Fire up time for Pompei oven

[jgray]

Hi, could anyone help me and advise the likely time it will take to fire up my oven once completed and cured properly. I am building a high vault 30" pompei oven exactly as described in the forno bravo plans using firebricks, thermal blanket and 4" vermiculite insulation. I'm just worried as I've heard some can take 2 hours to reach pizza cooking temperature which isn't what I had in mind when I started the project. I had to reduce the size from 36" oven to 30" as I messed up the base but anyhow should still be ok it looks decent enough, right now I'm half way through building the dome.

[fxpose]

It takes about an hour for my dome to turn completely white, meaning it's ready for pizza.

[dmun]

It depends entirely on the ferocity of your fires, and the dryness of your firewood. Small, dry wood can clear the dome in an hour, as George mentions. Bigger, wetter pieces will take longer.

It helps that your oven in small in scale. Larger ovens take longer to heat. Don't be discouraged if you don't get these results right away: There's a lot of residual moisture to be driven out of your dome and insulation.

[jgray]

great thanks just what i wanted to hear!

[oventhusiast]

Hi jgray,
Did you say your building a 30" wide with a 30" ceiling? That dome height seems a bit high for the width. My 42" oven has a 22" ceiling and it takes me about 1 1/2 hours to fire (2 to go completely white).