36" Corner Build in Minnesota

[Sixto]

I ran full fire yesterday and it heated up nicely. I will attempt pizzas on Friday. I can’t wait.

Looks great! I'm sure your pizzas will taste great too! I started with one pie only using the wood peel with cornmeal to launch it. It was topped with really nice olive oil and rosemary, just to get the feel of the oven. Watching it rise and bubble away was like watching a Polaroid photo develop. Then I tried to see if I could manage two fully topped pizzas at once. It was harder to do, but it worked... one pizza got a little ash on it (I need a longer copper pipe) Then, on the next pair of pies I got overconfident and folded an accidental calzone like Russell said. All good! Have fun on Friday!

[UtahBeehiver]

There are a lot of nuances in cooking pizza so don't be surprised if you make some accidental calzones (I've make several). I found wooden peels seem to work best for loading and a steel banjo peel for turning and remember less is best when topping the pizzas.

[MnDude45]

I ran full fire yesterday and it heated up nicely. I will attempt pizzas on Friday. I can’t wait.

[UtahBeehiver]

No, fairly common and domes are self supporting. One of the reasons staggered joints are recommended, even though the crack did go thru one of your bricks.

[MnDude45]

I have completed 5 of 7 curing fires and have noticed a hairline crack along the back wall. I know all ovens crack but should I be concerned??

[MnDude45]

I’ve finished up the back, sides and top over the dome and applied waterproofing to seam and screws. Also continued with the curing fires after a couple days off due to schedule and weather.

The fires are mesmerizing.

[Gulf]

If you will elevate the charcoal and allow air to be drawn in from underneath it will burn without the need for kindling in these easy stages.

[MnDude45]

Sixto - The enclosure five sided with the flat front, two side extending back from the front to the end of counter and then two sides coming to the point at the back of the corner. The back does slope back to the corner. The slope will remain to be topped by a poured concrete cap with overhang. My plan is to get the cement board and waterproof on this week. In the meantime, I am able to cover the entire enclosure with a larger tarp after cooling to protect from any overnight rains. Hoping the forecast remains dry for a few days.

[MnDude45]

Gulf - I have a couple of charcoal chimney starters which I have been using to start the curing fires. They are working great in this role. Yesterday I started with 6 briquettes in the foil pan and added kindling as necessary to spark to flames. I'll ramp up the number of briquettes each day until to raise the heat until I'm able to build bigger fires. I'm trying to heed Utah's advise and keep the fires manageable.

Thanks for the feedback and advice.

[Sixto]

Chris, I love the stepping of the front facade up to the chimney. Nice proportions! Is the surround a hexagon or octagon in plan? Also it looks as if the roofline has a gentle slope to the back, will you do a flattish roof or a gable shedding to each side? Are you also planning to build-on some sort of rain protection for you when working the oven in the rain? I may have to invest in one of those patio umbrellas for sun and rain protection since my dome is exposed.

[Gulf]

Chris,

The build is looking mighty fine. This device would come in handy for most of the lower temp drying fires. Fully stoked with lump charcoal, they burn very hot, but with no direct flame impingement on the dome. Wood fires tend to get out of hand before you know it. A charcoal chimney starter (Not Galvanized) also comes in very handy for many uses after the oven is fully dry.


EDIT: Having internet speed issues loading pics. Here is a link with a pic that I wanted to share.

[MnDude45]

Finished the structure for the enclosure today and Day 2 of curing. A good darkening of the dome has formed which I will patiently burn off in the coming days.

[UtahBeehiver]

Same advice given to Sixto, slow go, turtle wins the race in curing an oven.

[Sixto]

Hey, it's like we're both giving birth at the same time! (after a long, arduous labor, with much grunting, sweating and swearing)
And look, the inside of your dome is Perfect! . (I won't even look at mine until after the 8th day... I don't want to know if there are cracks till then.)

[MnDude45]

Fire #1 today. Another monumental day. I fired it up to ~200+ on the dome top and 180 on the dome side walls using 4-5 charcoal briquettes and kindling to flame it up. No signs of damage as it cooled.