Oven Door Tools, Tips and Techniques Discuss Oven Door in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; When do you usually put your door on? I'm still in the curing phase but I've noticed that after the ...

[blacknoir]

When do you usually put your door on? I'm still in the curing phase but I've noticed that after the initial heat up of my oven the temp drops pretty quickly once it goes down to small flames or just coals.. Once I'm up to big infernos does the oven stay hotter longer because of the extra coals and therefore doesn't need the oven door on right away? I believe the practice is to get a nice pile of coals, move them off to the side and throw a piece of wood on them occasionally to keep the heat up?

And when you do put the door on do you do it with or without coals in the oven?

[Lars]

I had that same question! ( on another thread) Never got much answer.

[Les]

I didn't do a cure, but I would think once the fire drops to hot coals, it would be better to insert the door. How can that hurt? You are trying to drive out the water and the longer the heat - thats a good thing.

Les...

[RTflorida]

If your question is solely about placing the door during curing, yes, I would put it in place when the fire gets down to coals. As Les mentions, heat is a good thing for driving out the moisture, no sense in losing it to the outside air.

If you are inquiring as to door use after your curing is done, that is another matter. Pizza - generally no door, fire to one side. Roasting - generally no fire, could have a lot of coals, little, or no coals, door in place. Breads and such - no fire, no coals, door in place. Smoking - no fire, a few coals, and the door cracked just enough to let in a little air to keep the wood chunks smoking. I've done a lot of experimentation with my doors and have found you can really "adjust" the temp by altering the placement and adding or subtracting a few coals during roasting or smoking.

RT

[blacknoir]

Thanks RT, that was a perfect answer.