Author Topic: Finally, My WFO is Underway (Read 12154 times)

norma427 · « **Reply #40 on:** September 01, 2010, 08:07:46 AM »

Steve,

Your WFO looks great.

Here's to your build. Can't wait to taste the pies that you make in your WFO. A celebration with Mead.

Norma

Ev · « **Reply #41 on:** September 01, 2010, 10:32:38 AM »

Mead me in St. Louis!

carbon · « **Reply #42 on:** September 01, 2010, 12:51:12 PM »

The oven's looking really good!
I think you can go ahead and start low temp fires at this point. As soon as the blankets were up I started doing long and slow, low temp burns using a basket of charcoal, even while applying coats of perlcrete and stucco over the blanket. Using the Minion method and with the oven opening almost sealed the charcoal will burn at low temp for a good portion of a day. I even cooked several meals during this curing period, low and slow ribs @ 250F, for instance.

c0mpl3x · « **Reply #43 on:** September 01, 2010, 02:14:30 PM »

Quote from: Ev on September 01, 2010, 06:43:30 AM

No, that's Yuengling black & tan. It's not the best but it's not exactly "swill" either.

i can't stand yuengling anymore. has such a cheap taste compared to what it tasted like a few years ago

Ev · « **Reply #44 on:** September 01, 2010, 04:24:26 PM »

I know what you mean, but the price is right. Normally I brew my own but I haven't brewed anything lately, so it's been mostly B&T or something from Sierra Nevada.

Ev · « **Reply #45 on:** September 01, 2010, 04:26:24 PM »

Quote from: carbon on September 01, 2010, 12:51:12 PM

The oven's looking really good!
I think you can go ahead and start low temp fires at this point. As soon as the blankets were up I started doing long and slow, low temp burns using a basket of charcoal, even while applying coats of perlcrete and stucco over the blanket. Using the Minion method and with the oven opening almost sealed the charcoal will burn at low temp for a good portion of a day. I even cooked several meals during this curing period, low and slow ribs @ 250F, for instance.

Wow, no kidding! The Minion method huh? Thanks. I've got some homework to do.

So, do you seal the inner or the outer opening?

carbon · « **Reply #46 on:** September 01, 2010, 04:48:07 PM »

Quote from: Ev on September 01, 2010, 04:26:24 PM

So, do you seal the inner or the outer opening?

Not completely seal, but partially block the inner opening with firebricks or whatever you have so you're not feeding too much oxygen to the briquettes for the long low temp burn, and also to exhaust the smoke. A small vertical crack at the opening is all you need.
I kept my temps between 200 - 300F for several days before incrementally increasing the temps for several more days before I built up the scary fire, high enough to do pizza.

widespreadpizza · « **Reply #47 on:** September 01, 2010, 09:12:19 PM »

Steve, its also very important to start curing before you insulate, and cover with waterproof materials. The moisture in the bricks and dome must be driven out before it can be finished off. Go slow though. Don't freak out when you see hairline cracks in the outer "shell" it boing to happen, something has to give here and there. BTW really nice brickwork, your oven should work excellent. -marc

Ev · « **Reply #48 on:** September 01, 2010, 10:41:25 PM »

Thanks guys. I did build a couple small fires once the dome was complete and before the insulation blanket was applied. I knew enough not to put the final waterproof stucco on until it's cured. I'll start building small fires again tomorrow. Maybe try some of those ribs!

Ev · « **Reply #49 on:** September 06, 2010, 09:56:00 AM »

I've been building ever increasing fires for a few days. This is exciting all by itself!

I can't wait to actually cook something! I'm planning the inaugural pizza bake for this coming Saturday.
I built a door for the oven a couple days ago. It's a sandwich of 18 gauge steel and vermicrete. It's hefty but not too heavy.

carbon · « **Reply #50 on:** September 06, 2010, 12:33:32 PM »

Nice door! That should hold temps well.
I used 2 inches of insulating blanket inside my 'boxed' aluminum door. I also stuck a long stem bbq thermometer through it. It works quite well and reads the overall average dome temp which is very useful for baking and low and slow cooks.

Ev · « **Reply #51 on:** September 06, 2010, 07:29:52 PM »

Thanks! I was going to use the blanket as well but I didn't want to spare any from the dome.
I was also thinking about a thermometer through the door. Where did you get yours?

carbon · « **Reply #52 on:** September 06, 2010, 07:48:11 PM »

Quote from: Ev on September 06, 2010, 07:29:52 PM

I was also thinking about a thermometer through the door. Where did you get yours?

I got my thermometer from these guys:
http://www.kck.com/tel-tru_grill_smoker_thermometer.html

BrickStoneOven · « **Reply #53 on:** September 06, 2010, 08:12:43 PM »

Carbon I forgot to ask on the FB forum so I'll ask here. When you put the blanket in the door did you cut a couple layers and compact it down to 2" or did you just use one layer? I got the same thermo as well from the tel-tru main site with a 15" steam and the temp goes up to 1000F. It was the only place that I could find a steam that was long enough to go through the door and reach a good bit into the oven.

carbon · « **Reply #54 on:** September 07, 2010, 12:57:46 AM »

Quote from: BrickStoneOven on September 06, 2010, 08:12:43 PM

Carbon I forgot to ask on the FB forum so I'll ask here. When you put the blanket in the door did you cut a couple layers and compact it down to 2" or did you just use one layer? I got the same thermo as well from the tel-tru main site with a 15" steam and the temp goes up to 1000F. It was the only place that I could find a steam that was long enough to go through the door and reach a good bit into the oven.

I used two 1" layers.
The 5" stem was long enough for my 2" thick door. I also liked the fact that it used a simple spring clip to secure the thermometer, instead of a large nut at the base of the stem.

Ev · « **Reply #55 on:** September 08, 2010, 08:24:48 PM »

I remembered I had a long stem thermometer from my homebrewing days. It only goes to 550 but it'll do for now.

Ev · « **Reply #56 on:** September 08, 2010, 08:43:24 PM »

After a solid week of increasingly larger fires, today I went "nuclear", as it were. After about an hour the dome went clear. I measured 104 on the IR gun. It only goes to 999. so I'm assuming it was 1,104. Yesterdays dome temp was 980. The floor temp today was 890 IIRC.
After the fire died out I raked out the coals, let it cool down and baked some bread. This is the first thing I've cooked in my new oven and the first loaves of bread I've ever made, for that matter. I think tomorrow I'll try a chicken. Maybe some ribs on Friday, and then I'm planning on ten pizzas on Saturday!

Ev · « **Reply #57 on:** September 09, 2010, 07:02:39 PM »

I cooked the bread yesterday at 450, at noon, and then closed the oven tight. This morning the temp was at 250. I can hardly believe it only dropped 200 in 20 hours!

Anyway, I built a smallish fire and let it burn down. Then I baked a sicillian pizza and then the chicken I mentioned yesterday, both with just the heat from this mornings fire.

Mick.Chicago · « **Reply #58 on:** September 09, 2010, 08:09:12 PM »

The chicken looks proud to have ended up in your oven!

Is that a Budweiser up it's arse?

norma427 · « **Reply #59 on:** September 09, 2010, 09:46:12 PM »

Quote from: Mick.Chicago on September 09, 2010, 08:09:12 PM

The chicken looks proud to have ended up in your oven!

Steve,

I agree with Mick.Chicago. Your Sicilian pizza, chicken, potatoes and carrots all look great.

Norma