Outdoor oven

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Supersymo

Full Member
Feb 17, 2017
17
0
Dorset
Evening all. So after a rather hectic weekend clearing my garden I'm now left with a collection of concrete blocks,bricks and paving slabs. I would like to coble this lot together to create an outdoor oven but have a couple of questions I need help with. Does the oven have to be dome shaped and do you think concrete would stand up to the heat. Many thanks in advance Tony
 
I used clay bricks from an friends old wall. I believe they hold the heat longer. I'm not sure if concrete, depending on the mix can stand the kind of heat in an oven. Ive seen where a thermal mix concrete (perlite added) is used to insulate the oven, but that's about it.. I believe the dome shape helps to concentrate the heat.
 
The dome shape has the mechanical strength of an arch. Bricks are good. You build the inside dimension design out of crap wood.
Then you do all the brick stuff on the outside of that. Be mindful of the keystone bricks at the top (says bricklayer dude).
Wait ? I don't know how long for the mortar to cure and dry. Then set fire to the wooden form inside = done.

Memphis Blues BBQ House cookbook, p15. Author George Siu used a heavy cardboard barrel as the oven form. 48" of 4" galvanized duct for a chimney.
Over that chicken wire. Over that a cement of "sand, clay, cement and water." He never says how thick it is. Looks like 3-4" in the picture on p16.
Wrapped it with wet burlap (jute/hessian?) bags and kept it damp for a week. Then the let it dry for ??? Pulled out the cardboard, added lots of wood and lit it.
It cracked (apparently quite normal.)

Can be done. Sorry I'm not closer to lend a laboring hand.
Pizza will be done hotter than Hades. Long, low, slow southern style BBQ ribs & chickens go 3+ hrs at 275F.
I've done that for years with 100% success.
 
Do the innermost layer of the fite place with chamotte ( refractory, fire proof, fire bricks) , and the correct mortar so it dors not crack. Or even worse, so small pieces of the concrete does not end up as topping on your pizza.
 
Many thanks for the replies. I was hoping it would be a case of stacking a few blocks together and putting a lid on. Looks like my next weekend is going to be a busy one
 

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