Do I really need an insulated door?

[fxpose]

I know it all depends on what you want to use the oven for with its residual heat and all.

But I'm at a stage where my oven build is almost complete and am currently curing the oven with a series of low to med temp burns using charcoal briquettes.
Even at this early stages of firing, I am amazed at which I can retain smoking temps for over 12 hours with just a grill basket full of charcoal briquettes and several full bricks covering the entry constricting air & exhaust flow in and out of the chamber.
Like most everyone else, aside from doing just pizzas I'd like to use the oven for other things, including smoking, where some airflow is required.
I'll eventually get into baking bread or anything which requires use of prolonged residual heat, but for the time being I think all I need is a simple metal plate door with perhaps an oven thermometer attached to its face. Air flow can be controlled by simply leaving a narrow gap between the door and the oven entry instead in installing adjustable air vents. Thoughts?

George

[Les]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

I believe the FB ovens come with a 1/4 inch steel plate door - you should be fine.

Les...

[Tscarborough]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

I would say it depends upon what you are going to use the oven for. I like to use all the heat, so with my insulated door I can get 4 or 5 days of use:

Saturday 7:00PM dome clears, pizza, ambient 95.
Sunday 9:00AM (I had to leave the door off for an hour and steam it) 450, full floor of bread ambient 85.
Monday 7PM 240 degrees ambient 90 could have done meat.
Tuesday 7PM 180 degrees ambient 80 could have dried veges or slow cooked meat.
Wednesday 6:45PM 115 degrees ambient 80 could continue drying vegetables.

[texassourdough]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

Nice profile TS!

I have a Casa oven with a refractory door and it would be interesting to close the oven with a highly insulating door and see what my profile would be.

We need to invent a good Texas pizza!
Jay

[Tscarborough]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

My Texas pizza is a Margherita using Oxaca cheese, Early Girl tomatoes, and Jalapenos instead of Basil.

[SCChris]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

I have an insulated door made from my excess 2" rigid insulation. Here is this week's profile.

850 500 400 250

Sat 850F - Pizza and made Calzones with the extra dough and toppings to get ahead.
Sun 500F -
Mon 400F - Leg of lamb
Tue 250F - Re-heated the lamb - removed the lamb and added the next starting load of wood to dry.

I think the insulated door gives you options that you would otherwise have.
Chris

[texassourdough]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

Wow. Chris! Your oven is awsomely insulated. Amazing!

Also, TS, nice pizza! I will try it!
Jay

[Tscarborough]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

And today at 5:00PM the oven is still at 101 degrees, ambient 75, so I could still be drying out vegetables. I looked for okra last weekend but couldn't find any. That is what I want to try to dry next.

[fxpose]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

All right.....you guys convinced me. I will make mine insulated. At least I could use the retained heat to dry out wood for starters until I get the hang of things.

Thanks,
George

[texassourdough]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

Hi George!

You don't need an insulated door to dry wood. Having it insulated is certainly (at least to a point) better than uninsulated but....most any door is better than no door! Based on a lot of comments on this site I think it is safe to say "Your first door is unlikely to be your last door!"

Good Luck!
Jay

[SCChris]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

Some have used vermicrete, I think I saw you're using this to cover the oven.

Since you're local, you may be able to find scrap insulating board at some place like foundry service in Santa Fe Springs.

Just a thought.

Chris

[Tscarborough]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

You got that right. I am on door 3 and already figuring out door 4. I also plan on making an uninsulated door to use while cooking hot, like over 500 degrees with fir still in the oven.

[Les]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

I posted this sometime back. I obviously didn't do a lot of cooking - probably let most of the heat out checking the temp's. As I mentioned, I believe the FB door is steel plate, it will work, and by far, it is easy to fabricate.

Saturday at 6:30 PM after the fire; hearth=900 deg.
Saturday at 8:00 PM after pizzas; hearth=555 deg.
Sunday at 9:00 AM hearth=447 deg. - cooked a coffee cake
Sunday at 4:30 PM hearth=374 deg. - cooked coconut shrimp
Monday at 6:30 AM hearth=288 deg.
Monday at 4:45 PM hearth=244 deg.
Tuesday at 4:45 PM hearth=170 deg.

[texassourdough]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

Hi Les!

The one factor you fail to mention is that in Carson City your daytime temps can be 242 degrees F! (Okay, I am exaggerating, but...) )

Actually I am impressed by your profile but I suspect your oven is also dryer than most. Mine gets close in a drought but...not when it is wet!

Thanks for putting up the profile!

[BrickStoneOven]

Re: Do I really need an insulated door?

Someone should make a post of a step by step process of how to make an insulated door. For those few people who aren't really good at that kind of stuff, ie me.