There are probably pros and cons for both methods. I have just done a week of curing fires without insulation and other than some fine cracks there was no issues. As the firings progressed the cracks settled to the extent that they closed and stayed that way for the last fire. It wasn't until the 3rd fire that moisture could be seen in places on the exterior of the dome and when that evaporated off after a couple more fires it was a good indication of progress.
I am presently waiting for the vermicrete to dry before applying the render coat. I expect that steady fires will be the way to go for the first few fires after it is all done.
Like David said, you don't really know what is happening under the insulation but it will probably assist in moderating the temperatures.
Cheers............. Steve

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