Karangi Dudes Barrel Bread Oven

[SableSprings]

As always, your work is true eye candy. I'm glad that you've gotten your health back and continue to share your ideas and workmanship with us on the forum. Just so you know, years ago in your fabulous thread of "good eats" you noted using finger limes. I started looking around and now have two of them at my home...just put them out on the front deck for the spring-fall. I actually got quite a few fruits last year and it's always fun to introduce people to a new treat. (I envy the folks who will have a seat in your upcoming cooking classes.)

Thanks again for really getting me hooked on the potential of having a WFO at hand. I mostly bake bread for my neighborhood and am really looking forward to how your new oven is going to perform. Certainly plenty of mass to bake lots of bread...I'm glad access to wood isn't a problem for you

[UtahBeehiver]

Plus 2. I forgot all about the Aussie finger limes, now I'm intigued. Mike, did you grow from seed or did you get a plant.
?

[SableSprings]

Plus 2. I forgot all about the Aussie finger limes, now I'm intigued. Mike, did you grow from seed or did you get a plant.
?

Believe it or not, I found a short, bushy finger lime (about 18" tall) at our local farmers co-op. They also have had Thai Lime Leaf (Makrut) bushes available for several years. I've had the short finger lime for three years now and two years ago at an outside "Plant Warehouse" I found a tall finger lime (it's almost 6' tall). Apparently there are several varieties available (mostly color differences in the ripe limes and internal bead color). The smaller one of mine produces a lime that's black on the outside when ripe with a pinkish color to the internal "beads". The tall one just produces a translucent internal bead in ripe limes with a similar dark colored fruit skin.

Seems to have become a fairly common item in California nurseries...but I can't imagine how Roseburg got 'em. Anyway, both finger limes I have are extremely thorny with very small leaves. I wouldn't be surprised if you found the plants in a local nursery this spring or maybe on your next trip to see your daughter in the Portland area...

[Karangi Dude]

Thanks Mike,

Good to here from you, your kind words are much appreciated.

I have been unwell with this condition that I have (Psoriatic Arthritis) has really slowed me down, I lost eight months or so not able to do much at all, I struggled to just get through the daily chores, it is not curable but we have it seventy percent under control with an injection that I have fortnightly that allows a few hours each day that I am not in pain so I can get a bit done here and there.

The oven design is an idea I have had for quite a while it is sort of a hybrid, wider than a normal barrel oven with a cooking area that is almost square a low arch and a modified transition
The additional thermal mass in the hearth will help with heat retention, but I do expect it to get to temp about the same time as the 48'' igloo that I built in Karangi
As you will see later there is going to be ample insulation all around. Yes I do have access to plenty of good wood down here in Victoria, lucky I stocked up before I got unwell

Mike, as normal there will be a few new recipes that I hope to share with you guys once we are up and running
I would love for you to come to one of my classes, it is a pity we are on different sides of the world but we do have one thing in common (like all on this forum) and thats the love of our WFO's

Mike since returning to Victoria we have been making our own Salami, Pancetta, Copicola, Cured Olives, Passata and growing lots of garlic I will put some pics up on my food thread

And yes how good are those Finger limes, it's a petty that I can't grow them down here as it is to cold, but I might take your Idea and try them in pots so I can move them out of the cold

Cheers Doug

[Karangi Dude]

Got the angle bricks laid and removed the boxing ready to weld on metal sides and back panels
Building an oven this high of the ground is a little testing, a lot of extra leg work (not good for my aches and pains)

[UtahBeehiver]

Great work as always, why don't you flip the second floor brick from the right around then it will hide the brick chip, or maybe you already have something in mind that hides it.

[Karangi Dude]

Well picked up Russell,

The face of those bricks is where the door arch finishes there will be a thermal break at that point so the chip won't be exposed, I am planning a 50x50mm stainless steel square tube filled with fibre board insulation sitting on top of a vermicrete fill to bring it up to level

Cheers Doug

[UtahBeehiver]

Pretty much figured out you already had this planned out. The build is looking top notch. Are you going to rejuvenate "Karangi's Kitchen" or go with a new theme?

[david s]

Well picked up Russell,

The face of those bricks is where the door arch finishes there will be a thermal break at that point so the chip won't be exposed, I am planning a 50x50mm stainless steel square tube filled with fibre board insulation sitting on top of a vermicrete fill to bring it up to level

Cheers Doug

Stainless looks good, is durable and corrosion resistant, but also some 30 x more conductive than dense firebrick. You can reduce this by using as thin a tube as you can find or by drilling or cutting away sections at the bottom and sides of the tube enough to retain the tubes form. Another option would be to bend some thin (0.55 mm) stainless into a u form with the missing bottom face. This may also allow it to work as an expansion joint as it will have some spring.

[Karangi Dude]

Russell, we will still be trading "Karangi Kitchen" we sold the mobile oven trailer and set up 12 months ago but we didn't sell the name

[Karangi Dude]

David,

Thanks for your advice on the stainless all makes good sense, I was aware of the stainless conductivity
I was going to fold a piece into a U shape but I was lucky enough to come across some scrap tube that has very thin walls
I also think it is important as to what goes under that piece of stainless, in my case it will be 115mm of vermicrete that will separate the hearth and the landing

[Karangi Dude]

Picked up the steel that I had guillotined and folded then welded it all together, I then had it lifted into place ready to be welded to the base.
Next will be to fill the void with insulation a combination of silicone fibre board and vermicrete

[UtahBeehiver]

Holly Smolly, it is really looking great. Knowing how much you Aussies have to pay for fire brick and materials, this is quite and investment. Those newer members who do not KD, go to his cooking thread and look at the foods and breads he has made in the past https://community.fornobravo.com/for...i-dude-cooking you will be like "Paslove Dogs"

[Karangi Dude]

Yes Russell, it is quite an investment not just money but time (mind you I did get an excellent price on the bricks and insulation)

We have been wanting to set up this WFO cooking school ever since we left Karangi nearly 4 years ago, we tried the catering business with the mobile oven but it was not really for us, it was to time consuming.
Now that we have moved to our new home in Thoona we have the right area to set it up the WFO cooking school, so we are looking forward to giving it go

Russell, thanks for the kind words about Whats Karangi Dude Cooking

Cheers Doug

[Karangi Dude]

Filled the sides with 50mm silicon fibre board and then filled the void with vermicrete
Finished building the arch form sat it in place and levelled it, I had to come up with a way to remove the packing so that the form would come away from the arch bricks when finished laying the arch, I used little blocks of pine that I attached a piece of twine that was long enough to reach the front, I did a dry run and the blocks slipped out beautifully
I have now started laying the arch bricks