Cob Oven base and sand

[mikeywills]

I've been looking at the clay oven builds, and I've noticed that everyone uses paper over the top of the sand to make it easier to know when you've reached the cob, but don't seem to put anything between the sand and the fire brick base.

How problematic is getting the sand out of the oven prior to the first fire, has anyone found their first pizzas to be gritty? or am I seeing a problem where there isn't one.

[rivergirl]

No problems at all!! By the time that you are ready for your first cook up your oven base has been brushed a no. Of times. Good luck with your build!

[mikeywills]

Thanks, I'm assuming its better to lay the firebricks dry rather than bed them in, what do others use as a bedding material, builders sand, kiln dried sand?

[limpopomark]

I laid the hearth bricks on sand (which was on top of a layer of bottles, which in turn were on another layer of sand). Also, I found that the paper didn't stick to the sand former - if the same happens in your build, my suggestion is to make a little flour-water mix, and stick it onto paper the former side (not the clay/sand side). It worked for me.

Looking forward to seeing some pictures - and, as rivergirl said, good luck!

mark

[limpopomark]

Oh, and no, not gritty - I read somewhere on here (I think) about taking a piece of copper pipe, flattening one end and using it as a blower to blow the ash etc out of the way too, before sticking the pizza in the oven,which is a handy thing if you ask me. As rivergirl also said, you'll have swept the thing a few times by then anyway. As someone who rates grit in food to be second only to finding hair in food on the 'i am not eating it' scale, I would let you know if it was going to be an ish.

[cannyfradock]

Mark

On a Pompeii build I always lay a sheet of protection... usually a thin sheet of insulation cut to the exact size, but that's more if a brick should drop and damage the floor. On Clay oven builds I have always just laid the sand directly on the fire-brick hearth. On both builds however, after laying the hearth I use dry left over mortar and crush it up real fine (like powder) and brush this between the joints of the fire-brick hearth. Most people but these fire bricks up to one another dry..so there is only the finest of mix/dust which can get between the bricks.

I don't lay any protection on a cob build as I try to augment the drying of the clay by pulling out some of the sand ...perhaps a quarter and starting some small fires. I do this because the area around the arch........or the open clay hole if not using an arch is a weak point so I try to crisp the clay up a bit around this area. Next day I scoop a bit more sand out and put a bit more heat in the oven. ....then finally clear the floor of all sand and start my curing fires. This is the method I use so I am unable to cover the floor.

I find that after a few curing fired and cleaning the hearth every time the only thing left in the joints is ash....which compresses in the joints.

This is only MY method which may vary from other better methods from other members.

Terry