new build in werribee

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Hey David

thanks for all the adivice.

I drank the wine. f--K putting it in the roasting tray. But I will try your ideas once I get past the initial thrill.

[david s]

Re: new build in werribee

Colin,
I told you that you wouldn't be disappointed in a roast chook. My son in law says he'll never eat a roast chicken cooked any other way. People often say to us that it's the best roast chicken they've ever had. I usually pour a glass of wine into the baking dish with some herbs, place the bird on a rack over the mixture. This way it takes the sting out of the hot floor. Sometimes I throw in half a handful (careful, it's easy to overdo) of hickory chips onto the coals just before placing the baking dish in the oven and sealing up the door. The lack of oxygen extinguishes any flame. Using the pan juices to make a gravy from this mix makes a superb gravy.

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Hi CB

I have felt for some time that the standard build requiring the CF blanket followed by the vermicrete layer to be flawed in concept and logic. I have felt that the curing process needs to be more based on what the opposite of what everyone feels is the correct process. I agree with the slow and methodical approach and am adopting this myself. I intend to fire the oven regularly, daily and for the purpose of CONDITIONING the oven to be able to achieve the results I need it to achieve.

So far I have no cracks, severe or hairline. Whether that remains to be the case is anybodies guess.

we all have our own views and perspcetives and will follow those as we feel they are accurate.

Yes I am hooked Greenman from the moment my son said DAD why don't you build an oven like you had before. That was a tandoori oven and this is different but so much better.

I will keep you all posted.

[Greenman]

Re: new build in werribee

Hey Colin

Good job. It is a very forgiving and totally different way of cooking. I am hooked and if I had to move I would have the foundations for the oven down before the furniture was off the truck.

It is a real Eureka moment when the first meal comes out of the labour of love.

Sounds like another one is hooked!

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

ok just ate the chicken I said I was preparing in a previous post. in a word TO DIE FOR. The maple syrup permeated through the chicken, the smoked paprika was enhanced by the oven in dripping over the skin and then being vaporized by the oven temperature. The vegetables steamed initially by SWMBO were crunchy but cooked perfectly half cooked from steaming . It is the best meal I have eaten in years. the chicken was moist around 60deg C. I tell you the months of meticulous preparation and planning and building are well worth it. all up I estimate the cost of building was around $3k maybe just over but worth every cent.

I feel I have built an oven that is better than any professional bricklayer would achieve - no offence intended Brickie.

I run a mens group and had a brick layer attending he wouldn't even attempt such a feat. I have seen brickies oven and his is a work of art.

am amazed and will be cooking from the oven I believe more than the indoor version. as they pale into insignificance.

NOW FOR PIZZA ON FRIDAY

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Hi all

Just feel that the fluctuation in curing will enhance the oven. No set routine so to speak. I am currently cooking a chicken and vegetables, the chicken is roasting away. The thing is that most builds I have researched stick to a schedule. I decided to change the schedule and not necessarily get to high temps quickly, but to take advantage of the temperature available to me. This way the water is removed from the oven, so that all food is cooked with a fully cured oven. cured to me revolves around an oven that can handle various temperatures at any point in time.

Sometimes we want pizza at 500c other time bread at less and then possibly other roasts at somewhere in between.

[Lancer]

Re: new build in werribee

Thanks Lancer for the compliments. Re curing device I just purchased it online, a place here in Melbourne had it going for very reasonable price.

You can get them from China/Hong Kong if you can get the propane/LPG. Can you get this where you are?

I'd be amazed if I could. Might be better buying a gas grill and using the element, but I'm inclined to forgo this and slow build fires in the oven the old fashioned way. Besides I have charcoal left over from the kiln fail so its waiting for the day.

Just gotta admire what you've done and the manner, very professional. :b:

[chubbybones]

Re: new build in werribee

Im guessing there's some sort of reasoning behind fluctuating the temperature that benefits the curing process?
Keep up the good work

Cheers John.

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Since three hours passed without any moisture, it appears your choice of wood was appropriate. Watching the dome clear must've been pretty gratifying, yes? . Would love to hear your report on any (hairline) cracks.

I am intrigued that in pic #1 the last course of light-colored bricks completely cleared first instead of the dome clearing across the top. The Circle of Life or Aura of yin/yang perhaps?

Some condensation came through after about 3 hours of burning around the 400 mark, bought to clearing [around 500c] them I tempered the fire down back to below 350 and maintained that.

Watching it clear was a real buzz and was well worth the extra work and time delay Russell. Watching it slowly reappear is amazing just needed the bottle of wine when doing this. John I'm not sure why it cleared that way other than fire was too the left. I was expecting the symbol to re-appear 1st.

Crack report - none yet - but it is too hot to stick head or camera in. I did notice a failed Mortar joint on the left brick above the flue gallery. This course goes over the flue dynabolts so isn't very deep. I then realised that I used a hammer drill to lodge a tapcon into the side brick. guessing the hammering caused the failure. Moral to story is if you have too use a hammer drill use a very small one not 6mm like I did.

Great piccies Colin.That keystone breaking through the soot must have been a very cool moment.
Im pretty much at the same stage as you with the fires as my condensation has seemed to have dissapeared aswell..Im thinking of ramping it up today with a steady temp. of around 300`C-350`C.
Ill be interested to see what you do.
Great Work.

Same idea as you CB. I have already reached 500c to clear, held that for a while then tempered it back.see comment above and below. My intention is to vary the temperature up and down with the lowest being 200c Friday ramp up to Pizza temps cook 3 then ramp it down I will stoke on Saturday before leaving and let go out while away then clean and fire Sunday night and go slow and steady until Xmas day.

Colin,
Glad to see the dome cleared. Congratulations! If I remember correctly, after my dome cleared I continued adding wood slowly and held it at max temperature for several hours.

It's your call! I thought I was through my curing stages because of the prolonged high temperature held for several hours each day. I had several cooking fires that were brought to temperature slowly over several hours. My first crack did not appear until I lit a kindling fire to start the cool oven. I had been using charcoal started in a chimney starter then pour on the oven floor. The roaring fire must have created a great temperature deferential close to my inner arch. I think the key is slow heating to max temperature for many firings to give the oven break-in time (or until you get your first crack--LOL). Just my opinion, I really love the keystone clearing.

BTW....Do you have a thermocouple on the outside of the brick? This will tell you if you have saturated your bricks thoroughly with heat. I think that also needs to be taken into account during curing . If the temperature is relatively close to the inside, you can be sure there is no moisture trapped within the brick. At that point, I say...FIRE AWAY!

KB

Thermocouple positioned 10mm inside surface and same outside surface. About 360c and 310c respectively when I last measured.

So far there are no cracks especially around the flue as my flue gallery is completely separate from the dome. I can't actually see inside the oven I will check this out when oven cools.

I have noticed that underneath the hearth surface temp of the hebel was 80c not sure if that is a good thing or not. I have 50mm call and 75mm hebel. At 125mm of insulation I wasn't expecting that high a temperature .

David

Will ramp temps and keep a constant temp but fluctuate it up and down. I take plastic off dome to allow air and Sun drying and then place the plastic back on every few hours during the night. Moisture is taking longer and longer to appear the 3 times I have done this so far. Tomorrow 40c day should see most moisture out of it I hope.

[chubbybones]

Re: new build in werribee

Great piccies Colin.That keystone breaking through the soot must have been a very cool moment.
Im pretty much at the same stage as you with the fires as my condensation has seemed to have dissapeared aswell..Im thinking of ramping it up today with a steady temp. of around 300`C-350`C.
Ill be interested to see what you do.
Great Work.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: new build in werribee

Colin,

Isn't the extra work to do the yin/yang plug worth it? Now everytime you clear the dome you can look in and see it. Congrats.

[david s]

Re: new build in werribee

From what you've said, the fuel you've gone through and the pics provided, I'd say it's ready to ramp up the temp. Just remember that you can take it too fast and risk damage, but you can never take it too slow.

[kbartman]

Re: new build in werribee

Colin,
Glad to see the dome cleared. Congratulations! If I remember correctly, after my dome cleared I continued adding wood slowly and held it at max temperature for several hours.

It's your call! I thought I was through my curing stages because of the prolonged high temperature held for several hours each day. I had several cooking fires that were brought to temperature slowly over several hours. My first crack did not appear until I lit a kindling fire to start the cool oven. I had been using charcoal started in a chimney starter then pour on the oven floor. The roaring fire must have created a great temperature deferential close to my inner arch. I think the key is slow heating to max temperature for many firings to give the oven break-in time (or until you get your first crack--LOL). Just my opinion, I really love the keystone clearing.

BTW....Do you have a thermocouple on the outside of the brick? This will tell you if you have saturated your bricks thoroughly with heat. I think that also needs to be taken into account during curing . If the temperature is relatively close to the inside, you can be sure there is no moisture trapped within the brick. At that point, I say...FIRE AWAY!

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: new build in werribee

Since three hours passed without any moisture, it appears your choice of wood was appropriate. Watching the dome clear must've been pretty gratifying, yes? . Would love to hear your report on any (hairline) cracks.

I am intrigued that in pic #1 the last course of light-colored bricks completely cleared first instead of the dome clearing across the top. The Circle of Life or Aura of yin/yang perhaps?

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Thx John and kb.

Compliments coming from you guys do make the effort worthwhile.
John as I have said yours is the prettiest build, and I thank you for all your assistance as we built those difficult landings flared and dropped front arch. All that shaving grinding helped the smoke flow. I was amazed when I watched the hat beads soot up the entry. Watching all that black stuff displaying up the flue was quite amazing. Wished I had got that on video. It was all over in about 30 seconds.

When do you feel I should build to clearing temps. As I can do that with the curing device as well as wood?.