Cleaning out the grime...

[Lars]

Hi,
I was on this forum A LOT several years ago when I made my oven...with my own interlocking brick design and using just a chisel and fire clay mortar. Now, I am having a couple of problems. First off, I am getting some grime buildup that gets on the crust of the pizzas. I think the problem may be twofold. For one, after years of making pizzas in there, maybe some grease buildup attracts dust and ashes, more so than in the beginning. Secondly, I think I am getting some moisture in the oven. My dome is stucco, but a couple cracks have developed. I really need to thoroughly clean the cooking surface and also seal up the dome better. Suggestions?

[david s]

Not quite sure what you mean by "grime", but any black sooty stuff either on the floor or the dome should burn away if hot enough. If you are getting moisture in the oven it will take more time and fuel to get the inside free of black soot. Fill any cracks in the outer shell and when the oven is thoroughly dry waterproof the shell with an acrylic product, or better still skip the waterproofing and build a roof over the whole oven.

[RandyJ]

What do you mean by grime? I know in my oven the inside is completely clean after I get it to pizza temp. Even if I spill stuff in there it all just burns off when I fire up the next time. If you are getting water in that is a separate issue. You will need to reseal the dome some how. I am sure someone will have a idea for you