Re: first firing

Posted by Rado (211.29.201.65)

In Reply to: first firing posted by John Majka

John,
When creating the firing part lots of water goes in. Wait ~7 days in summer, 10 days in cold weather. I build the firebrick part with cladding first, then while continuing with chimney the cladding cures. Sometimes I start with drying fires after 5 days, by making few more of shorter ones (5 of them a day) and with gradual length increase. You can start drying fires after insulation was put on, it's good but leave the cladding to cure for 3-4 days before the insul. is applied. If you have time dry the oven with 3x short fires for 2-3 days. Main is to remove also chemical water from the mass. Basically the heat has to soak through the walls gently it slowly removes remaining water. I always repeat saying this: steam is powerful (volume increases 1000 times of the water volume when in cold liquid form) and also: remember those wet stones banging around camp fires (stones are a lot denser - les porous) ... well nothing like that has ever happened to me with firebricks but good to be aware.

*** Picture shows real time heating up fire. When it looks like this there is no need to add firewood for 30 or 45 minutes, the oven is fully heated up for pizza, white inside with carbon burned off in 1-1/2 hour. This is achieved in 1 hour - ceiling inside is getting white color - from now on nothing has to be done only waiting the remaining 30 minutes and after that making pizzas for further 1-1/2 hours without adding any firewood in! If longer pizza making time is desired 2 pieces of firewood are placed in a side for continuous burning. There is no need to create larger fire such as when flames want to exit. Important is to create nice amount of red hot embers while heating up, it's just getting used to the experience. After pizza one can bake or do slow roasts for 5 ours, and after that 24 hours of efficient/practical drying time. Drying of what you? Fruits, halved tomatoes with spices on (they make greatest pizza toppings if kept in olive oil for one month, or just to eat straight from the jar.) r