42" build in Central Texas

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Nice finale, here I am almost three years later still trying to finish mine. Great job.

[oasiscdm]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

I feel better now Russell. Nice work great build

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

This is funny, Pizza news:
Why a Dallas Pizzeria Charges $1,000 for Ranch Dressing - Pizza Week 2014 - Eater National

[americanteek]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Realization: My Pizza crust needs work.
I had it down pat on the green egg but with the WFO I think Im either putting too many toppings (3-4) or Im going to thin with it. I like a crispy crust that will stand out when you fold it. No one said anything of course but it had to be eaten with a fork. The 24 hour All Trumps was harder to work with but the outer edges were nice and airy. I also had 4 Caputo balls (at 4 hours) were easier to work, but too thin and limp.
My DB's were 300 g and stretched to 12"-13"
gonna have to practice and test

Hardly anyone in the US seems to realize this but real Napolitano pizza is always eaten with a fork and knife. Never once seen an Italian in Italy eating Napolitano style pizza by hand. And it isn't even served sliced. Pizza that is thicker (which requires more of a baking technique) is eaten after it cools, sometimes even room temperature. Triangular sliced pizza eaten by hand is an American thing. And don't get me wrong, I love it, and I'm not saying there is a right or wrong way. If you weren't happy with the crust then just keep trying. Rule of thumb is to go less on the toppings. And maybe you already know this but you've got to finish the pizza by holding it really close to the top of the dome for a few seconds. It also helps to let it rest for a minute or two on a vented area, like a cooling rack, so the steam can dissipate without ruining the crust.

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Hardly anyone in the US seems to realize this but real Napolitano pizza is always eaten with a fork and knife. Never once seen an Italian in Italy eating Napolitano style pizza by hand. And it isn't even served sliced. Pizza that is thicker (which requires more of a baking technique) is eaten after it cools, sometimes even room temperature. Triangular sliced pizza eaten by hand is an American thing. And don't get me wrong, I love it, and I'm not saying there is a right or wrong way. If you weren't happy with the crust then just keep trying. Rule of thumb is to go less on the toppings. And maybe you already know this but you've got to finish the pizza by holding it really close to the top of the dome for a few seconds. It also helps to let it rest for a minute or two on a vented area, like a cooling rack, so the steam can dissipate without ruining the crust.

Im getting there with my crust. Im not quite sure Im willing to have temperature controlled ice chest with a culture growing inside like the guy in Houston but I do admire his devotion! Ive found that a 50/50 blend of the Caputo Pizzeria and Rinforzata with ADY and 2 days cold is working for me currently. I got the final roof flashing this week. Fit like a glove. Shout out to Phil at Crippen sheet metal in Austin! he is working on my SS door as i type.
Thanks for the advice!

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Is this normal or nuts? I dreamed about bricks last night, yeah, bricks. Bricks that were long and skinny, bricks that were short and fat, bricks that were red and green and bricks that had weird names on them. I was fishing, trolling a bank and there were bricks on the bank that i was stopping for and examining and collecting into my bass boat. lol

[Greenman]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Were you not an oven builder it would be a matter of some concern. Given that you are then it is probably quite normal. As time passes it will probably progress through the building stages and culminate in a desert pizza. The process will be complete then.

Go quietly amongst the noise and haste............

[americanteek]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Is this normal or nuts? I dreamed about bricks last night, yeah, bricks. Bricks that were long and skinny, bricks that were short and fat, bricks that were red and green and bricks that had weird names on them. I was fishing, trolling a bank and there were bricks on the bank that i was stopping for and examining and collecting into my bass boat. lol

I'm pretty sure I got a mild case of ptsd from a tile job a few years back. I was dreaming of tile the wetsaw, and angles. Sounds normal to me, hey at least you were fishing?

[stonecutter]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Is this normal or nuts? I dreamed about bricks last night, yeah, bricks. Bricks that were long and skinny, bricks that were short and fat, bricks that were red and green and bricks that had weird names on them. I was fishing, trolling a bank and there were bricks on the bank that i was stopping for and examining and collecting into my bass boat. lol

Ill interpret that dream for you. Step over to my couch.......


The bricks in the dream are symbols representing different aspects of your project.

The Long, Skinny Brick and the Short, Fat Brick share the same meanings respectively.....they both represent time you put into the build.

The Bricks that were Long and Fat, symbolize the way you felt about the time that was spent on it.

Long Bricks - are for the drawn out phases, or times when it felt you would never finish.

Fat Bricks- is the amount time you spent thinking and planning the details of the build, which filled your mind and your attention. Not unlike eating several large pizzas.

Skinny Bricks - is the amount of actual time you were able to dedicate to the oven, during your regular routine.

Short Bricks - the amount of time you had to spend on the oven compared to family and work obligations.

The Red and Green Bricks symbolize your financial commitment to the project, and how it effected your personal circumstances.

Red Bricks - Specifically, these are materials that were above budget or ones that you wanted to use that were just too expensive. Similarly, a stop lights keep order at an intersection, keeping you out of a collision. During the construction of the oven, your financial conscience kept you from gross overspending...which usually ends with your face getting ripped off by the good woman. This can be worse than a collision because will happen daily in a never ending cycle...not unlike the eternal suffering of Prometheus. But there is hope because......

Green Bricks - Now these were the materials that are used, or ones that are within a safe spending zone...and did not contribute to extended construction times, adding to the amount of long bricks ( see what I did there?) When these bricks are not present, the Reds take over, and the dream ends with you underneath a huge pile of them, trapping your arms and legs, with your neck and head exposed screaming: " Not the face! Not the face!" Here comes the eagle.....

The Bricks with the Weird Names - This one is easy.

All the new techniques, and nomenclature associated with your project. Sometimes, trying to understand terms and methods in a new field is like trying to learn a new language. Especially on an internet forum.

The Fishing Boat - This is the deepest image in your dream.


This one symbolizes multiple things - your time spent researching the build, asking questions or opinions about materials, and experimenting with learned techniques. Some Bricks were collected and loaded into the boat. Others are left on the bank or discarded...all while trolling along (the stream of time on your build) toward docking up at the end of the trip (completion of the oven) with a boat load of new Bricks (experience) so that you can take another trip (another oven) or bring a friend with you next time (help build their oven) and now your personal trip is over.

So there you go.....welcome to Masonry Oven Building.

Its either this or you are nuts.

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Wow, you Masons are DEEP THINKERS! Mind.Blown.
BTW, this couch doesn't smell very good...

[stonecutter]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

BTW, this couch doesn't smell very good...

That's what happens when the A/C guy is busy building ovens........sweaty nusto clients ruining the furniture. I need one made from leather....

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

Starting to get some smoke on my outer (deco) arch. Do you think that now that now that I have that cap on it's slowing down my draft? i think it is and I think maybe I went a tad small on my draft opening. Thinking about getting the diamond blade out for some tweaking (see pic). Thoughts??? (That is pic #190 in my Picasa album if you want to see contextual photos)

[stonecutter]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

It may help a little, but I'm not sure it will stop the problem completely. What is your heat up sequence?

[david s]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

You'll never get the soot marks off the bricks, but if you tile the front of the arch using glossy tiles, they come clean easily with some damp newspaper. If your oven were mine, I'd also be attacking it with the angle grinder as you suggest.
New or wet ovens are notorious for being smoky, your problem may go away when the oven is really dry.

[GarnerAC]

Re: 42" build in Central Texas

It may help a little, but I'm not sure it will stop the problem completely. What is your heat up sequence?

I use split Post Oak or Live Oak and stagger logs with smaller kindling underneath using a blowtorch (Pear burner) to ignite. It's smoky until it get it really hot. The majority of the thick smoke draws right out but 10-20% will come out front until oven is HOT. Im just thinking that if I provide a bit more taper that maybe only 5-10% will come out front on startup. My main concern is structural if I carve out that one split brick. A smoke stained front is not the end of the world for me, its a WFO! and WFO's make smoke. Just my nature to tweak I guess!