Length of each curing cycle

[winnsb]

I am a newbie and would like feedback on how long each curing cycle should last per day. We are on day three of curing our CASA. We kept heat near suggested temp for 12 hour plus retained heat overnight on each of the first two days. How long should we try to hold heat on each of the next three days?

[david s]

You can't really take it too slow, but you can certainly take it too fast. There are two valuable indicators you can use.

1. Place some plastic on the outside of the oven to observe any moisture condensation under it. You can also feel moisture with your hand, but the plastic test is more accurate.

2. You will notice that as the temp rises there will be a persistent ring of black soot around the base of the dome on the inside. This tells you that it's still wet down there, so don't get impatient and up the temp too fast at this point.Try spreading the fire to the outside of the floor.

[winnsb]

David thank you for your reply, I can't test the oven the way you suggest it is fully enclosed and buried in perilite. It seems to build heat with one or two small sticks verty fast. Day three floor around 450 lower half of dome 450 upper half 550.

[david s]

I presume you are talking Fahrenheit. Ramp the temp up more, if there is a very large variation in bottom to top temperatures the oven is still wet. Have you got the carbon to begin burning off at the top yet?

[winnsb]

Day four in the books, oven stayed within 50 degrees top side and floor, day five tomorrow will take oven up to 600 and kold ther. All days have been 12 to 14 hour days at each temp, I have not attempted a clear dome yet. Day after tomorrow.