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OT Pizza Oven LOL...

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KiterTodd
KiterTodd Posts: 2,466
in EggHead Forum
Went over a friend's house last night for a party and discovered he has this beautiful pizza oven on the back patio.
He's renting there and noted that the last owner was a Portuguese guy who built it.

"That's awesome!," I exclaim, "how is is?"

"Doesn't work. You light the fire under here and it is supposed to get the oven up to temp, but it doesn't make it hot enough.  I think the guy built it wrong..."

...he was lighting the fire in the wood storage bin under the oven.  Smoke would pour out the front.
:lol:


(now, in fairness... it was a party, I'd had a few at the time, and it wasn't until the drive home that I realized the error.)
LBGE/Maryland
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  • jimdgreat1
    jimdgreat1 Posts: 175
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    :o


    You are going back to explain proper operation?

    XLBGE - LBGE - Charbroil gasgrill

    Wichita Kansas

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  • KiterTodd
    KiterTodd Posts: 2,466
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    jimdgreat1 said:

    :o


    You are going back to explain proper operation?

    Yes. :smile:

    Offered to go over one night with supplies so we can properly break that thing in.

    LBGE/Maryland
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    :rofl:
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    A guy at work bought a house that had a WFO in the back yard. 



    He tore it down :facepalm:
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    theyolksonyou said:
    A guy at work bought a house that had a WFO in the back yard. 



    He tore it down :facepalm:

    simply unbelievable


    Phoenix 
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  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
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    So, time to make some dough balls and invite yourself over to show him how it is SUPPOSED to work. 
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  • KiterTodd
    KiterTodd Posts: 2,466
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    onedbguru said:
    So, time to make some dough balls and invite yourself over to show him how it is SUPPOSED to work. 
    Yes!  I've never actually cooked on one, but I have sat in front of one plenty of times in restaurants AND I of course made plenty of 'za on the egg.  So I think I have enough knowledge to pull it together.

    Any basic tips to know other than the obvious?
    LBGE/Maryland
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    @SciAggie paging @SciAggie
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    theyolksonyou said:
    A guy at work bought a house that had a WFO in the back yard. 



    He tore it down :facepalm:
    That’s just wrong. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    If you’ve never fired one up, there is a procedure. Light the fire first in the center of the oven. Let it heat until there is a small “bald spot” where the dome has turned from black to clear. 

    Then scrape the fire to one side and heat the oven until the dome on that side burns clean. That will take 30-40 minutes. Then move the fire to the other side and repeat. It normally takes 3 hours or so to bring an oven up to pizza temps. 

    If you get flames going up the chimney back off because you’re over-firing the oven. 

    The dome changes from black to clear (white) at about 650 degrees or so. Sweep the floor clean and toss the pizzas in. They’ll cook in 90-120 seconds. 

    Have fun!
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • GlennM
    GlennM Posts: 1,365
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    I guess that’s why I like the blackstone so much. I wouldn’t enjoy 3 hours of waiting for a single pie (that is what w mostly make)
    In the bush just East of Cambridge,Ontario 
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  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
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    GlennM said:
    I guess that’s why I like the blackstone so much. I wouldn’t enjoy 3 hours of waiting for a single pie (that is what w mostly make)
    yea man.  I do 3 per batch, I crank up the oven to full blast then go inside & build a complete pie on each of my 2 peels & stretch the dough for the 3rd so it's ready to go because they bake so fast once I start they're on & off in a couple minutes each.  Pretty sure from the time I fire it up to the time I've got 3 screaming hot pies on the table is around 20-25 minutes total... love that thing
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    It’s all about what you are after. If pizza is the only interest I might agree. Pizza is maybe < 10% of what I cook in my oven. When I do a tapas night I’ll cook in the thing for 4-5 hours. The next day I’ll cook things with residual heat. Every tool has a place. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
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    SciAggie said:
    If you’ve never fired one up, there is a procedure. Light the fire first in the center of the oven. Let it heat until there is a small “bald spot” where the dome has turned from black to clear. 

    Then scrape the fire to one side and heat the oven until the dome on that side burns clean. That will take 30-40 minutes. Then move the fire to the other side and repeat. It normally takes 3 hours or so to bring an oven up to pizza temps. 

    If you get flames going up the chimney back off because you’re over-firing the oven. 

    The dome changes from black to clear (white) at about 650 degrees or so. Sweep the floor clean and toss the pizzas in. They’ll cook in 90-120 seconds. 

    Have fun!

    I had no idea it took 3 hours of prep to get a real pizza oven up to temp. Is that pretty standard? 
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
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  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
    edited July 2018
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    SciAggie said:
    If you’ve never fired one up, there is a procedure. Light the fire first in the center of the oven. Let it heat until there is a small “bald spot” where the dome has turned from black to clear. 

    Then scrape the fire to one side and heat the oven until the dome on that side burns clean. That will take 30-40 minutes. Then move the fire to the other side and repeat. It normally takes 3 hours or so to bring an oven up to pizza temps. 

    If you get flames going up the chimney back off because you’re over-firing the oven. 

    The dome changes from black to clear (white) at about 650 degrees or so. Sweep the floor clean and toss the pizzas in. They’ll cook in 90-120 seconds. 

    Have fun!
    Wow it takes that long? I was hoping it was only an hour or so. I would need to plan out a days worth of meals to make it worth while. Do you use yours often @SciAggie?


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    I use my oven weekly. You can cook appetizers and whatnot while it’s getting hot. The time it takes probably is dependent on the mass of the oven - you are trying to saturate the oven with thermal energy. The more massive the oven, the longer it will take to fire it up. 
    Think about your egg - it’s common advice to hear folks say to let the temp stabilize for an hour before a long low&slow cook. That’s in order to saturate the ceramic with thermal energy. 
    I love my wfo as much as my egg. Interestingly, even though it takes a while to heat the oven it is not a wood hog. A cord of wood will last a good long while. 
    Here’s the way I manage the time. I’ll start the oven early. I mostly cook from scratch so there is chopping and prepping and such going on. I just set a timer and go tend the fire every 20 minutes or so until it’s time to cook. 
    Some days after work I’ll light the oven then go run or ride my bike. Get home, throw wood in, then go shower. Get out, throw wood in and prep supper. Throw wood in, have beer then cook. 
    It’s not as hard to manage the time as it might seem. At least that’s my experience.

    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • KiterTodd
    KiterTodd Posts: 2,466
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    @SciAggie, thanks so much!  That's great info I will share and, hopefully, execute!

    @Zippylip , how do you make pizzas that far ahead and let them sit?  Maybe it's the temperature of my dough (taken from fridge) but if I make them too far ahead I seem to get condensation under them and they stick to the peel. Even with corn flour on it.  If I make them as needed, I don't have any issues.
    LBGE/Maryland
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  • ttony604
    ttony604 Posts: 23
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    Pizza Party oven, they make wood/propane combo options. Great for neopolitan 900F+ within 20mins, love mine!! With large and minimal, just need a pellet smoker
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Neophyte to farmer:  You mean I plant the seeds and have to wait 4 months to eat the vegetables? 

    --how did we ever survive without electricity and grocery stores?
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    edited July 2018
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    nolaegghead said:
    Neophyte to farmer:  You mean I plant the seeds and have to wait 4 months to eat the vegetables? 

    --how did we ever survive without electricity and grocery stores?
    Exactly. When I was a kid it took 45 minutes to cook a pot pie in the oven
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
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    When I was a kid it took exactly 45 seconds to microwave a Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie with a dollop of Peanut Butter on it. 
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
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  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
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    SciAggie said:
    nolaegghead said:
    Neophyte to farmer:  You mean I plant the seeds and have to wait 4 months to eat the vegetables? 

    --how did we ever survive without electricity and grocery stores?
    Exactly. When I was a kid it took 45 minutes to cook a pot pie in the oven

    Hmmm.. guess it depends on the temp. Most of them today take 1hr. 
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  • ttony604
    ttony604 Posts: 23
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    Pizza Party oven, they make wood/propane combo options. Great for neopolitan 900F+ within 20mins, love mine!! With large and minimal, just need a pellet smoker
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
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    KiterTodd said:
    @Zippylip , how do you make pizzas that far ahead and let them sit?  Maybe it's the temperature of my dough (taken from fridge) but if I make them too far ahead I seem to get condensation under them and they stick to the peel. Even with corn flour on it.  If I make them as needed, I don't have any issues.
    It can be a little trickier this time of year with the humidity which makes the dough more difficult to work with but a good bit of bench flour takes care of that (I use a 50/50 mix of flour & semolina).  That is enough to keep the bottom dry enough that when it goes on the peel (which also has a very thin layer of the same mix spread around) it slides around pretty easily. 

    And more specifically, I stretch the first pie out & place it on the peel with no toppings to keep it light (the heavier weight of a fully topped pie can cause it to stick quicker).  Then the second pie goes on the second peel also untopped & the third gets pre-stretched on the counter top then I top pie #1, run it out to the oven, run back inside & top #2 and throw #3 on the first peel, repeat...  people laugh at me because I am literally running in & out of the house during this process because the oven bakes them so fast.  Certainly you could do them one at a time from start to finish, that'll only take twice as long which is still pretty fast but I like to serve 3 hot pies all at once & then sit down with everyone & enjoy rather than serving them one at a time, just a preference thing.

    Be sure to give them a shake too every couple minutes during the process so if there is a section that is starting to stick you can break it free.
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
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  • billt01
    billt01 Posts: 1,528
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    theyolksonyou said:
    A guy at work bought a house that had a WFO in the back yard. 



    He tore it down :facepalm:
    i would have built my backyard around the WFO...
    Have:
     XLBGE / Stumps Baby XL / Couple of Stokers (Gen 1 and Gen 3) / Blackstone 36 / Maxey 3x5 water pan hog cooker
    Had:
    LBGE / Lang 60D / Cookshack SM150 / Stumps Stretch / Stumps Baby

    Fat Willies BBQ
    Ola, Ga

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