May 11, 2013 - 6:50am
Horno
After years of just sitting around, I decided to do some work on my horno. Being from the southwest, I wanted to keep it as traditional as possible with using adobe; mud, straw and water. Here it is after some work and finishing putting the second layer of "stucco". One more thinner layer and I will fire it up.
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I have never seen one of these in use. Is the fire build in the base under the rounded top? Or is it built on the floor of the rounded top and then swept to the side. I am definitely demonstrating my absolute ignorance of wood-fired ovens of any kind.
The fire is built on the floor of the oven than swept aside. My mother's family had one at the ranch and they knew it was up to heat when a wisp of sheep wool would turn brown when placed inside. I don't have any sheep but I do have a Labrador - or I could just get a thermometer.
Is the chimney 'flue' in the correct area of your 'Horno' oven? Wood fired ovens have the chimney 'flue' on the outside of the oven chamber, so when the door is placed; the oven is sealed with the flue on the outside of the door. Other's have made this error. I hope I'm wrong about a Horno type oven.
Sylvia
When the oven is up to temp., the chimney is sealed, too. I have a nice smooth basalt river rock for it.