Clay oven

[Digger-07]

I've seen a few pictures and recently on Not Easy Being Green they built one but I am putting feelers out in the grapes world to see if anyone has any hints about building one. eg. what size, what height, how big is the opening, does it need a flue etc. etc.

After the shed and the raised beds this is my project for this year.
Hope you can help.

[bubblewrap]

This may help digger.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005...your_own_m.php

[Snadger]

Did pigletwillie not build one????

[bubblewrap]

Did pigletwillie not build one????

Serpantly did in his back garden. My BIL has one too(lives in Crete)

[MrsC]

I've watched that programme a few times BW its interesting. Clicked the link, it looks fab, let us know how you get on!

[nkp1962]

This may help digger.
Make Your Own Mud Oven : TreeHugger

Go a bit further on that link & you'll find: -

1. Building a Clay Oven - The Basics The Clay Oven

Let us know how you get on

[pigletwillie]

Look on my blog. I built one in 2007 and it cookes a pizza in 3 minutes, gets up to 350 degres C and will slow cook a leg of lamb or even bread. Size is up to you as is how permanent you want it too be.

[BrideXIII]

Look on my blog. I built one in 2007 and it cookes a pizza in 3 minutes, gets up to 350 degres C and will slow cook a leg of lamb or even bread. Size is up to you as is how permanent you want it too be.

whereas i am sure i could cobble one together, i am pretty sure fuel for it would start to get expensive

pity cos i really fancy the idea.

[allotmentlady]

i dream of one but only if i win the lottery.............

[Matt.]

The difficulty is getting hold of proper fire bricks. On the 'its not easy' program I think he was very lucky to just find a load lying about

Also the program had a very basic design. Many designs have bricks making the dome, then filled with clay, then a layer of insulation, more clay etc, chimney, doors loads of extras!

I used to have a load of links but I can't find them. Mosts sites are US based and the designs are massive. There are also forums with Uk or europe sections. Lots of comments about where you can buy the bricks and materials you need. I think they are a great idea but I haven't built one yet. As for the fuel its just wood - wood ovens - so its not that expensive.

[Matt.]

Just read Piglet's blog - no bricks and a simple clay dome. If its tried and trusted and still going strong two years on maybe most of the designs are over complicated!

Where did you get the base and is it a special heat concrete?

[Hilary B]

Thanks for the link BW. We hope to build a 'bread oven' for the place in Spain one day. Not much clay around there, so will probably do a brick/stone one, but I have hopes of using the info in the link as a 'base' along with the old (now broken) one that goes with a ruined casita not so far away.

[pigletwillie]

whereas i am sure i could cobble one together, i am pretty sure fuel for it would start to get expensive

pity cos i really fancy the idea.

It takes about 3 hours to get up to temperature, if we have a pizza party its lit for about 8 hours.

In that time it uses a compost bag and a half of kindling sticks. Those sticks are from an old pallet so its costs bugger all to run bar a bit of wood chopping.

The base is just a smooth slab. The size of yours would depend upon space but ours fits a !5" pizza or a big roasting tin easily.


Here is the "basic how to do it".

Here is the drying process.

Here it is during a trial run.

Here its on during our birthday party.

Do have a go, next its a tandoor oven for us

[lisab]

Hi there, thought i'd chip in. Ive been looking at the River Cottage website - because i love the programme - and they run a course where you build your own clay oven by sourcing the clay etc..it doesn't say if you can keep it, maybe its just a group building one oven? Not sure, but check it out.
Lisa

[pigletwillie]

The clay ovens built like that, or like mine for that matter will just fall to bits if rained on as the clay never gets hot enough to be fired.

To make mine permanent I covered it in a 4" layer of concrete and painted it with exterior paint to make it look nice. This turned out to be a great move as the added layer just stores more heat meaning that it stayes hotter for longer.