new build in werribee

[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

[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

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.

[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

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.

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

PIZZA temp Friday night. clear dome up to then will look at 300c, clear dome Friday. the ramp up Sunday .

[brissie]

Re: new build in werribee

Congratulations Colin on your chicken.

A few weeks ago I also cooked a chicken, tasted fantastic. The WFO is certainly like a drug, the food tastes so good. Ill be interested to see how your first pizzas go. Keep up the good work.

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Shit there's a bit missing wonder where that went.

In my belly

[Liteceeper]

Re: new build in werribee

Hi Colin
Looking good on curing and first cooking, been working away so first chance to catch-up on your build.
Agree with others comments on your neat brickwork, the photo of your oven quote "My nice neat clean and pretty oven is all dirty" all black showing off the joints is a ripper and then the dome clearing to reveal the keystone is something to be proud of.
I will try your chicken on the weekend, Pizza Saturday night, scones Sunday morning, your chicken Sunday night and slow roast butterfly lamb on Monday.
Hope your pizza goes great tonight.

I regards to the surprising high temps at underside of hebel, same happened with my curing, slab under side got to 100C and that's when i heard the dull thud as the slab neatly divided itself into four, now that I have had four clearing fires and cooling to ambient, the cracks are hairline and difficult to find (I know where they are).
The underside still gets to 40C but I guess the 50mm calsil and slab have dried out a bit.

The amount of wood for a clearing fire in my 42" is about the amount in the white box (and a bit more) in photo, I start with american oak offcuts for 1/2 hour and then start chuckin on redgum, oven starts to clear in 1&1/2 hours and then all good by 2 hours, I could go quicker I guess but I like to ramp up slowly, as you are finding out the top gets hot fairly quick but sides & floor need time to absorb heat.

Anthony

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Hi Liteceeper

Stuffing recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
2 middle bacon rashers, trimmed, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1/3 cup roasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups fresh multigrain breadcrumbs [or substitute]
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves


Make Maple macadamia stuffing: Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add bacon and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes or until bacon has browned. Add macadamias. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Stir in maple syrup, breadcrumbs, roasted pine nuts, egg and thyme. Season with pepper.

And enjoy I rubbed the chicken with smoked paprika under the skin.

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Ok am about to give you a lesson. I thought I had made a monumental error with my heat break. SS tube stuffed with Calsil surrounded by calsil with 3mm air break to Granite landing. This morning when I took readings 12 hours after firing I had these readings

heart 120c SS 190c granite landings 230c. this made no sense to me. SO I have been thinking all day how to remove the SS.

My son came over for first pizza night. Cranked it up to 500c and discussed the readings with my son. we mucked around and found that if the IR gun is angled the temps from the SS and Granite read high. If IR gun held at 90deg to surface the readings were. Hearth 120c SS 70c Granite 60c.

it appeared the IR gun and the reflective surfaces [SS and Granite] effect the results. we checked this out at least 30 times while firing the last readings were at clearing temps were

Hearth 420c SS 220c Granite 160c gun held at 90 deg. angled Hearth 420c SS 495C Granite 360C

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: new build in werribee

Interesting observations on the IR gun, will have to try it next time I fire up. Right now I have a 12" of snow on my oven

[brissie]

Re: new build in werribee

I can confirm the behaviour. When I check my oven the same happens, IR guns don't like some reflective surfaces or materials.

Weeks ago I did the same testing on my chimney and had the same result. I don't have any granite, but even dull (not shiny) SS reflected infra-red... interesting, that the properties of infra-red light acts different to visible light.

Years ago I did some infra-red photography, using now ancient film technology. Landscapes where surreal with this spectrum. It acts different to visible light that we are used to. It would be interesting if someone had a infra-red camera to check what it looks like from an IR perspective.

Cheers,

Steve.

[Toomulla]

Re: new build in werribee

The variance most likely relates to the emissivity of the materials which can vary between 0.1 for polished surfaces to 0.9 for granite good IR thermometers can be adjusted to accommodate the variance

[oasiscdm]

Re: new build in werribee

Yep I can adjust the emisivity on my gun. But to what?