Why does home brew need to cure?

[mrchipster]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

The roof design is a type of offset delta wing over the oven and the prep table; the left wing of the roof is slightly longer to cover most of the prep table.

The structure is welded 2X1.5 wide flange I beam steel. The front peak extends beyond the entrance to the oven by about 3 feet.

I made a temporary door out of a piece of stainless that will end up being the inner surface of my insulated door.

My original dome (now a pile of rubble) had a piece of stainless between the inner and outer arch to protect the leading edge and create a nice smooth surface for the door seal but I could not figure out how to guarantee a perfect fit building it in reverse so I left it off the second build.

Last photo is of original stainless piece at the thermal break.

The thermal break is still intact as you can see in photo 3, this gap will be filled with perlite; The outer flue arch still has the carbon build up intact; very strange to look at...

I will remove the floor protector after my final internal cleanup.

Sorry John, the construction is not quite up to your beautiful work.

Chip

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

Chip,
I am blown away that you could build a dome in 6 days! Sure, you learned from your first oven, but still! Cutting, fitting and mortaring each brick takes time and skill, especially when it's just you doing the work. When you're hauling pizzas in and out of your working oven and I'm still thinking my way through the next step, we'll both know who the real mason is! Kudos on the thermal break. The family will thank you for the wonderful, slow-cooked feasts forthcoming. Again, killer job.
John

[Tscarborough]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

No worries, I don't think you made the wrong decision in rebuilding it, if anything the choice to use old brick of unknown qualities was the mistake.

I can tell you the most likely reason why it cracked as bad and in the fashion it did though: mortar, as a rule, should be weaker than the brick.

[mrchipster]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

Tom,

I agree that the bricks were a poor choice but free is hard to resist sometimes and I got them long before finding this site. This is really the first time I got bit hard on a "deal". So as I said before "Lessons Learned".

The mortar I used on the first build was FB mortar and it holds like a weld as you can clearly see.

This new build is Home Brew 3:1:1:1 and it sure is easier to work with; like spreading peanut butter, I hope it is as secure on the bricks.

John,

The last six days did take it's toll, All week I followed the guidance of an old chestnut that a previous manger of mine used. "Remember when you put in a 12 hour day you only put in half a days work." I put in a couple that came close to a full day.

As a result I have been inside all day nursing a nasty cold with "Home Brew - NyQuil" (Brandy, Honey, and Lemonade).

Time for some sleep.

Chip

[mrchipster]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

I take my hat off to you. Both for the 6 day dome build and for living somewhere the lakes freeze 4 feet thick.
I'm 51 years old, and I have seen snow exactly once in my entire life! It was reasonably thick on the ground, in the Manninarie hills just north of Jamestown, South Australia about 10 or 12 years ago. I heard about it on the local radio and drove the family about 50 miles to see it. It was actually snowing/sleeting when I got there, and I could hardly comprehend how cold I felt. It was prabably about -2C. Dunno how you manage to survive in it.
Mick

Yes, it does get cold but I am one of those people who fly to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Utah to ski in the spring because the snow is melting here in March. We usually have snow cover from mid December till late February.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

I agree that the bricks were a poor choice but free is hard to resist sometimes

I disagree. If you had known ahead of time this would happen you would have passed. I may have done the same thing buying bricks that were seconds, relying on the salesman's claims that they were off-color and not perfectly rectangular. If my oven cracks and crumbles upon firing I'll do what you did, and rebuild it, only not in six days!

I am one of those people who fly to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Utah to ski in the spring

Now you're really killing me! As one who averaged 20 days at Mammoth during college, I am much too busy now to fit skiing in and long for the youth of being able to ski three straight days of bumps. I am totally jealous!

John

[Dino69]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

John

Mammoth is SAHHH-WHEEEET skiing. I too skied a little in my youth, and a bit beyond, and miss that freedom tremendously.

My last day of skiing at Crystal Mt, by Mt Rainier, was 8in new with 2in rain on top. Cascade cement. You need to be able to move to cut turns in that heavy glop. But I also had plenty of neck deep days in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Montana and Canada. Used to sleep in my truck bed at ski area parking lots.

Spring skiing was my favorite. Sweet soft corn snow in the sunshine...mmmmmmmmm. Love it.

Although I would not give them up for anything in the world, this was all done BK...before kids

Sorry to get off track on a WFO site. Just brings back so many feeling and so much passion for carving a nice turn in fresh snow.

David

PS I hope to use homebrew for my up coming build this spring. Figured I had to throw some WFO thing into this post. I love all the info on this site. You guys are the best.

[Dino69]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

If I skied one hard day of bumps now I might not be able to walk for three. Although, that might be an ok trade off My knees are shot...oldness kinda sucks.

[mrchipster]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

No more bumps for me rapidly approaching 55. Give me nice wide groomers and a glass of wine at the end of the day.

Put in another keystone today and took advise from the "What would you do differently" posts and added a Wine/beer glass cubby.

Chip

[Dino69]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

There are great things to be experienced with big GS turns on the corduroy. Speed, speed and then maybe a little more speed. But powder is still fine with me also.

Wine/ beer glass cubby...Check...another idea drops into the Oven Build folder.

Can I ask what you have behind your brick exterior? 4" cinder block or something else?

I have been thinking of doing a brick enclosure, but since I have zero masonry experience, I am not too sure of all the work involved. Building the dome might be enough brick work. This is a big DIY project for me.

I am trying not to bother you too much. Thanks for your time...

David

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

Used to sleep in my truck bed at ski area parking lots

Did this alot in college, but at least it was a van! The very best GS turns are (were) on steep hardpack...

Great-looking exterior bricks, Chip. The attractive feature of your cubby is that it's placed away from peels and brooms and tools that can knock your precious beverage down, not to mention it may be too high for my wife to reach...

Gianni 'Ingemar' Focaccia

[mrchipster]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

Wine/ beer glass cubby...Check...another idea drops into the Oven Build folder.

Can I ask what you have behind your brick exterior? 4" cinder block or something else?

I am trying not to bother you too much. Thanks for your time...

David

No trouble at all, answering questions is how you will learn and I sure asked a number over the last while.

There are both 4 and 6 inch blocks, 6 inch to start out and then 4 inch set back to provide a brick ledge on the back side. But if you went straight up from your hearth they could all be the same size. The 6 inch are easier to work with. The set back was required because I am pinned into a corner and have no access to the back sides of the oven until 48 inches off the ground.

The top triangle will be backed with 1/2 inch tile backer board supported with metal studs.

Chop.

[mrchipster]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

Great-looking exterior bricks, Chip. The attractive feature of your cubby is that it's placed away from peels and brooms and tools that can knock your precious beverage down, not to mention it may be too high for my wife to reach...

Gianni 'Ingemar' Focaccia

St. Paul MN street brick, that stuff is as hard as granite. It has a real nice smooth side from buggies to cars driving over it for a hundred years.

Nice to do a little recycling.

The key stone is a piece of Chilton stone that I cut to shape. It is a nice hard limestone.


That height will just make it easier for my wife to see but at least it should not get broken.

Chip.

[Dino69]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

Gianni 'Ingemar' Focaccia - Ingemar...That is awesome. Old school awesome. But I did love Alberto Tomba and Marc Girardelli in the 80's and 90's. Girardelli was the man all around.


Chip,
Thanks for your answer. I am sure there will be many more questions to follow. You guys have packed the site with so much info usually I can find my own answers if I look hard enough. Sometimes I just need a little clarity to help understand better even if I do find the answer. Just not too bright I guess.

I just love the brick enclosures. They are so dang cool looking.

Your build is looking great. I hope mine looks half as nice.

David...

[gmchm]

Re: Why does home brew need to cure?

Mrchipster-Thats a fascinating tale of woe. The worst disasters always make the best storys. I'm happy you were able to overcome the difficultys with persistence and hard work. I noticed that in your entryway that you are doing something that I was thinking of doing; that is, having a split-level floor to accommodate a tighter-fitting door seal. gmchm