baking-in new quarry tiles: some smell is ok, right?

[ihavezippers]

I got my unglazed quarry tiles today and am giving them some pre-game heating for tomorrow.  I noticed there was a slight smell after I got up to 300%.  Nothing bad, or even that strong, but I wanted to make sure this is normal.

I am starting to get paranoid maybe, but I am feeling unusually tired at this early in the evening as well.

[Pete-zza]

ihavezippers,

That is quite normal. A good way to pre-season the tiles is to start at an oven temperature of around 200 degrees F and ratchet the temperature up in 50-75 degree increments, for about 10 minutes at each step, until you get to the maximum oven temperature that your oven will deliver. That should allow for all or most of the outgassing to take place. After a couple of uses of the tiles, you shouldn't notice much of an odor. The most important consideration is that the tiles be unglazed. 

Peter

[scott r]

what about silica?

[ihavezippers]

[heart beating faster, sweating profusely as I discover what silica is]

in baking tiles, is there any danger with silica?  i've seen it is potentially dangerous with cutting it...

[Pete-zza]

I'm no expert on silica (silicon dioxide), but according to the last post at this eGullet thread, http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=48547&mode=linear, it seems that silica in tiles is not a problem from a baking standpoint. It is the crystalline silica that someone might breath in that appears to be the problem. People have been using unglazed quarry tiles for ages for baking purposes without a problem.

Peter

[scott r]

Thanks for coming to the rescue Peter.  I have been waiting for someone to answer my question about them in one of the other threads on this subject. 

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,2944.0.html

I will stop worrying about the tiles now.

[gottabedapan]

Silicon Dioxide (silica) is a constituent part of the chemical composition of the clay (Al₂O₃ 2SiO₂ 2H₂O) from which the quarry tile is formed. (Incidentally, roughly 60% of the earth's crust is silica, aka, "sand.")

I hesitate to point this out, but if the possible toxicity of silica is a concern, exposure from baking with quarry tiles should be the least of your worries.

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) is a common anti-caking/anti-clumping agent, so if you're using just about ANY powdered ingredients, dried spices, dry mixes, grated cheese, etc., you're already ingesting non-trivial amounts of silica. Not only that, but the dessicating packets commonly found in, e.g., pepperoni pillow packs, vitamin and prescrption drug bottles, etc—the ones that say "Do Not Ingest"—are packed with silica gel.

[ihavezippers]

Last week I used my tiles for the first time...the week before, I had preheated a large metal pan i have and moved the pizza in really quick to avoid heat loss...I actually got a crispier crust with the thin metal pan than I did with my 3/4" tile-lined oven...infact, my Saturday lunch leftovers were bordering on sogginess in the crust.

Anyways, I think for the texture I want, I should be using a metallic surface.  Anyone know where I can get a 20" by 16", 1/2" thick bake-safe sheet of metal?  I don't suppose Lowes/Home Depot carries anything of this nature?

[tonymark]

I just purchased some fire bricks and was wondering if they will off gas anything when heated to high temps.  I am not baking directly on them.  I am only using them for thermal mass and insulation.  Do I need to "pretreat" these?

TM

[Park.Pizza]

Just bought a tube of Colgate Toothpaste

Look at the toothpaste contents.   "Silica"

Tim

[ihavezippers]

Just bought a tube of Colgate Toothpaste

Look at the toothpaste contents.   "Silica"

Tim

So I have to stop brushing my teeth too?  I don't think people around me will be too happy about that...

[Jack]

You can eat all the silica you can stomach.  It's what makes up glass and sand.  As long as it not sharp, and nothing coming off a stone, unless it's chunks, is sharp.  It's breathing silica dust that can be an issue.

Jack