Keeping the temperature of the 44 gallon drum pizza oven at a constant level has proven to be tricky. So some thermal mass should help.
Canberra Red brick – fired to high temps
I’ve heard that Canberra Red bricks are fired at a very high temperature and are suitable for such a purpose, so a number were purchased at the local recycling depot.
@ $1 each, a cheap upgrade
8 for the oven space and 2 in the fire box to test their stability there. Might add a few more in there if they don’t fall apart.
thermal mass & temperature probe
You can see the temperature probe in the oven space too.
make sure the pizza trays fit!
Tests last night proved very positive. The oven temp quickly rose to 220 degrees plus and never dropped below, keeping a consistent 220 – 240 degree temperature, despite variations in the relative intensity of the fire.
Preparing the pizzas
The pizzas were great, with a little attention required to the timing, which was a little quicker than previously.
The firebox bricks seemed to last fine. We’ll see how they go after a couple of firings.
More pizza reports to come, perhaps some gluten free recipes?
Brian.
Tags: 44 gallon drum, canberra red bricks, oven, stove, thermal mass, wood fired, wood fired pizza oven