Author Topic: Primavera 70 (Read 3866 times)

fornographer · « **Reply #20 on:** January 25, 2013, 05:20:53 AM »

Quote from: csafranek on January 24, 2013, 10:42:08 PM

Yes even these ovens need to be cured. Anywhere from 5-7 days. It is pure torture!! Ask anything you want. I am just starting out but this forum is a wealth of information!

Congratulations! I remember those curing days were extremely frustrating! I was extremely careful with curing and decided to cure the oven for 2 weeks. I spent the first week, if memory serves me well, in the 200F-400Fs. A lot of water came out of the bottom of the Andiamo 70 (where the sheet metal attached to the stand/frame)! It must have been well over a gallon! As the oven cures, the temperature kinda goes up by itself even using the same amount of wood during the first few days.

As many have said, the oven does get better the more you use it.

Exciting times

Serpentelli · « **Reply #21 on:** January 25, 2013, 11:23:16 AM »

As a fellow newcomer I would recommend HIGHLY that you find a nice place to keep all of your wood completely DRY and OFF THE GROUND.

I thought for a long time that the quality/type of wood being used was a variable that "didn't matter too much", because all of the wood that had been delivered to me previously (3 cords) seemed to be about the same in terms of BTU's --- allowing me to get the fire going and up to 900 degrees at will. And it came from three different suppliers.

Then I got my latest 1/2 cord. Thought I was being "smart" by getting it from the same guy who supplies our local Carraba's. Wood was beautiful and had a great smell to it (Red Oak). Seemed dry enough until I split it for kindling and found the interior to be not damp, but WET!!!! Ugh....

The stuff will burn, but there is a 200+ degree deficit in terms of how hot it will get and this cannot be overcome by firing time (6+ hours still unable to raise temp above 650). How do I know its the wood? Cuz I go out and get a packet of firewood at the local Harris Teeter ($5.99/bundle that lasts 1 hour) and its back up to 900+ degrees withing 30 minutes.

So.... as you are pondering all of the OTHER variables in your quest for great pizza, DON'T FORGET THE WOOD VARIABLE!!!!

Best of luck and congrats. My WFO has changed my wife! Errr, sorry, my life!

Be Well,

John

breadstoneovens · « **Reply #22 on:** January 25, 2013, 01:14:41 PM »

Hi Michael,

No stupid question here, we are all learning.
Yes, every oven need to be cured. It is especially more impotent when the oven is a turnkey because the enclosure that prevents the moisture from entering the oven also prevent the moisture, already inside, from escaping. The moisture has to escape through the chimney pipe and door and it takes much longer. From a 3 to 4 days curing fires when you install your own oven, it goes to 7 to 10 days curing fires with a turnkey.
When I build a turnkey, I place a small electric heater in the oven to remove a good part of the existing moisture. Picture bellow.
That way when the client receives the oven there is not as much water coming out and it helps ensuring the oven will last longer.

Antoine

csafranek · « **Reply #23 on:** January 25, 2013, 01:15:56 PM »

Still curing the oven. I can literally hear the curing process burning the water out of the oven. Lol! At least that's what I think I hear!

JConk007 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 25, 2013, 01:51:42 PM »

throw a leftover slice in there ! and now your cooking

breadstoneovens · « **Reply #25 on:** January 25, 2013, 02:15:20 PM »

I think is ready to cook a créme brulée or other egg custard

csafranek · « **Reply #26 on:** January 25, 2013, 05:36:33 PM »

Soooooo I could probably cook some salmon in a cast iron in the oven don't you think? It will be the fourth day of curing? Maybe?

? Or just let it be?

breadstoneovens · « **Reply #27 on:** January 25, 2013, 06:50:39 PM »

Quote from: csafranek on January 25, 2013, 05:36:33 PM

Soooooo I could probably cook some salmon in a cast iron in the oven don't you think? It will be the fourth day of curing? Maybe?? Or just let it be?

Yeah, if I were you I would cook something. A salmon in a cast iron is a great idea. At this temp it will take a little longer, but you could also put the salmon on cedar plank and slow cook/smoke it that way.
That is how you get the most of your oven, cook what ever you can at the temp it is at

JConk007 · « **Reply #28 on:** January 25, 2013, 09:42:54 PM »

send a pork butt in that baby or a rack of ribs ! something

Shes dying to cook something for you!

John

Woodfiredovenpizzero · « **Reply #29 on:** January 26, 2013, 10:19:31 AM »

Congratulations Chad. Very happy for you as I can relate to your experience. I know you did a lot of research to get your oven and I know you will enjoyed as all of us here.

Edgar

csafranek · « **Reply #30 on:** January 26, 2013, 10:47:30 AM »

So there is quite a bit of smoke while I am curing. It is white smoke. Is that normal? Is my wood maybe not dry enough?

csafranek · « **Reply #31 on:** January 26, 2013, 11:02:57 AM »

Quote from: Woodfiredovenpizzero on January 26, 2013, 10:19:31 AM

Congratulations Chad. Very happy for you as I can relate to your experience. I know you did a lot of research to get your oven and I know you will enjoyed as all of us here.

Edgar

Thank you Edgar. I am very excited to start cooking!!!

csafranek · « **Reply #32 on:** January 26, 2013, 11:54:38 AM »

Smoking like crazy!

Serpentelli · « **Reply #33 on:** January 26, 2013, 03:11:06 PM »

Nothing wrong with that pic!

The low temp curing fires will produce smoke. As will every fire you make, as it starts up. When you finally get it up to pizza temps it will not smoke much at all!

I find the initial smoky part of the firing very pleasurable, and its also usually the time when my neighbors tell me "how good that smells!!!"

csafranek · « **Reply #34 on:** January 26, 2013, 03:25:57 PM »

That picture actually doesn't do it justice it was smoking much more than that. So I am on my fourth day of curing. How long did everyone else's curing take?

csafranek · « **Reply #35 on:** January 26, 2013, 04:34:05 PM »

It's coming along nicely!

csafranek · « **Reply #36 on:** January 27, 2013, 08:55:48 AM »

So day 5 I wake up to a little rain. It really put a damper (no pun intended) on my mood. I have started a small fire. So suggestion anyone do I crank up the heat for the day 5 curing process or tone it down for better weather? Any help would be great. It has stopped raining for now but I think there is more to come today. Thank you,

Chad

csafranek · « **Reply #37 on:** January 27, 2013, 08:57:31 AM »

This morning.

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #38 on:** January 27, 2013, 09:33:39 AM »

Very eciting. You must be itching to bake.

Extending your chimney 3 feet would probably double your flow rate and help keep the front of your oven from getting blackened.

csafranek · « **Reply #39 on:** January 27, 2013, 09:35:46 AM »

What do you suggest I use Txcraig? And where do I get it?