CHIMNEY OR NOT
Hi, New to this sort of discussion but like to get it right before inviting family and friends around to sample my new home made Cob Oven. Already to go, or so I thought, I warmed up my oven to dry out the clay a few weeks ago and built a slightly larger fire the following week and all I had was loads of smoke. I have a wood burner in my front room, so i used the same wood (broken down pallets) to fire my new oven up. All I achieved was an upset wife and neighbours with all the smoke. A larger fire yesterday had the same effect. So - Do i need a chimney? The instructions said NO. The cob oven is 600mm internal diameter and 360mm internal height. The opening is 2/3 the height. Or do I use charcoal as one of my colleagues suggest? I would be grateful for a steer in the right direction. Thanks in anticipation - Danny
Trying different wood is an easy first option - maybe the pallet wood you have is smoky and you just never notice it?
It could be that the wood burner you have in the house has an air wash or recirculating system that helps to burn some of the smoke - and of-course its chimney will be higher.
Putting a chimney on the oven will move the smoke higher, but it will also create a bigger draw - and too much air through the fire will make it burn hotter/faster to a degree.
Could you make a temporary chimney to see if it has an effect?
-Gordon
I agree with Gordon's comment. Pallet wood is likely pine or other soft wood. The first thing I think of as I read your post is "damp wood." Such fuel will give you lots of smoke and very little heat. Invest in some good firewood. I have a chimney on my outdoor oven…and other ovens I have seen in use also have chimneys. I think it is essential for good draw and to move the smoke away from the baker's face and airway. Even with the chimney, I find that spending a few hours baking bread and/or making pizza at my wood burning oven can have unpleasant effects. A nice steady breeze that takes the smoke away from the oven and baker is always appreciated. Good luck!
will give a cleaner burning fire, several years old at least. Hard woods even better. Avoid painted, sprayed or chemically treated or fumigated wood.
I wouldn't burn pallets to heat a wood burning oven or even in camp fire, it is a complete mystery what has been done to the pallet intentionally or unintentionally. The other thing of concern is that the spacers between the top and bottom layer are often made of a composite material containing wood chips, recycled plastics, binders and glues of various origin. Pallets are often manufactured in countries with standards that may be much more lax than your home country.
Gerhard