarket, but making my own will be the next step in this whole adventure.

I started heating the oven about 2-1/2 - 3 hours before the first pie went in. I called my cousin who runs a WFO pizza restaurant and used his suggestion of 625* floor temperature to get started and see how the dough reacted. Well, after making 10 small 12” pizzas, I think 625 was a good sweet spot. We cooked all night, fed 6 people and sent everyone home with a pie. It was a LONG day standing in front of the oven and my lower back is paying for it this morning, but we all had an absolute blast hanging out in the back yard. One thing that I wasn’t ready for was the amount of wood the oven “eats” in a 6 hour burn. DAMN!!!

Finally, a little bit of data on my oven. Floor temp was kept at 625* for approximately 3 hours while cooking. After the flame went out at 9:45pm, I closed the damper and fit my insulated door. This morning at 6:45am I checked the floor temp and it was 400*. 9 hours and an average loss per hour of 25*. I will check it again tonite and average it out again over 24 hours.

Bottom line, it was FANTASTIC!!! I foresee many, many evenings entertaining family and friends and having the pizza oven as the focal point. I’m so glad I was able to find this forum as I credit you guys for getting me to the point. Without this forum and the suggestions/guidance from the members, I would have ended up with fieldstone mortared to the casting and settled for a decorative “igloo” in my back yard instead of how it turned out.

[Kris S]

The Hardie board was covered with lath wire and a scratch coat of Quikrete Type S mortar. This is how I was told to do it when we were doing the house, so it’s the only way I’ve ever tried. On the base, I applied the fieldstone veneer directly on the concrete block and it worked fine once I figured out the consistency.

After some more searching around I'm going to prime the boards, use a fibrgelass mesh + scratch coat of regular mortar, and a second one on top to finish (+ paint later).
Should be okay.

[MarkJerling]

Sounds like the first pizzas are not too far off. Enjoy!

[w650gb500]

Last night I was finally able to build my first fire in the oven and begin the “drying out process”. Initially it was WAY TOO HOT, but I was able to regulate it to a steady 200* dome temp for a while and eventually to 285* before I quit. When the flame finally burned out, I closed the damper, fitted the door and called it a night. This morning, about 14 hours later, I went down to the oven, removed the door and put my hand inside. To my surprise, it was still warm!!!! I guess the insulation is doing it’s job as designed. 2 more nights to complete the “break-in” and we will be ready to cook.

[w650gb500]

The Hardie board was covered with lath wire and a scratch coat of Quikrete Type S mortar. This is how I was told to do it when we were doing the house, so it’s the only way I’ve ever tried. On the base, I applied the fieldstone veneer directly on the concrete block and it worked fine once I figured out the consistency.

[Kris S]

Hi,

I'm nearing the stage where I will enclose my oven with cement based boards (Knauf aquapanel) and will apply a stucco on that and paint it later.
I have some questions if you don't mind...

I see you applied mortar directly to the hardieboard, without any primer or wire mesh or chicken wire. is that because your finish is different? i.e. stone veneer instead of stucco? (differen end goal, different technique required?)
What type of mortar did you use?
Do you know if i could stucco using plain standard mortar?
Do you know if it would be possible to apply plain mortar directly on the (pre wetted) cement boards?
Should I use primer and/or wire mesh?

I hope to avoid the mortar stucco cracking and flaking off the walls over time...

Does anyone know anybody who's stucco'd or cemented over concrete blocks and cement boards with plain mortar?

Lots of questions,

[SableSprings]

Your oven has turned out fabulous! As to the probe thermometer in your door, do seek one with a higher temp range than 500F...they do exist. You' be putting the door on at much higher temps after a pizza party. I shoot for 575 to 600F when I'm getting ready to throw in baguette or flatbread dough. I opted for a heavier firing door and a much lighter cooking door (for my bread work after firing).

If your mom is looking to bake bread, you are probably going to want a light weight door for her...and I suspect she'd dig using the IR gun to check the oven floor temp. A more important point (imho) is that the cooking floor temp is as important (if not more) as the chamber air temp (that the door probes report). Involve your mom in a discussion about how she'd like to work with the oven doing bread. For example, "Pans or loaves loaded by peel on the floor of the wfo?"

[w650gb500]

Don’t know what happened to the pix in my last post, but I will try again.

[Ope-dog]

Wanted to put a question out to the forum regarding doors and door thermometers, etc. Some excellent point on here, not to mention some fantastic looking doors. To me, the door is an extremely important detail and NOT to be overlooked.. simple, small (in comparison) but definitely draws the eye in and will always be a talking point! So, to SableSprings point about having a "dial" in your well-designed door, I get it. Not always the most aesthetically placed feature. But.. I also compare it to a TV being staged in a model home.. they are never there.. yet.. everyone has and will use one. lol.

I have an IR gun that I will plan to use for cooking pizza. (I suspect over time I will learn my oven and learn my temps, dome clearing, etc.) My main goal to have a dial thermometer in the door was for the post-pizza cooking the next day. I wanted to have something simple and familiar so that my mother can go out to the oven, see the temperature, and know if it's at a range for her to throw in a loaf or two of bread. Having her grab an IR gun and get an accurate temp isn't something I want her to have to fuss with.

So to my question.. most probe thermometers seem to only go to around 550 F. Is this sufficient or is it best to find one that can go higher? By the time the door goes on, logic dictates the oven will not be firing at 800F, however I don't want to have any worries about screwing up a thermometer if I put the door on too soon after an evening of slinging pizzas. Any thoughts?

Love the pics and designs!