Re: Oven turning white

Posted by Rado (144.134.37.123)

In Reply to: Oven turning white posted by Shawn

Shawn,
Here goes; you are not doing anything wrong, it's just to get used to firing and then you will not need to be around the oven nearly at all when heating it up.
No need for too large fire, just make sure to create nice red hot embers on the floor with flames above and this is achieved by using mostly thinner fire wood pieces - 5" (5cm) branches in diameter among one larger piece - THINNER wood gives better fire hot base and so better heat to burn black carbon. Large bulk fire wood pieces are great for continuous firing over longer pizza making time if it comes to it.

Yes it is temperature that turns oven white, and you were ALMOST there, oven starts to turn white first above the flames, soon carbon burn off spreads everywhere. Maintain good heat in red hot cinders and some flames from freshly added fire wood piece. it's very easy to do and later to keep in little fire for hours if pizzas are done continuously. Yes you need to insulate the oven for it to be efficient but if building is in progress can be fired without it (if weather was too cold would be wise to cover oven at least with provisional layers of any heat resistant sort blankets that can be used later and some old roof sheeting etc.) I use hard wood only for firing, it burns and releases energy slowly. Soft woods, pine for instance burns faster giving up energy quicker. Any wood is okay, fruit, oak or maple trees etc.

I communicate with Richard and he is cooking heaps, he joked saying "too much heat in my oven now". We will read his story in here soon or later, when he comes from his weekender camp. r

Wood fired oven cooking page

Re: Oven turning white