Les' Build

[Les]

Re: Les' Build

Probably not the best place to put this but I will lose it if I don't

This is in response to having a heat break - not sure if it's going to buy anything...

I fired up the oven tonight and the pizza was fantastic. After the fact, I shot some numbers and I was fairly surprised. I had the door on for about 45 minutes. On the inside ( numbers relate to the lines, 9:10 PM) I read 500 deg and on the outside I read 290. That's pretty huge considering the distance is only one brick thickness plus the door. The door is on and I will measure it again in the morning. This may confirm what I had suspected in the fact that fire brick is a shitty conductor of heat.

8:30 AM - 428 inside, 223 outside
9:00 PM - 348 inside, 195 outside (this is after I just cooked a chicken and a few potatoes)
8:50 AM - 298 inside, 165 outside

[SCChris]

Re: Les' Build

Thanks Les.

Tscar, I also thought about the gaps actually acting as insulation like little areas of disruption in air flow. It's just fun to think about what is actually happening and how it might differ..

Chris

[Tscarborough]

Re: Les' Build

If anything, dry fit will transmit less heat, unless the cuts are perfect, as there will be air gaps (i.e. thermal breaks) not present with a mortared system.

[Les]

Re: Les' Build

but I’d bet that your oven heats quicker and if you bake, that it equalizes to a set temp quicker.

I'm not sure how much faster it get's to temp but I understand your rational. I give it about 2 hours with a moderate fire - isn't that about the norm? The next time I fire it up (probably fathers day) I will try and get the exact time it takes to burn clean.

[SCChris]

Re: Les' Build

What I can imagine is that the gaps between the bricks provide a channel for the heat and cold to move through, where a solid surface of brick and mortar will have a different flow.

As I said it's just interesting imagining how these differences might actually act, or not, in reality.

:-)

Chris

[Wiley]

Re: Les' Build

Chris,
Not meaning to nit pick but your line "the rapid movement of cold away from 5 sides of these bricks," is incorrect. Cold is simply the lack of heat, it is not something unto itself but rather the brick is simply gaining something (thermal energy) it had less of. In this sense the mortar between the bricks may have a different ability to transfer heat than uniform dry set brick construction.

There have been some "analysis" of brick hearths versus a continuous one piece hearth. If one were to believe what Woodstone says, a single one piece hearth (and it might/would follow single piece dome) would be faster to heat and recharge than one composed of individual bricks.
Here's a link to their comparison:

Oven Comparisons - Points of Difference for Comparing Ovens | Wood Stone

I think that there is alot of variables to take into account, not the least of which is the difference in expansion from the relatively high heat of the dome top to the relatively low heat of the dome near the base especially during fireup. In the case of individual bricks (either dry set or mortared together) the stresses would be limited to and accounted by each brick and the thermal gradient of its location whereas the stresses in a single piece WFO would be upon the whole. Depending upon the material this might cause earlier failure of the dome.

Woodstone's rap may or may not have basis in actuality or maybe simply the conjecture of their marketing and design people.

Bests,
Wiley

[SCChris]

Re: Les' Build

Les, I was thinking about your dome and it's very different relative to the amount of thermal mass available in an immediate sense as compared to most if not every other dome on the site.

Let me explain. The bricks of your dome do not have mortar to obstruct the rapid movement of cold away from 5 sides of these bricks, the face and the four sides that would on more normal domes be covered in mortar. I would expect that this would allow the heat to soak these bricks faster than the bricks of a “normal” dome, where the heat has to transit through the mass of the mortar or brick to saturate these dome bricks. Your dome bricks are more like a heat sink on a electronic component than a consistent dense layer, more conduits for heat to move in to and out of. Because there isn’t a control for comparative data I don’t expect to know, but I’d bet that your oven heats quicker and if you bake, that it equalizes to a set temp quicker.

I always thought your oven was interesting and original and got to thinking about how it might act different. None of this makes a hoot of difference relative to pizza or other foods, but I figured I pass the thought along.

Chris

[Pompeii Nate]

Re: Les' Build

Thanks for the information Les. I just keep going back and forth between the igloo idea and the enclosure idea. I don't REALLY have to decide until my oven dome is done right?

[Les]

Re: Les' Build

Nate,

Not all stucco is alike. I used a product made by Dryvit - It has an acrylic base so it is flexible and water proof. Definitely worth the dollars and you can have it colored to whatever you want.

[Gulf]

Re: Les' Build

Stucco is a good weather barrier. The over hangs on the eves and gables are an important part of the protection though. I think that if the stucco job is done right for any application it is used it would be good protection for some time. I kicked this around myself until last week whether or not to have an igloo or an inclosure. Friends and family were in the consensus that the igloo looks "cool". I wanted the weather protection of an inclosure and the looks of an igloo. I settled for an open roof over. It feel that it will afford me the best of both syles.

[Pompeii Nate]

Re: Les' Build

That is a nice amount of snow. That is about what we normally have up here in Idaho but this year the most we have seen at one time is about 5 inches.

The more I think about the whole stucco finish and moisture control I just have to ask...why would they finish entire houses in stucco if there is a concern about moisture control? Even in dry climates they still get rain and I don't see huge complaints from all over the country about the leaking stucco. What am I missing? Am I that far off in my thinking?

Nate

[Les]

Re: Les' Build

No problem so far. I had a pic w/ more snow then this but after 10 inches does it really matter?

[Laku]

Re: Les' Build

I was considering igloo at first but then realized my oven would potentially get constantly wet.. and that's not so nice with the winters we have in here. Also even little water in the stucco could probably cause it to crack/flake during the winter freeze.

So I'm building an enclosure.

[Pompeii Nate]

Re: Les' Build

Les,

The whole idea of an enclosure blocking the view to a large portion of my yard is the exact reason I keep going back to the igloo. I hadn't considered the issues of moisture but up here with all the snow we get I should think on that some more. Thanks for the reply.

Nate

[Les]

Re: Les' Build

Thanks Nate,

You can insulate the igloo to do wonderful things. I think the consensus is that an enclosure would be easier to keep water tight but I have had no issues. The location of the oven would have block views into the back yard so I went the igloo route (after the wife made up my mind) - no regrets.