Just about to build a pompeii oven :D Introductions Discuss Just about to build a pompeii oven :D in the Good Background Information forums; Roastie, There may be others, but one oven with a damper I remember is that of arevalo53anos (Luis) in Brazil. ...

[Hendo]

Roastie,

There may be others, but one oven with a damper I remember is that of arevalo53anos (Luis) in Brazil. He has a most impressive oven & outdoor kitchen!

You could do a search on 'damper', but I found some theory on damper function at http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f17/....html#post3265 (Appropriate Heat) and a couple of photo's of Luis' damper at http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/atta...dumper1-r-.jpg and http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/atta...efinal-001.jpg.

You could also try a direct approach via a Private Message.

Hope this helps,
Paul.

[Roastie]

Thank you for that Paul, what a neat little oven that one is?

l wouldn't have thought of putting the flue on the front of the oven, l would've put it nearer to the back, what a good idea.

Still learning
Thank you.

[james]

I can jump in here.

The vent in the Italian brick oven is in the front, outside of the cooking chamber -- so that the chimney will never take heat out of the oven. The size of the chimney pipe only dictates how much hot air and smoke the vent will draw. This is a big advantage of the Pompeii Oven design.

As folks have noted, a properly designed brick oven draws very well.

It's important to note that the door of the oven can completely shut off the oven chamber from the vent. I have cooked in French ovens, where the door closed the vent and oven together, where the oven could breath through the vent -- which can be a serious problem.

Keep going.
James

[Roastie]

You have just given me an excellent idea James.

l'm now considering purchasing a couple of AGA doors for the front of the oven.
We've been mulling over a way of fixing a door for some time, but now think if we brick into the front of the oven - a plate with an upward thrust pin into brickwork, maybe it would be possible to hang either a glass door (from a solid fuel fire) or an AGA door?
Am considering building a tall oven with a domed top and 'two doors' one above the other, so that l can maybe add a shelf halfway up?
What say you guys?

[dmun]

A tall oven with a shelf halfway up? Wow. I like creativitiy but it's important to add a word of caution. There is a reason these domed ovens have been made with approximately the same proportions for more than 2000 years, it's a shape that works.

I do like the Aga door idea. It's insulated, it's enameled cast iron, and it comes mounted on a cast iron frame that you could cut down (or have cut down at a waterjet place) to support your vent brickwork. The advantage of the waterjet is that it could preserve the enamel surface of the frame when cutting, unlike, say, ark welding cutting. You may find it's easier to find a Rayburn rather than an Aga - they're cheaper, more common, and more often junked. They also have a nice thermometer in the door.

[Roastie]

Thanks Dmun, l like your input.
With me it's all just trial and error, l really dont have a clue - so l welcome all of your comments.
l can see what you're saying, it was just an idea and thats why l posted to get some feedback on it - so thank you. A regular oven is what it will be then.
Thanks for 'the Rayburn oven door' idea, l didnt even consider the thermometer, how handy is that?
Just hoping that after all of our building and ideas - it doesn't end up looking like a pile of junk with the oven door an' all! Lol.
Still thinking about flue's - how high do you think l could go.
A neighbour raised an interesting point about the smoke created by it and l'm now worried that after all the expense l could get some complaints? :{
lt's kind of put me off a bit.

[CanuckJim]

Roastie,

You'll find that the design of the oven guarantees very efficient burning. You'll get a small bit of smoke for about 10 minutes, but after that all you'll get is clear, hot gasses. Naturally, this assumes that your wood supply is well seasoned.

Jim

[Roastie]

Thank you - yes, very well seasoned
So pleased about the smoke.
l dont know what it's like in the US but things are really hotting up here environmentally, even bonfires are frowned upon now.
The last thing l needed was an oven which smoked too much.
That sounds ok a little bit of smoke for just a short while.