whatīs that coming out of the firebricks?

[cmendezg2000]

Hello everybody, does anyone know what is that salt looking thing coming out of the brick? (look at the photo). As IĻm building the oven and as it drys is coming out everywhere.

I think itīs completely normal, but what is it?
Is itīs going away at certain point?

I appreciate if someone could explain a little bit about it.

Thanks a lot.

[wotavidone]

Could be efflorescence.
Dissolved salts in the water migrate to the surface with the water, then the water dries leaving the salts behind.
It's normal when mortar is involved.
In almost any mix I can think of there will be something that dissolves in the water.
Nothing to be concerned about.

[cmendezg2000]

Thank you for the reply wotavidone

Thatīs exactly what I was thinking it was, salt drying out from the mortar.

After the curing of the oven it will eventually disappear?
The question comes after my father told over the phone (he had a similar oven built in his backyard), that there was salt on the stone and when he cooked the pizza it was super salty taste. I think that he didnīt cure the oven properly, I hope that it goes away after the curing is done.

Any thoughts?

[SableSprings]

Efflorescence is an expected problem from any concrete and it is seen sooner when the concrete work is subjected to wet conditions. I've attached a link to a good article explaining what it is and how to deal with it (most easily removed with a mild vinegar solution). It is highly unlikely that your father's salty pizza was due to efflorescence from the stone (?)...and not due to improper curing of the oven (and it won't go away during the curing process, it has to be physically removed).

https://www.concreteconstruction.net...ou-remove-it_o

[wotavidone]

It is highly unlikely that your father's salty pizza was due to efflorescence from the stone [/url]

Agree. We need to bear in mind the distinction between salt as applied to food, and the chemical definition of a salt as in ionic compound.
Salt applied to food is sodium chloride, one of the many "salts".
The salt in the efflorescence is probably a calcium compound.
It is more likely to impart a bitter tastes than a salty one.
I expect dear old Dad slipped with the salt shaker.

[wotavidone]

PS if you wipe it off as soon as you see it, you won't have to do much cleaning with dilute acid.

[cmendezg2000]

SableSprings wotavidone , thank you for the information, I will read the information that you passed on, and will clean the efflorescence as soon as it comes out.