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Post by mikeb21 on Aug 14, 2020 21:45:16 GMT
Hmm I've already rendered about an inch thick all over using bags of mortar mix I had got for free.
Could add more render but was thinking of applying something to the existing if needed.
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Post by mikeb21 on Sept 26, 2020 20:40:55 GMT
Been a few weeks since I completed the build, have tried the oven a couple of times with mixed results, was very smokey and didn't seem to be getting up to temperature as pizzas were taking a long time to cook. Had been using wood I already had + heat logs and suspected this was partly to blame. A couple of weeks ago I obtained a large quantity of seasoned logs / wood from someone who had cutdown a tree and stored the logs but had too many. So tonight decided to try again, this time I fired the oven for over and hour, cooked some dough balls whilst it was still burning then moved embers to the edges and it cooked three pizzas in quick succession, so quickly that the family were struggling to eat one before the next was ready! Edges burnt a little but didn't matter, amazing flavours and super happy with results: Just checked on the oven, its around 4 hours since I finished making the pizzas and the only thermometer I have here which goes up to 150 degrees went all the way to the top almost instantly, so its got to still be 150+ degrees in there!
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Post by oblertone on Sept 28, 2020 14:04:50 GMT
I haven’t reviewed the whole thread but an hour to heat up sounds waaaaaaay too quick, especially if it hasn’t been used for a while. Mine take fours hours to become fully heat soaked, after that i just feed it the occasional split log to keep it topped up.
ps - cheapo digital thermometers are about £10 on eBay, although it’s been a while since i bought mine.
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Post by mikeb21 on Sept 29, 2020 7:17:08 GMT
Indeed, its so difficult to know as so much conflicting information. I've read some places where it says 40 minutes for an 'average' oven, others say 1-2hrs, either way its clear to me that it needs longer to get up to temperature so more trial-and-error needed!
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Post by oblertone on Sept 29, 2020 8:13:47 GMT
A reasonable indicator is when the interior dome goes ‘soot free’. During the heat up process soot forms on all the interior and you won’t be able to make out the detail of the dome; once it gets to around 500c all this carbon will burn off and you’ll be able to see quite clearly the internal dome. At that point it is heat soaked and ready for extended use. The most pizzas I’ve ever cooked in mine is 70 in one long session, all the extra fuel required after ‘soot free’ was an occasional wrist-sized log to keep it topped up. The following day i cooked breakfast in it and then baked bread, all with no extra fuel.
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Post by truckcab79 on Sept 30, 2020 5:52:45 GMT
Think you just need to keep playing with it and find what works for your oven. Mine is soot free and cooking in 40 minutes. Will depend on a whole load of factors that are going to be slightly different in every build so just ignore all the conflicting advice and find the right method for yours.
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Post by mikeb21 on Oct 1, 2020 6:42:34 GMT
Very interesting, had read much about the whole 'soot free' temperature point but don't seem to be getting there as the oven is black as night inside. I think I need to think about different door designs to retain heat, with door on the fire isn't getting enough oxygen even with a vent in the door, without the door I suspect a lot of heat is being lost. As you say I'll keep experimenting to see what works, its all part of the fun! In other news, with the weather changing have been thinking about protecting the oven from the weather, as a first step, I've made a cover out of some old tarpaulin type material I had knocking around the garage, cut it all out to shape then stitched it using some strong thread and a very old sewing machine I inherited, not the prettiest but seems to be keeping the worst of the weather off:
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