Do I really need an insulated door? Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss Do I really need an insulated door? in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; I know it all depends on what you want to use the oven for with its residual heat and all. ...

[fxpose]

I know it all depends on what you want to use the oven for with its residual heat and all.

But I'm at a stage where my oven build is almost complete and am currently curing the oven with a series of low to med temp burns using charcoal briquettes.
Even at this early stages of firing, I am amazed at which I can retain smoking temps for over 12 hours with just a grill basket full of charcoal briquettes and several full bricks covering the entry constricting air & exhaust flow in and out of the chamber.
Like most everyone else, aside from doing just pizzas I'd like to use the oven for other things, including smoking, where some airflow is required.
I'll eventually get into baking bread or anything which requires use of prolonged residual heat, but for the time being I think all I need is a simple metal plate door with perhaps an oven thermometer attached to its face. Air flow can be controlled by simply leaving a narrow gap between the door and the oven entry instead in installing adjustable air vents. Thoughts?

George

[Les]

I believe the FB ovens come with a 1/4 inch steel plate door - you should be fine.

Les...

[Tscarborough]

I would say it depends upon what you are going to use the oven for. I like to use all the heat, so with my insulated door I can get 4 or 5 days of use:

Saturday 7:00PM dome clears, pizza, ambient 95.
Sunday 9:00AM (I had to leave the door off for an hour and steam it) 450, full floor of bread ambient 85.
Monday 7PM 240 degrees ambient 90 could have done meat.
Tuesday 7PM 180 degrees ambient 80 could have dried veges or slow cooked meat.
Wednesday 6:45PM 115 degrees ambient 80 could continue drying vegetables.

[texassourdough]

Nice profile TS!

I have a Casa oven with a refractory door and it would be interesting to close the oven with a highly insulating door and see what my profile would be.

We need to invent a good Texas pizza!
Jay

[Tscarborough]

My Texas pizza is a Margherita using Oxaca cheese, Early Girl tomatoes, and Jalapenos instead of Basil.

[SCChris]

I have an insulated door made from my excess 2" rigid insulation. Here is this week's profile.

850 500 400 250

Sat 850F - Pizza and made Calzones with the extra dough and toppings to get ahead.
Sun 500F -
Mon 400F - Leg of lamb
Tue 250F - Re-heated the lamb - removed the lamb and added the next starting load of wood to dry.

I think the insulated door gives you options that you would otherwise have.
Chris

[texassourdough]

Wow. Chris! Your oven is awsomely insulated. Amazing!

Also, TS, nice pizza! I will try it!
Jay

[Tscarborough]

And today at 5:00PM the oven is still at 101 degrees, ambient 75, so I could still be drying out vegetables. I looked for okra last weekend but couldn't find any. That is what I want to try to dry next.

[fxpose]

All right.....you guys convinced me. I will make mine insulated. At least I could use the retained heat to dry out wood for starters until I get the hang of things.

Thanks,
George

[texassourdough]

Hi George!

You don't need an insulated door to dry wood. Having it insulated is certainly (at least to a point) better than uninsulated but....most any door is better than no door! Based on a lot of comments on this site I think it is safe to say "Your first door is unlikely to be your last door!"

Good Luck!
Jay