D105 Pre-Cut brick kit build in Tassie

[Steady]

The 4th curing fire lasted for 10+ hours on Saturday ending with a roast meal.

The weather was supposed to be good but they lied! I think the gazebo is a throwaway now that it has been smoked.......

[david s]

Keep the gazebo in place at least until you get the inside of the dome white.

[Steady]

Keep it in place at least until you get the inside of the dome white.

I've wrapped it up in a tarp again with a ratchet strap around the base to seal it up as best I can.

[Steady]

5th fire today, 23/08/15, I lit it at 1.15 and it is still going now 4.5 hours later. It has been a small fire but the dome is sitting around 200 - -230 deg c. When I pulled the tarp off there was condensation on the outside of the dome - the steel door sealing the oven since last weekend was damp on the outside but dry on the inside.

I will leave it to mostly go out now and wrap it up in a tarp again before bed

[philby303]

not long now to really crank it up by the sounds of it.

[Steady]

It is coming along nicely - The dome seems to take very little to keep it at 200-230 deg C but the floor is only 65-80 so I expect I still have a lot of moisture in the CalSil - I still have lots of time until Christmas

[Gulf]

Try pulling a few coals up to and across the door opening at the entry arch. Or, if you have some extra brick, lay a couple of them flat across the opening. Building a temporary levee across the bottom of the door opening will make the draft air enter the oven a little higher and away from the floor preventing that air from cooling the floor. That may help your floor dry quicker. But, as you said, you have plenty of time before Christmas .

[Steady]

Thanks for the tip Gulf - I have some left over bricks and will give it a go on my next firing.

[Gulf]

Let us know how it worked. Just wait until the oven is hot and you have a good coal bed started. If you lay them down too soon, it will starve your fire for air,

[Wozza]

Thanks for all the info on the curing, Steady. Just about to start mine next week. I was thinking of using a gas burner in there, but after reading through your progress and seeing how well it went I'm thinking wood fire might be the way to go. And hey, lots more fun.

[Steady]

I'm finding it to be loads of fun, theruputic even

[Wozza]

Yeah...the pizzas are just a bonus!

[cobblerdave]

G'day

I'm finding it to be loads of fun, theruputic even

G'day
In order to increase your oven experience I suggest....
1 kg or 2 chicken wings, a bottle of Italian salad dressing ( none of that low fat muck) salt pepper and a 6 pack or so of your favourite.
Chuck the chicken and dressing in a plastic bag and go out light the oven drink in hand. Secound beer finds the oven hot enought to brown the chicken, so chicken in a baking dish and into the oven. Put down 3rd beer on realizing that the chicken is browning too fast. Find the garden hoe and rescue the chicken. Cover the chicken with aluminium foil and place back into a cooler section of oven. 4th beer will help cool the hand burnt on the hot baking dish.
1/2 an hour/ 40 mins later you can smell the chicken so you remove your prize and since you've consumed 5 beers? No, 4? Anyway you've got the munchies by now.
You've now made the simple form of "road side chicken".
If you burn it,what the heck, chicken wings are cheap and you're that hungry you going to eat them anyway. If there a bit raw a bit more time or pull of a rescue on the BBQ.
Enjoy the journey
Regards dave

[Steady]

Dave, maaaate.... Sold ! (Scurries off to buy chicken wings and Italian salad dressing)

[PizzaCharlie]

Reading this is like watching Man versus Food...