O2 starvation

[taiwanpizzaman]

Is there any point in making a small hole at the back of a barrel oven to help with oxygen supply? Wouldn't it make the oven more efficient with less drawing of O2 from the front? I would appreciate any input, thanks.
Colin

[james]

Hey Colin,

I don't think you should do that. Your oven should fall into a nice pattern where it breathes air in through the bottom of the oven opening, combusts the fire and swirls around inside the oven, and exhausts through the upper half of the open. It's pretty cool to watch an oven burn and breath.

Have you had a good fire, where the oven is hot -- and new wood that you add combusts very easily, and you can see the flame and air flow pattern? That's what you are shooting for.

Bigger fires? Longer fires? Drier wood? Thinner wood? You want to shoot for very good combustion.
James

[CanuckJim]

Colin,

Mine is a barrel vault bread oven, and I'd say it is definitely a no-no to go drilling holes in the back. You won't improve draft, rather it will be impeded. Once the oven goes white, you're looking for a plasma effect from your fire, with nothing but clear gasses coming from the chimney. I can't stress enough that your wood should be well seasoned hardwood. Sure, you can start the firing with softwood, but to get the BTUs you need, the harder and drier the better.

Jim

[taiwanpizzaman]

Thanks guys, that answers it for me! My fire does exactly what you described, so I'm quite pleased with that.
Cheers
Colin