|
Post by lovepizza on May 20, 2016 15:24:01 GMT
Yet another update....Fired my oven up last weekend and cooked my first pizza. Oven hearth got to 440 degrees and cooked a thin neopolitan margarita in 78 seconds. Delicious!!!!! Still not totally dry. I think I will hold off lime render until late summer, I have bought a heavy duty garden table cover that fits fine to keep the rain off. Firing again this weekend and the following weekend is the pizza party so that will be the real test when it has to turn out 30-40 pizzas in a session! Read more: ukwoodfiredovenforum.proboards.com/thread/2500/start-advice-experts#ixzz49D5CNznx
|
|
|
Post by gracie on May 20, 2016 16:30:25 GMT
Looks really neat. 78 seconds is a good time!
|
|
|
Post by cobblerdave on May 21, 2016 2:00:17 GMT
G'day Stuart Great to hear the ovens working well. A big party is scarey to set up but well worth it, everyone loves pizza and fire! Regards dave
|
|
|
Post by moonhead on May 21, 2016 6:27:54 GMT
Looking good Stuart. Dave's right every one loves fire and pizza, you'll always find willing volunteers to tend the fire in the oven making your life a bit easier with that size of party. Enjoy Rick
|
|
|
Post by lovepizza on May 22, 2016 6:52:36 GMT
Thanks for all of your comments guys. I gave the oven a good firing yesterday. It is improving in efficiency with each firing although it took me two hours to get a fire going in it yesterday, usually it's really easy to get going. I might get a longer flue pipe to help the draw. Anyway, back to efficiency.. Cooked the last pizza at 17:15. (In time for the cup final). Put the door on at 18:30, the embers were still glowing and an ambient temperature of 300c (outer vermicrete insulation got to 60c after door had been in for an hour or so) This morning at 07:30, the oven was still at 130c, outer was cold. So, loosing about 13 degrees an hour. It still has water in the vermicrete insulation as it started coming to the surface within an hour of putting the door on and still visible this morning. Does anyone have any stats on temperature drop to see how this compares to other ovens out there in the WFO universe (this is a clay oven)? Yummmmmmm....the garlic bread was super good too. My favourite so far..
|
|
|
Post by cobblerdave on May 22, 2016 23:08:10 GMT
|
|
|
Post by lovepizza on Sept 17, 2016 13:26:25 GMT
Hi All,
I haven't started any new post of late, been enjoying using the oven too much...Quick update and question.
Update is, the oven is working great. After several pizza parties I have now learned the characteristics of my oven. Cooked a delicious lamb kleftiko and some pulled pork also.
Now my oven is well and truly dried out, it time to render over the vermicrete.
I purchase a couple of tubs of lime render with synthetic fibre in.
My plan is to apply a a 10mm scratch coat, then a10 mm finish coat.
My question is, should I put chicken wire on first or will it ok to render straight into the vermicrete?
Stuart
|
|
|
Post by curlygirl on Sept 17, 2016 18:37:39 GMT
Hi Stuart, reading your oven story with great interest. I just put my vermiculite layer on. 2 layers 2 inch thick on 2 consecutive days. Quick question - how long before it eventually dried? I'm very impatient for pizzas like yours!!
|
|
|
Post by lovepizza on Sept 17, 2016 21:52:32 GMT
Hi Once I applied the vermicrete (I used a 10:1 Ratio), I left it a week than went for it and had pizza.
As long as the vermicrete has set, you might as well get the moisture out.
I had a similar insulation thickness to yours, and it was dry within a month (hot weather and 4 pizza parties) although I did dry out my inner clay layer first!
Just make sure that before you render, you get he moisture out as heat and moisture create steam, and that will blow your render.
I love the look of my oven without their render. The only reason I'm doing it is to protect it "just in case" I decide to cook pizza when it's pi**ing down. Although unlikely..so far, I've keep my oven under a tarp and it's been fine.
If I were you, I wouldn't hesitate to use it as that will help dry out the vermicrete and don't rush the rendering if you can keep it under cover..
Stuart
|
|
|
Post by curlygirl on Sept 17, 2016 22:00:15 GMT
Hi Once I applied the vermicrete (I used a 10:1 Ratio), I left it a week than went for it and had pizza. As long as the vermicrete has set, you might as well get the moisture out. I had a similar insulation thickness to yours, and it was dry within a month (hot weather and 4 pizza parties). Just make sure that before you render, you get he moisture out as heat and moisture create steam, and that will blow your render. I love the look of my oven without their render. The only reason I'm doing it is to protect it "just in case" I decide to cook pizza when it's pi**ing down. Although unlikely..so far, I've keep my oven under a tarp and it's been fine. If I were you, I wouldn't hesitate to use it as that will help dry out the vermicrete and don't rush the rendering if you can keep it under cover.. Stuart Thanks for reply, very useful at this stage of my build. We have it under a gazebo at the minute. But in rainy, windy Northern Ireland I'm not sure how long that will be adequate, but the forecast isn't too bad for the next week so think I'll try to let the air round it. Think I'm gonna render with Krend because I really don't like the look of a roof! Are you going to put chicken wire round it before you render? Can't wait to eat pizza!
|
|
|
Post by oblertone on Sept 17, 2016 22:27:45 GMT
No real need for chicken wire over vermicrete, it's normally used over blanket to provide 'grab' for the render and prevent compressing the blanket, you won't have either problem.
|
|
|
Post by downunderdave on Sept 18, 2016 2:34:56 GMT
I think the outer shell needs reinforcing of some kind or it is extremely likely to crack, which is not a huge issue because it's really only a weather coating for your oven and easy enough to repair, but cracks can create an entry point for water. Once your insulation gets wet its insulating capacity is reduced and you need more heat to expel the moisture which means more fuel used and more time required in firing. The two most common ways of reinforcing the outer shell are chicken wire or randomly mixed fibres in the render mix. If using chicken wire I found the easiest way was to cut pieces around a square foot (anything larger does not conform easily to the compound curve). Apply them as you go, overlapping each piece. It is far easier and less labour intensive to add random fibres. AR (alkaline resistant fibreglass fibres are excellent for this application, but there are other types.
|
|
|
Post by lovepizza on Sept 18, 2016 7:34:24 GMT
Thanks Dave, Oblertone.
Curlygirl, I actually went back and read my own thread to remind myself what I actually did when drying the outer insulation. Bear in mind, my inner clay dome was completely dry and had a couple if good full temperature firings before I insulated. This meant that i just needed to focus on drying the vermicrete. I did do a couple of curing fires. You will find that the colour changes from a dark grey to a silver colour but this is only the outside, inside will still be wet. After i had finished my firings, i put the door on, this pushed the residual heat and moisture out through the insulation (rather than out of the door). Your insulation will get hot at this point, but dont worry, its only because of the water content. I built up the fires over a week or two, then cooked pizza! The insulation continued to dry over the coming weeks. As I said before, dont be in a rush to render it, the vermicrete finish will grow on you and as long as you keep it dry and it will be fine and wont effect the cooking of pizzas ! I have patched up my vermicrete a couple of times due to movement/cracking by mixing up half a bucket full but I am now confident that there is no water in it, outside temp gets to 30-40 degrees (tops) with door on and im good to go to render stage.
|
|
|
Post by curlygirl on Sept 18, 2016 10:56:48 GMT
Thanks Dave, Oblertone. Curlygirl, I actually went back and read my own thread to remind myself what I actually did when drying the outer insulation. Bear in mind, my inner clay dome was completely dry and had a couple if good full temperature firings before I insulated. This meant that i just needed to focus on drying the vermicrete. I did do a couple of curing fires. You will find that the colour changes from a dark grey to a silver colour but this is only the outside, inside will still be wet. After i had finished my firings, i put the door on, this pushed the residual heat and moisture out through the insulation (rather than out of the door). Your insulation will get hot at this point, but dont worry, its only because of the water content. I built up the fires over a week or two, then cooked pizza! The insulation continued to dry over the coming weeks. As I said before, dont be in a rush to render it, the vermicrete finish will grow on you and as long as you keep it dry and it will be fine and wont effect the cooking of pizzas ! I have patched up my vermicrete a couple of times due to movement/cracking by mixing up half a bucket full but I am now confident that there is no water in it, outside temp gets to 30-40 degrees (tops) with door on and im good to go to render stage. Great advice about the door. I would never have thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense. Must get a door made. That's my project for today! Thanks X Nikki
|
|
|
Post by lovepizza on Sept 18, 2016 14:35:28 GMT
Glad to help Nikki. I completed first scratch coat this morning. It went on quite well. Will finish it next weekend. Stuart
|
|