Just building my oven

[PaulB]

I'm planning my first oven and can't wait until I can fire it up.  I hope you experts out there can help me with my questions.

[Doug H]

So, I'm assuming that it's to be a wood fired oven?  I'm wondering if you've read The Bread Builders?  It had amazing detail on oven making, but I read it for the information on sourdough.

[jgestner]

Hi Doug
Good luck on your build!
Don't forget to take a look at the Forno Bravo forums at http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/, A huge source of info just like these Pizza forums.
I, too am hoping to build a WFO but will need to get bored with my new LBE first.
John

[Doug H]

Jgestner,

No, I'm not going to be building an oven anytime soon.  There are now a half a dozen places in town that have them, Kathy Whims' Nostrana being the first (I think) and only one I've been to so far (and it's sooo good, who needs another...) 

What is an LBE?  (coming from a workplace where everything is a three letter acronym, you can imagine how much I like them.  NOT!)

[jgestner]

Hi Doug
I am sorry to confuse you with the LBE nomenclature, but I guess I thought everyone in here knew that one. With 61 full pages of comments I am not sure that it isn't the longest thread in the forum. I can't really say because I have only touched the surface here with about 10% of them.
Any way, an LBE search here will inform you much better than I could hope to, but my take is that it is kind of a souped up kettle charcoal grill. The bottom is cut out to sit on a large propane burner, mine was from a turkey fryer purchase 15 years ago. You use any combination of pizza stones, baffles and extra vent cutouts to hone the temps to cook at high temps while getting the top and bottom of the pizza done at the same time. The difference here though is that folks are trying to cook at near 700-800F temps and trying to get a perfect pizza in less than 5 minutes. Many try for 90 seconds!
My first attempt was closer to the 4-5 minute range mostly cause I was hungry and didn't want blackened charcoal for dinner that turning the burner up would have likely promised.
You did know that WFO is Wood Fired Oven.

Sorry again about the acronyms but typing fast and or often just begs for them.

Enjoy your time in these forums!

John