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Post by pizzamateur on Sept 28, 2016 19:14:10 GMT
So here comes the freestyle part where I went a bit off piste. I was given a load of fire bricks really cheap and wanted to utilise them in some way. The only way I could figure out to best use them was in the flooring. I have read on previous threads that just the precast floors can be a bit of a heat loss so i decided to double down and put the bricks and modular cast flooring in as well. On top of the vermiculite I put a thin layer of fire clay and then laid the bricks flush flat. I then put some fire cement on the bricks that I mixed up, and laid the base of the oven
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Post by pizzamateur on Sept 28, 2016 19:20:49 GMT
So then get three strong mates and fire cement all the parts together. NOT AN EASY JOB! This took some fine tuning. little tip for others, a heavy rubber mallet does wonders just moving the v v heavy prefab pieces in the last millimetre spots. note on the last image you can see that I have cemented the recommended chimney in place. Biggest mistake I made over the whole project was not cementing it in well enough. I only noticed that there was a touch of movement afterwards, and figured that the vermiculite layer and final render would help secure it. It didn't as both layers don't really have great strength.
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Post by pizzamateur on Sept 28, 2016 19:39:05 GMT
The came the ceramic blanket layer. This stuff is a bit fibrous and nasty, please note the photo of me in suitable PPE. then a layer of the old chicken wire and the vermiculite layer. Here's the thing Vermiculite doesn't have any structural integrity and I didn't want to use too much cement as it loses the thermal properties, so I shuttered that horrible stuff in and let it dry in the shuttering. I then chipped of the excess so as to create curves rather than the left straight lines. A bit wasteful but did the trick. And then of course tiny curing fires to try and get the moisture out of the ceramic and the vermiculite before the render
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Post by downunderdave on Sept 28, 2016 19:45:05 GMT
Are the firebricks insulating firebricks or dense firebricks? If IFB's they will be super light and will be good to insulate your floor. If they're dense fire brick you are going to have trouble getting the floor up to temperature having added more thermal mass to that area making the floor and dome unbalanced, because it is now very thick and it will take extra time to heat. If you are after cooking a lot of bread it may be a good thing to have the extra thermal mass there, but for pizza it creates difficulty getting the floor hot enough. In addition because you have extended them out well beyond the outer perimeter of the oven, heat will be conducting there too.it would at least be advisable to cut them off so they don't extend past the dome. If they're IFB's also cut them off because IFB's are really porous and they'll act as sponges sucking moisture into the oven if left exposed.
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Post by pizzamateur on Sept 28, 2016 19:49:57 GMT
And then the magical render part, as it hides a lot of my rank amateur sins! I used K-rend after a bit of looking at this forum. I also got the cheat plastic stuff that makes it easier, and oh yeah, I got a mate who's a professional plasterer to do most of it as it ruddy impossible!!!!! here's the oven starting to look a bit sexy.
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Post by pizzamateur on Sept 28, 2016 20:06:04 GMT
Then next door I wanted to put a marble slab, but budget and ability to source got in the way, so on a local scrap yard I found some old snooker table slate that was perfect, so laid that next door to the oven and now have the completed job! The render cracked by the chimney at the front and hairline all the way down the dome a tiny bit. It's covered by a gazebo at the moment, and the cracks shrink when the ovens cool, I think I'l, have to dig them out and re-render but I crank the oven up bloody high, and I mean 600C high, so fear that whatever happens that there'll be a bit of movement. I've fixed a door that is based on a really simple design that slides into the inside arch of the oven. If I light the oven and heat her up gently during the day, and then crank her right up for a pizza session, with the door on afterwards she stays hot for about three days. about 250C the next day, and then about 150C the day after. The only complaint I've got is if I want to slow cook something or bake vainly soon after pizza it doesn't bloody cool down quick enough!
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Post by pizzamateur on Sept 28, 2016 20:12:38 GMT
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Post by albacore on Sept 28, 2016 20:44:24 GMT
Nice pizza. What flour are you using?
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Post by pizzamateur on Sept 29, 2016 8:21:00 GMT
the usual, as in caputo blue. The tomatoes, that are pretty key are Paulo Pilletti and the cheese garufalo mozzarella.
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Post by oblertone on Oct 4, 2016 9:14:21 GMT
I must be doing something wrong; I use flour/water/salt/yeast as you suggest but when left in the fridge it still rises like something from Quatermass and pushes the fridge door open !
Thinking on, I do have the breadmakers habit of letting the first rise take place at room temperature, before knocking back and balling, then it goes in the fridge; maybe I need to alter my schedule.
Good move with the slate, treat it to a slather of olive oil occasionally and it'll buff up a treat. I used a slate bed from a pool table as a hearth, but was overruled about leaving a pocket in one corner !
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Post by albacore on Oct 4, 2016 19:22:24 GMT
Interesting - I guess you mean Paolo Petrilli? If so, I think they'll have to go on my Christmas present list! (£9.50 for a 1kg jar + p&p)
My only dabble with San Marzanos was with the Morrison's version; I thought they were a poor second to Cirios. Always willing to try again, tho'!
Lance
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Post by downunderdave on Oct 6, 2016 2:06:37 GMT
I must be doing something wrong; I use flour/water/salt/yeast as you suggest but when left in the fridge it still rises like something from Quatermass and pushes the fridge door open ! Thinking on, I do have the breadmakers habit of letting the first rise take place at room temperature, before knocking back and balling, then it goes in the fridge; maybe I need to alter my schedule. Good move with the slate, treat it to a slather of olive oil occasionally and it'll buff up a treat. I used a slate bed from a pool table as a hearth, but was overruled about leaving a pocket in one corner ! WFO pizza dough should only contain flour, water,salt,yeast. Sugar and oil added to the dough act as browning agents which may be ok for lower temps, but not for the high temps. Pizza dough usually uses half the yeast of a bread dough mix.
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Post by pizzamateur on Oct 6, 2016 15:20:25 GMT
the website Vorrei is banging for ingredients. I luckily use the restaurant I work in to abuse wholesale prices.
So with the dough, quick blitz in a magi mix to combine all ingredients and no more, then knead for only about 5 mins, and then STRAIGHT in the fridge. Knock it back when it comes out and leave by the oven for the secondary rise once you've balled it into the individual balls, for about 1 hour at warm temp.
No oil, no sugar, and I use a yeast from italy called 'mastro fornaio' but am working on a proper sourdough version
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