Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

[Lburou]

Baby steps now....

Soon you will running with the pizza dough Russell. You have to make a few mistakes first, then, as you reread some posts here you will have an epiphany and be off again.

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Nice! I have the same IKEA containers that I use for dough proofing. Try Splatgirl's sourdough recipe. It has treated me well. I go for 70% hydration

I poured my counters today. Fingers crossed all will turn out well...

[dvm]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Congrats on First Pizza!
I stack my wood allowing for good air flow (like Lincoln Logs) just inside the dome. Once thing get going I push the whole thing to the center, and more wood. When these become coals I push them to the back 1/3 and add more wood to the center. Once the dome is cleared I push then coals to one side; which takes up 1/3 of the floor space and brush the hearth. For me, a grate would be in the way.

[pvns]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I have been following this forum for over a year now, savaging materials and supplies. I am building a 42" corner build and I have to give credit to all the members for their ideas and innovations. I started last May but was shut down due to shoulder surgery but I am hard at it again now. I just stripped the forms off my build. Thanks for all the inspiration of you WFOs

Russell

Hi!

I am trying to build a corner Pompeii oven with an internal diameter of 48"( 4 feet) without the insulation and I am looking for help from pros like you in designing it. If you could guide me on the dimensions of dome height, oven opening/arch dimensions, dimensions of the concrete platform etc. The room dimensions are 5.4 metres long and 3.4 metres wide. I will be very grateful if you can help me in building my oven.

Thanks a million in advance

Cheers

Sastry

[mrchipster]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

After you insulate it will also be much easier to get your dome to clear, if your oven came down to 120 overnight you are losing a lot of heat to the atmosphere and that is true while cooking also, I am sure the outside of your dome is very hot to the touch while cooking.

more wood and remember when tosssing in logs be careful not to hit the sides of the oven they can pack quite a punch, with larger pieces that are full of knots and hard to split into wrist size pieces i will place them in the oven opening then push them back with my poker and then lift one end up on to the fire.

I do not want to dislodge any bricks by tossing in a larger piece.

I have not felt the need for a grate and agree it would just get in the way in a larger oven like yours, I think with a smaller oven some people use grates to hold the coals (live fire) to the side and keep a flame going without having things falling into the food; but you have plenty of room there.

Chip

[mrchipster]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Hi!

I am trying to build a corner Pompeii oven with an internal diameter of 48"( 4 feet) without the insulation and I am looking for help from pros like you in designing it. If you could guide me on the dimensions of dome height, oven opening/arch dimensions, dimensions of the concrete platform etc. The room dimensions are 5.4 metres long and 3.4 metres wide. I will be very grateful if you can help me in building my oven.

Thanks a million in advance

Cheers

Sastry

Sastry,

I would recommend starting your own thread with the title something like "Corner build in India" and post questions and show your results there. but to briefly answer your question.

Slab should be larger than the oven floor to accomidate the oven to alow for oven wall thickness, insulation, and finish material, I have a house around my corner oven and the internal diameter is 42" the slab is 72 square with a 32 inch chamfer for the opening, the slab under the oven is centered on the base slab and is 66 inches across, this allows me my brick ledge for the finishing bricks.

My oven is 4.5 inches thick, I have 4 inch block that goes up the outside ov the oven above the oven floor support slab.

so subtracting

66 oven support floor
-42 oven internal
-9 inches of oven wall
-8 inches concrete block
= 7 inches for insulatiion
the 4 edges that come close to the wall have 3.5 inches of insulation between the oven outer shell and the concrete block wall that has the finish brick.

Chip

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Thanks guys on the grate issue. Had an old one laying around so looks like it will still lay around. Mr. Chip, going to insulate as soon as I get the concrete counters polished. Outside temp of the dome was about 200 degrees F during the last fire and I don't have my door fabricated yet so lots of places for heat to disappear during the night.

[mrchipster]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Thanks guys on the grate issue. Had an old one laying around so looks like it will still lay around. Mr. Chip, going to insulate as soon as I get the concrete counters polished. Outside temp of the dome was about 200 degrees F during the last fire and I don't have my door fabricated yet so lots of places for heat to disappear during the night.

Have you thought about turning the grate into a Tuscan grill.

Chip

[Laku]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I actually like my grate. Makes it easier to shift the embers around and keep the fire contained while cooking.

[david s]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Have you thought about turning the grate into a Tuscan grill.

Chip

Chip,
I have one exactly like yours. Looks like you did the same by using some bolts to create the legs. I rake some coals forward into the entry and place the grill over them, works pretty well.

[mrchipster]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Chip,
I have one exactly like yours. Looks like you did the same by using some bolts to create the legs. I rake some coals forward into the entry and place the grill over them, works pretty well.

I do the same I leave it a little into the oven to get some radiant heat from the dome. they cook faster than on the BBQ grill so I need to watch them close to get Medium Rare.

Chip

[Pompeii Nate]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Hey Russell,

Your oven is gorgeous! I love your transition to the chimney and your outer arch work. It looks awesome! I wish I could say I was even close to you but sadly I am not. I have not even been able to touch my oven since the beginning of August and now with the nights getting below freezing already I am pretty sure the building season for my oven is now past. Oh well, maybe I will spend the winter cutting bricks and getting ready to hit the ground running come next spring. We will see.

Well congratulations on the progress and your results! It all looks great.

Nate

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

KD,

Finally heeded your advice on extending the chimney, found a demo extension from a fireplace store on e-bay, received yesterday and installed this morning. Planning on enclosing the chimeny stack with a metal chimney pot. On the hunt for some copper sheeting or copper colored aluminum sheeting. As you can see from the picture, fall is here and weather is getting unsettled, hoping to get the counters sealed and that is probably it for the season.

Going to crank the oven up for a family party. Thanks again for all the constructive feedback I have gotten from you.

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Weather has turned here as well. I'm in the same spot as you with the counters, need to get them sealed.

You gonna blue tarp all winter?

[mrchipster]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

maybe we will get a nice indian summer and I can get some more work done.

But that would mean less snow for me to ski on when I come out. Come on winter....
Chip