Pizza!

Here it is, the first pizza to come from the oven. This is the payoff from five months of weekends working on the oven and it was all worth it. I could do with a better food stylist for the pictures, though. This was a basic cheese, tomato and mushroom pizza, by the way.

It doesn't look great, partially because it had already been attacked by the resident pizza monsters that hang around my house. But I will point out a key attribute from a wood fired oven pizza - slight charring on the rim and browned edges. You can't tell from the picture but it had the crunch on the crust that I had not been able to achieve with my regular oven.

The most satisfying part of this is that it came out good and I know what to work on to make it better. If the first pizza had been a total disaster that would have been a major let down. As it was, the pizzas got better as the night wore on.

Anchovies with Cheese and Tomato

More Anchovies and cheese. This was actually one of the better pizzas of the night, nicely browned edges, even cooking. Practice makes perfect I guess.

I made eight pizzas tonight, more than I have ever done before. Because the oven performed so well, it was quite easy. With the high temperatures the pizzas cooked in 5 minutes or less, depending on how hot it was. Peak temperature in the oven was over 800 degrees.

Overall, things are performing as expected. It takes about an hour to get to cooking temperature and it looks like it will hold the temperature well. When I quit for the evening, the bricks were still registering a temperature of over 500 degrees Farenheit after the fires had been banked and it was just the coals inside.

I am quite happy with the first pizza run. I've made some mental notes on things to improve on to get even better results. It is so satisfying to have things work out fine after working on this since July, not knowing how it would come out.

Pizza day has finally arrived and it was a success!

Fire In The Hole!

Its not the nicest picture, but this is the first fire lit in the pizza oven! Dec 7 goes down as the date of the first fire. We're not yet at pizza stage but we are getting there.


All the elements are coming together. I got a delivery of wood last week, so it's stored under the oven, waiting for the big day.


The following pictures are from the second firing, which I just did today Dec 9.

Loading up the oven (just kindling wood and paper this time).


Rafael getting ready to light it up!











Flame ON!

These are still pretty small fires to slowly break in the oven. I need to run a series of seven firings, before it can handle pizza temperature. Each firing I target a temperature higher than the previous one, until we get to 900 degrees F. The first fire went up to 200, the second one up to 300, and so on. At this rate we'll be ready to really cook by Sunday.

Also you'll notice that the finish on the oven is still quite rough. I need to smooth the finish and work on the stucco look; and maybe paint it too. But all of that is cosmetic touches.

Its been five months since I started this project in July and now this oven is ready to bake!

Vent and Chimney Done!

The vent and chimney went up on Saturday and the oven is looking ready to go!

Last week (Nov 22 amd 23) was devoted to making the vent. It was actually a challenging task of making the form - masonry speak for the wood shape that the concrete will be poured into - and pouring the concrete. It took the better part of a day to put the form together. I made it using Hardiflex fiberboard, instead of plywood, screwed on to metal strips called furring. Once the form was done, I mixed up the concrete to pour in. I realized just how back breaking this work can be. It is a very strenuous task to mix up a batch of concrete and I had to make multiple batches.

So if you remember from the last post, there was nothing on top of the bricks in front of the dome. The white structure beneath the chimney is the concrete vent. The other surprise for me, was just how much the thing weighed! I could barely move it across the lawn by myself, let alone lift it up into place. Must have weighed about 50 kilos. I had to enlist the help of Rafael and the driver next door to get it into place.

The chimney was much easier. Very straightforward brick laying. A welcome change from the last phase of the bricks on the dome. You can see the completed chimney in the next picture.



This is the state of the oven when I left it today. I finished placing the insulation (that's the white stuff all over the dome) and the wire mesh around the insulation. I also started the first layer of concrete to seal up the whole thing. I had originally planned on finishing the first concrete layer this long weekend, but I under estimated the work.

Mixing cement is a real pain! I mix bigger batches now but it is very taxing. I would have wanted to go on to do some more, but my back and leg muscles were screaming. Oh well, at least this work is not complicated so I can do a bit more at night to catch up on my timetable.

I know I said first week December and I was hoping to fire up after next weekend. But it looks like it might be pushed back a week, but no more than that.

RFP is getting really close. I can taste it already!

Another Picture of the Dome

Just wanted to show off the dome again, so here is a better perspective on it. Also I wanted to explain the amount of additional work that is needed before I can start cooking.

First of all that area on the right side (in front of the dome) is where the vent and chimney are going. That section needs to be topped off with a concrete vent and then a brick chimney goes on top of the vent. Fabrication of the vent will happen over the next week.

Secondly, after the vent is done, an insulating blanket will go over the dome and part of the vent. This will help hold in the heat and ensure the oven reaches the higher temperatures needed for pizza.

Finally, another layer of concrete goes over the insulation and the vent. This is pretty much cosmetic, but as you can see, the dome doesn't look very nice. I am going to attempt a stucco style finish on the igloo that will cover the dome. The insulation and finishing steps will happen the week following.

So, hopefully all goes well. These final stages means venturing into new territory again for me. Pouring the concrete vent and laying the concrete with stucco finishing are things I have never done before.

The Dome Is Done!

I finished the dome today! A week behind schedule, because of the rain last Sunday, but I was able to close the dome. I really pushed things along to get it done today and it got more exciting as I got down to the last brick. This last brick is called the keystone and had to be cut to fit the hole. A snug fit locks all the other bricks in place and makes it structurally sound.

The laying of the keystone was a major event and I made sure to have full photo coverage, thanks to my son Rafael.

This is the keystone just before it gets put in.



This is the spot where the keystone goes in.



Putting the keystone into place.



Applying the mortar to secure the keystone.



Today is a major milestone for me and it feels great to have finally made it this far. Over the next few weeks I will finish the vent and chimney, put the insulation and finish the housing (got to make it look presentable!)

Then its time to fire it up! Still looking good for first week of December for RFP!

Almost there . . .

From this view it looks like the dome is done, but I still have a few more chains to go. Chains is brick layer speak for a row or line of bricks.



From the top view, you get a clearer idea of how much more there is to go. It really is about 10 to 15 more bricks that need to be mortared in place. But the going is really slow.



The actual brick laying is quite tedious now, since the only way to do it is to stand over the dome. This means bending over, putting each brick down and adding mortar to hold it in place. Its quite tiring since I am stooped over for extended periods. And I also have to climb down from the stand to get more material (bricks and mortar) then climb back up. A decent work out actually.



But what slows down things most is the constant cutting and shaping of the bricks to fit snugly. As I get closer to the top of the dome, the curve is sharper and the straight bricks don't really fit well. Most of the previous chains were built on half-bricks, but now as I get to the top, I use quarter-bricks as well to get a better fit. I've also had to cut wedge shaped bricks for a better fit. More detailed pictures next time.

I had hoped to close the dome this weekend, but Sunday afternoon was a bust. I made good progress on Saturday and on Sunday morning. But it rained all afternoon. It would have been better if it was just a sudden downpour, but it was a slow steady drizzle that never let up.

I'm seriously thinking about working in the evenings now just to make up for lost time. If only the mosquitoes would cooperate . . .

11 Levels and Rising

Up to the 11th chain of bricks now, moving into the homestretch. From this picture you can see that the brick are going in almost vertical, which makes construction slower. There is a lot more waiting time now while the mortar sets to hold the brick in place before I can move on.

Its also tougher to hold the bricks in place as the angle gets steeper. I now also use sticks cut to length to hold up the bricks aside from the styrofoam guides. This is a top view of the progress to date.



I figure I should be able to close the dome in another two weeks. After that there is:
1. more insulation around the dome for heat efficiency
2. finish the vent and chimney
3. final finish on the exterior of the dome to make it look neat (haven't really decided on what finish to use yet)

This is one way: Gabled House

This is another way: Igloo

Decisions! Decisions!

All in all still looking good for an end November RFP (ready for pizza) date!

Construction Back in Full Swing!

I was away for a few weeks, which is why the blog hasn't been updated. And, of course, no work on the oven either.

I got back from San Francisco last Oct 2 and since the jet lag got me up early, I started working on the Saturday morning after we arrived. It was quite productive since I finally fixed the opening of the oven. This portion of the work has been the most challenging so far since it is not the straightforward brick laying I have been doing the past weeks. It required a lot more planning and cutting the bricks into special shapes to make the opening merge with the rest of the dome.










The picture on the right shows the temporary bricks and wood I put in place to hold up the bricks spanning the opening. The temporary structure was needed to keep the bricks in place while the mortar dried. The picture on the left shows the front view of the oven. This is where the pizza will go in! This work was completed last weekend.

This weekend involved more work on the opening and the merging with the dome structure. Much harder than I had thought and more brick cutting. Each brick on the opening needed to be cut to shape to fit. More detailed pictures on that later this week.

But this is my new get up when I cut bricks. There is a lot of dust flying when I cut and grind, so an old t-shirt wrapped around my head is a very effective filter. Now I understand why construction workers look this way!



Now that construction is on again, I need to re do my timeline. The going is slower now that the angle of the bricks is steeper. There is a longer wait for the mortar to set firmly before I can move on to other bricks.

At the moment it is looking like early December for the first pizza, if all goes well!

8th Level, Going Up!

Another good weekend of brick laying. The bricks are now up to the 8th level and there are about 4 to 5 more to go. The going should get easier since there are less bricks as it goes higher.



I need to do a lot more brick cutting now to fit the odd spaces. There is a lot of dust and debris flying around so I now wear safety goggles when cutting or grinding. Safety first!



And work has finally started on the opening. This part is a bit tricky. Its not the same work as just putting the bricks down and moving on to the next brick. Figuring out how to frame the opening and how the bricks are going to go in place using the angle iron to support it over the opening took some thinking. I'll spend more time on this next week and hope to complete a level of bricks across the opening.



Getting closer to pizza time!

Rome Wasn't Built In A Day . . .

. . . and neither were the pizza ovens in Pompeii.

I've been asked about when there is actually going to be pizza coming out of the oven and the truth is I really don't know. While I do want to be baking pizza and bread right away, the oven project is not something that can be rushed. Some of the limitations (aside from the lack of experience and skill of the mason) that I need to deal with are:

• I have a day job (thank God!) and I can only work on the oven on weekends.
• The weather needs to cooperate. If it rains hard, I can't work because the mortar will get soggy and won't set. If it is overcast and gloomy, the mortar takes longer to set, so the work goes slower.
• I need to figure out what I am doing as I go along. While I have plans, they are not detailed about every aspect of the oven. There are still some design issues I have not settled in my mind yet (vent and opening of the oven, exterior appearance to be more specific).

Having said all of that, the rough time line in my head is:

• Dome construction - 2 more weeks
• Vent and opening - 1 week
• Exterior insulation and housing - 2 weeks
• Firing (the oven needs to be slowly broken in before it can hit the 900 degrees target temp) - 1 week
• Recipe testing / fine tuning - 2 weeks

If you add it all up (this is a sequential project time line, no parallel tracks) it is about 8 weeks, assuming the weather holds up.

Halloween Pizza anyone?

Power Tools and Progress Update

One really cool aspect about this project is that I am enjoying it on so many levels: there is the DIY part of me (power tools and fix it projects) and then there is the techy nerd part of me, too.

The DIY part is pretty obvious. Even more fun than getting new power tools, is actually using them! This is me cutting up bricks with my angle grinder. On every level of bricks I need to cut a keystone brick to fit in the odd space left and the angle grinder takes care of this job very nicely.




Now for the nerd part. When I finally get to fire up the oven, I'll want to keep track of the temperature inside. For the surface temp of the oven floor I have an infrared thermometer that I can use to check temps.



But I'll also need to keep track of the temp of the bricks so that I know when they are heat saturated. When the bricks are at the correct temp, then the oven will stay hot for a few hours and the fires can be banked. For that, I am installing thermocouples. These are wires that are embedded in the brick and then they connect back to the thermometer for a read out. So far I have one for the oven floor and one located halfway up the dome.










To install these, I drill a hole in the brick and put a special thermally sensitive wire inside.



And, of course, drilling holes means getting to use power tools!






Lastly, a progress update. The weather has been cooperative this weekend, not too much rain and nice cloudy skies so not hot at all. The only drawback was that the work was a little slow because the mortar would take longer to dry and set. I am now up to the 5th level of bricks and it is getting more challenging to keep the bricks at the right angle. The picture on the right shows a close up of the wood inserts that I use to hold the bricks at the right angle while the mortar dries. After it sets, the inserts can be removed and the space is mortared up.

Getting closer to fire up date!

Last Weekend's Work

Got a lot of work done last long weekend.

Went up to three levels of bricks.

This is the first level, relatively easy to get started on building the dome.



This is the front view and side view.












The challenge as I build the higher levels is getting the angle of the bricks tilted correctly. This is the main reason for the styrofoam center, it helps align the tilt.

When it is all done, there will be about 10 to 11 levels of bricks, so I still have a lot of building to go.

The Zen of Bricklaying

Maybe it was because it was Sunday and you're supposed to be contemplative on Sunday. Or maybe it was just the heat of the morning sun bearing down on me as I worked on the oven. But it was just like Buddha's enlightenment. Well, sort of . . .

The process of laying bricks is very peaceful and soothing. It takes full concentration to apply the mortar on the brick, then carefully align the brick into position with the rest. A quick check to see if everything is in place, then move on to the next brick. Even the sound of the mortar in the pail as you mix it has a rhythmic quality to it: mix, ground, slap on the mortar - mix, ground, slap on the mortar.

All sense of time slips away. Only the bricks and the mortar matter. Even awareness of the mosquitoes and flies buzzing about comes to mind only after work is done for the day.

And after the day is done, the bricks stand in testament to the labor they have absorbed.

Or then again, maybe it was the combination of the dust from the ground up bricks, the shavings from the wood and the fumes from the cement drying that went to my head.

Until next weekend . . .

Glorious Sunshine!

Living in a tropical country I've taken sunshine for granted, but today it was just great. After a whole week of rain we finally get a full day of sun, which meant time to work on the oven. I put in a whole day (morning and afternoon) working on the oven and made the most of the good weather. Made great progress and things are finally starting to take shape. Even better, I got to use the power tools!



The day started with finishing the oven floor, which is pretty much the foundation for the whole oven. After double checking dimensions I needed to add a few more rows of bricks from the past weeks work. That took most of the morning.



There were some ridges that would get in the way of the pizzas on the floor so I whipped out the angle grinder to smoothen out the bricks. A wonderful tool, the angle grinder. So versatile and handy. I used it grind bricks on the floor. Later in the afternoon, I would use it cut up bricks.

The first chain of bricks which forms the base of the dome was also laid out today. I stacked them up first to check the fit and put in the styrofoam forms that were cut last week. Things were really starting to take shape.











And finally, it was time to actually mortar the bricks. That's masonry speak for cementing the bricks together. It was slow going at first, but after a few bricks I started to get the hang of it and finished the whole first chain by the end of the day.



And let's not forget my ever faithful helper, Cristina. She helped keep the bricks by replenishing the supply in the pail after I would pull them out. Couldn't have made as much progress today without her.

Rain! Rain! Rain!

The rain really messed up construction this weekend. I had hoped to complete the oven floor layout and mark out the walls of the oven dome in preparation of laying the bricks for the dome. But the weather did not cooperate at all. Rain, rain and more rain.

I did get some work done in between torrential downpours but nowhere near completing my goal for the weekend. So I settled on doing some indoor work. I needed to cut up styrofoam semi circles, which will act as a guide while the bricks are being laid. This will ensure that the dome stays in the right shape. So I worked on measuring and cutting while it was raining. My little helper, Cristina, was on hand to help cut, too.




I also purchased another power tool! Can never have too many tools! I picked up a jigsaw from my favorite hardware store - Handyman at Robinson's Pioneer. This makes it really easy to cut up the plywood, 2" x 4", etc. I used it this weekend to cut the plywood semi-circular shape I use to check the oven dimensions and brick layout. What would have taken 10 minutes using a manual saw, I did in 2 minutes. Great fun!



So I am now hoping for a rain free weekend so I can continue working. I am also thinking about doing work at night just to catch up, but the prospect of giving the mosquitoes a free meal is not that appealing.

Tools!

One of the best things about a construction project is new tools! I couldn't do any work yesterday since it didn't stop raining the whole day, so I'll share some of my new tool acquisitions.

The first is an angle grinder. Always wanted one, but could never justify a reason for buying one. Now that I have to cut and grind bricks, I need one! I'll use this to cut the bricks to size to fit the dome.



The next one doesn't look so impressive, since its not a power tool, but this is the first time I use one and it is actually pretty cool. This is a chalk line, used for marking out long straight lines on walls, wood, etc. Much more efficient than using a ruler. It is a long elastic string that you anchor on one end, run it out to the other point you need to make a line to, you tighten the string, pull it away from the wall and let it snap back. The string is coated with chalk and when it hits the wall, it leaves a nice straight line. Pretty neat stuff!



Next step, I realized I really need (yeah I need!) a power jigsaw since I have to cut and shape a lot of wood. Time for another trip to Handyman or Ace. I wonder who is on sale now . . .

Oven Floor

The first set of bricks were laid today!

The morning was spent planning the layout of the oven dome.

In the afternoon I laid out the oven floor. It was tedious, but not very difficult. A lot of work looking for the best bricks in the pile and making sure they lay level and flush with the bricks next to them. Lay the brick on the sand, push it up against the next brick, check that the bricks are level then go on to the next brick.






Tomorrow I start building the dome!