40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

[Driftwood]

Hello all, I getting ready to start my 40" Pompeii here in the Texas Hill Country. This is not my first, or second WFO. I built an Allen Scott oven about 14 yrs ago. Then I actually started building Pompeii's and Outdoor Kitchens for others with the help of a Master Mason that is one of the best builders out there Professionally. Some pictures of my ovens are included in the Pompeii Instructions.

It has been 5 yrs since I have been involved in any of the construction with ovens. Getting back on this site has blown me away with all of the incredible advancements in technique and materials that I am seeing.

Before I get too far with my build, I would like to hear from those of you that are building your cooking floors using only 2.5" of Brick in the floor as to how well it retains heat over time? When I say , over time, I am referring to my last oven that used 4.5" of floor brick and used similar insulation as I am seeing in the recent builds I see on this site. I could entertain and cook on a Friday night keeping the fire going all night. Then, I would put a door over the openning and use the retained heat the following Sunday to roast two or three chickens and bake a caserole. The Temp would be 450-500 still on Sunday.

Are any of you getting similar results using only 2.5"? If so, what combination of insulation are you using?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[texman]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

yes on the temps on saturday and sunday. I have 2.5" 12x12 medium duty floor.
FB board under the floor and 6" of vermicrete under that. Been cooking a lot of chickens and pork roast on sundays.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Thanks Texman. That is comforting to know.

One other question. Has anyone poured a Perlcrete insulation layer and then add 1-1.5" homebrew mix where the dome will sit as a means of adding more mass and a better platform to start the dome build?

I am considering adding 1.5" of 5 parts Grog, 1 part portland, 1 Part Lime and 1 Part Clay. Any thoughts?


Thanks again!

[david s]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

If you are laying a 5:1 vermicrete slab as under floor insulation, just trowel the surface fairly vigorously and it will bring the cement to the surface giving you a perfectly flat and strong enough surface to build directly on. If you want to add more mass then lay another layer as per your recipe, but remember that it will take extra energy (wood) and time to get the temp up there.

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

He is looking for extra mass, David. That will work as a refractory concrete, Driftwood, even though it doesn't really need to be refractory in that position.

You have worked with Dave E.?

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

He is looking for extra mass, David. That will work as a refractory concrete, Driftwood, even though it doesn't really need to be refractory in that position.

You have worked with Dave E.?

Thanks Tscar, My goal is to understand, as an option, if I could expect additional mass ( heat retention) by adding this Homebrew layer?

And yes. I introduced Dave to the Pompeii oven design and he got started building these ovens through our relationship. He also uses the design I developed for my smoker in his current builds.

Dave is one of the best I have come across.

Thanks

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

And an all around good guy.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

And an all around good guy.

Absolutely!

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Scarbrough, are you a Mason?

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

I have worked at MPI for the last 25 years, but I am not a mason.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Tom, that worked at St. Elmo?

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Not that is Tstalboerger. I do commercial sales and cat herding.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Okay, we may have met at one time or other.

I grew up in the Masonary business in Austin. Started working for my Dad when I was 11 and stayed in it until my third year in College. Then, started to get back into the business around 2000. Mostly as a side business.

I met Dave after I built my first Allen Scott oven. Then after James started this site and introduced the Pompeii, I got Dave to build my first Pompeii for a Customer. He was the only person I could trust to do the job correctly.

Now, I am back building my own Oven and looking for any new ideas that I can gather.

I love this site and the progress made as a result of it.

Thank you James!

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

If you are looking for a straight pizza oven, I think there are quite a few improvements to the FB plans, which are for a general WFO, and there have been some refinements since the plans were published even for that.

The AS plans, I am sorry to say, God Rest His Soul, are a poor design for a residential oven, period. They work for a community oven or tiny volume bakery, but even then the design is not optimized.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Totally agree on the AS Oven design for home use. That is why the introduction of the Pompeii has been so successful.