Bathurst Build 100cm ish

[cobblerdave]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

G'day
You doing the right thing, I know it's frustrating slow. But you've got this far the end is in sight.
http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrSb...i41sQR8X_yPcw-
Is a link to some nan bread. Nan bread has sugars and oils which would burn at the higher pizza temps but for lower ones nan bread is perfect. This is my favorite one, the dough is soft and easily handled. Scrap aside the coals cause that part of the damp hearth will be hotter, and when that cools move the coals and use the new spot.
Regards Dave
PS brush with melted butter and garlic ..... YummmmmOo

[Greenman]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

It is all about slowly drying the whole oven. You are on the way.

Your tomatoes look good. It just gets better as you go along.

[SpottedFrog]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

The tomatoes roasted to perfection. Glad I checked them when I did. So excited.

[SpottedFrog]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

Inside the dome at top 210C floor 170C outside near entrance 80C outside of blanket 30C but at the join in the blanket at the top of the dome 110C. And under the hearth 47C. Which worries me a little. But I know there is quite a lot of moisture in the bottom insulating layers. So hope that drops off considerably. There are two layers of blanket around the sides and three on top at this stage. Still have one roll to put on.
I put a dish of San Mazzano tomatoes in rubbed in oils with local garlic and home grown basil.

[SpottedFrog]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

Well after a near tragedy yesterday. My three year old hosed my IR thermometer. Amazing how well rice works. The dome partially cleared yesterday and has cleared more today. Was still hot inside this morning. Not searing but way more than warm. Things are looking good. I see how much easier the firing gets. Lots easier to get started and keep it going also lots less smoke. But definitely curbing through some wood keeping the fire going for such lone periods. Just used the thermometer to check and sitting around 380C. At the top of the dome. Can't see any cracks. I'll look under the blanket after the whole thing has cleared.

[Greenman]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

Isn't that spelled Amen?

Wazza - you need to get out more. Get in touch with nature, smell the eucalypt forest and enjoy what the wood chippers have come to destroy. Once you have done that smelling the pizza is raised to another level!

[Wozza]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

I enjoy getting wood.

Ahem............

[Greenman]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

You are right about the therapy and it will be more pleasant doing such things when it cools off a bit.

You probably get what you pay for with splitters and there have been some advertised in the local paper here today for $1600 and $1400 rated at 34 and 32 ton respectively. I don't have a lot of real gnarley stuff.

I wonder if they do on site demo's?

[seamad]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

I have been lucky with people having dead trees in their yard that they wanted felled and end up with a lot from that. I have been looking longingly at a mechanical splitter though because some of those old dead, dry eucalypts can get pretty tough to split.

A mate of mine bought one of the cheaper chinese ones ( do I dare say that after a recent thread ) and it's pretty useless with the hard stuff, which is of course when you want one. I just use a splitter and then wack the splitter with a lump hammer. It's good therapy and makes the pizzas tastier.

[Greenman]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

Most timber is good. Steer clear of camphor-laurel, black bean and the like and any treated timber is off the list but the majority of what is around is good provided it is properly dried.

I have been lucky with people having dead trees in their yard that they wanted felled and end up with a lot from that. I have been looking longingly at a mechanical splitter though because some of those old dead, dry eucalypts can get pretty tough to split.

Your fruit wood will be fine.

[Sharkey]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

Use whatever wood you can get, it makes no difference at all to the flavor of most of the things you will cook in the oven.

Firstly, when you cook pizza at +350c there is no smoke and the cooking time is only about 2 minutes. When you cook something the next day you use the residual heat in the bricks and only have embers. So, again there is no smoke so the type of wood makes no difference to flavor.

If you do want to add some smoke flavor to a roast you can add whatever wood you like to the embers. I use different types of flavored wood chips that I buy in bags.

[david s]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

You're on the right track. The best wood is free wood. After you've been using your oven for a year you will get less fussy about what kind of wood to use.
I enjoy getting wood.

[SpottedFrog]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

Just having some rambling thoughts on curing today. It seems to me that it is a three step process. Step one a chemical cure
Of the cement/mortar. Step two a heat cure of the refractory. Step three drying the oven out to get maximum saturation for minimum wood.
Step one check
Step two doing it now
Step three. After the storms just before the dome closed over its going to be a loooong slow set of fires.
Which made me think of another thing. Pine. It is a dirty word here in Australia when it comes to burning in a fire. We do love our hard wood. And I totally get that you wouldn't want to use it for cooking. BUT I'm sure I saw someone say they used it to get to temp and saturation then used their good wood for flavour and topping the saturation up. The reason I'm thinking about this is I'm surrounded by foresty pine forests. Oh there are also lots of orchards and some hardwood forests nearby. But I have access to a virtual unlimited supply of pretty much free pine off its post harvest. I am thinking I'll probably be able to pick up fruit trimmings pretty easily too. So will that work. Use the pine to fire things up the fruit wood for flavour and some real hard wood to keep the temp up long term.
Sorry bit of a ramble tonight. Was raining all day so no further curing could be done. Hoping the forecast is right and it is clear for the rest of the week.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

G'day
A wait I between fires is a good thing. The water has a chance to migrate from inside the brick to the dry surfaces left from your last fire. Then it's in the proper area to be taken out by the next fire.
Regards dave

[SpottedFrog]

Re: Bathurst Build 100cm ish

Rain and thunderstorms today so no fire