What is Grog

[peterson.glen@gmail.com]

I am finished assembling our Le Panyol 66 oven and the instructions for grog over the dome before insulating. I suspect grog is some form of crushed fire-brick but have no idea where I can acquire something like this in Seattle. Any ideas?

[david s]

Grog is fired, crushed clay.There are all kinds and different screen sizes. Ask your local refractory supplier, or try pottery suppliers.Grog is a way of adding clay to a mix without having to deal with problems of shrinkage (it's preshrunk) and the tendency of it to want to turn back into mud when wet.

In Australia we also call any alcoholic drinks "grog".
Don't the instructions provide any more information? If not contact your supplier.

[peterson.glen@gmail.com]

Thank you David! I found crushed fireclay at a foundry supply company in Seattle for only $6 per 50lb bag. We also refer to 'grog' as an alcoholic beverage.

[Johnny the oven man]

Grog is actually crushed firebricks. Usually and mostly made by crushing all the unsaleble/reject bricks. In some situations it is made by just extruding and firing rough shaped bricks for this specific purpose. Made in various particle sizes and graded through screens, and then packed in various sized bags.

[Tscarborough]

Crushed firebrick, not fireclay for this application. For brick in general it is crushed fired clay. It is also water with rum in it.

[peterson.glen@gmail.com]

Thank you for the clarification. Is there a typical source for crushed fire brick, such as a refractory supply company?

[Johnny the oven man]

Most refractory yards will have this product. Use a medium to corse grade.

[wotavidone]

I'm glad this has been cleared up. I have read a couple of posts where I suspect the writers have thought that the fireclay in the homebrew moratar can be replaced by grog. For the life of me, I couldn't see how rum would be a suitable substitute :0
Seriously though, I do believe the clay in the homebrew mortar should be the unfired variety?

[Johnny the oven man]

There is a big difference between grog and fireclay. Yes the clay is ok for your poormans mortar.

[Tscarborough]

Fire clay has been fired but not to the point of vitrification. It can more accurately have been said to be dried very well, then ground fine. Once clay has become vitrified, it does not matter how fine it is ground it is not clay.

As stated, the purpose of grog in brick making (or refractory plaster) is to provide an aggregate that will not shrink under heat. In brick plants, brick that are rejected after firing are crushed as filler (grog), while brick that are rejected before firing are re-ground and added back as clay (part of the clay body that will be vitrified in the kiln).