Gas assist

[Jason79]

I m putting a natural gas assist in my oven to get the wood fire started easier and faster I also think this will help get my cooking temp higher and faster any thoughts thanks Jason

[SCChris]

Re: Gas assist

My feeling is that a uncontrolled natural gas burner isn't going the help appreciably. I personally believe that the bricks will only take up the heat so fast. Assuming that the heat source is providing enough heat, saturating the bricks will take something between 90 and 180 minutes no matter what the heat source.

The way to get the oven to temps faster is to start at a temperature closer to pizza temps. To achieve this you could use your oven more often, not letting it cool down, or hold it at an elevated temp.

I want to play with a solar electric heater to maintain oven temps between 250F and 300F. If the oven is already saturated to these temps getting it to the 750F or higher will go faster and use less wood. Additionally the 250 to 300 standing temp will allow a large range of spontaneous cooking.

Chris

[brickie in oz]

Re: Gas assist

I want to play with a solar electric heater to maintain oven temps between 250F and 300F. If the oven is already saturated to these temps getting it to the 750F or higher will go faster and use less wood. Additionally the 250 to 300 standing temp will allow a large range of spontaneous cooking.

Chris

That is brilliant.
I wanted to build a wind turbine but was stuck with an idea for a dump to take the excess power and there it is, the pizza oven.

Ill have to build oven number 3 now.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Gas assist

I m putting a natural gas assist in my oven to get the wood fire started easier and faster I also think this will help get my cooking temp higher and faster any thoughts thanks Jason

You might blow yourself up.

[SCChris]

Re: Gas assist

Brickie, the idea is to use the WFO like the oven in an AGA cooker. The cooker was invented in 1929 by the Nobel Prize-winning Swedish physicist Gustaf Dal?n. Wiki up AGA Cooker and take a look. AGA cooker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They’re pretty but not particularly efficient, unless you used it to also heat that part of a cold house.

The idea of being able to load an oven up without preheating is very attractive for those of us that have commutes from hell but still want quality food quick. I think where we’re headed, sooner than not, is smarter appliances that will pre-heat with a quick internet go message.

Jason, I'd be very carefull adding NatGas. The commercial units include this as an option so you might check with some of the commercial guys to find out where you can get hurt.

Chris

[Ken524]

Re: Gas assist

Gas and home built pizza ovens don't mix. Don't do it, it's very dangerous. If you get a gas build-up at the top of the dome... boom.

I use seasoned wood (6-12 months) in my oven and can go from a cold oven to a raging inferno in about 10 minutes with nothing but one match and one stick of fatwood (Fatwood Natural Fire Starter: Wood Products International: What is Fatwood?) - available at any Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Newspaper works great too.

I guarantee I can get my oven up to temp as fast or faster than any "gas assist" oven.

Please skip the gas. Waste of time, gas and it's crazy dangerous.

[shuboyje]

Re: Gas assist

You have now made multiple posts that suggest you don't have much understanding of the "how and why" of wood fired brick ovens and their construction. Innovation is great, but you seem to be on a path to re-invent the wheel, except your wheel is square. On all of your questions I would give you the same advice, download the plans, read them a few times and understand what is going on here. After that if you want to innovate have at it, but right now you are setting yourself up for disappointment and possibly disaster.

[Neil2]

Re: Gas assist

"Please skip the gas. Waste of time, gas and it's crazy dangerous."

..and is not "carbon neutral, like wood is. Don't mess with your karma.

[cava]

Re: Gas assist

Using a gas burner in a confined space is potentially dangerous when reaching the ideal gas/air mixture for ignition. The biggest problem is getting both primary and secondary air to the burner in the required quantities.

My advice, for what it's worth, is not to proceed with the gas option in the cooking dome. Underneath the dome in fresh ambient air is different, but certainly not in the dome itself.

Just for the record, I have spent the last 30 years in the gas industry specialising in the design, testing and certification of gas appliances.

[david s]

Re: Gas assist

You would need a flame failure device on the burner and have the setup installed and certified by a licensed gas fitter, both of which cost lots for little advantage.