Building a cob oven

[Curly green finger's]

Hi afternoon all, we have been collecting dhustone for our plinth as we are starting to build a cob oven as part of a project with the children, here's is a link we plan to follow the step by step guide that these guys used.
Any thoughts or has anyone else built one.
Thanks
C. G. F
Cob oven

 

[pargyle]

Yes if you are going to cook children in it make sure you can get them all in ....

 

[Sanntos]

The dome is to high, and the opening should be much lower. To begin with.

 

[Curly green finger's]

The dome is to high, and the opening should be much lower. To begin with.

In the video you mean?

 

[Sanntos]

Yes, didn't see anything else

 

[understanding_bees]

Hi afternoon all, we have been collecting dhustone for our plinth as we are starting to build a cob oven as part of a project with the children, here's is a link we plan to follow the step by step guide that these guys used.
Any thoughts or has anyone else built one.
Thanks
C. G. F
Cob oven

The idea of a wood-fired oven for cooking pizzas and bread involves a sense of delight, as well as the delicious taste of well baked food.

The Youtube video which has been linked by Curly certainly gives a sense of excitement, with all of the volunteers who helped to build it. From that point of view I think that he and his children could have a wonderful experience of sharing and cooperating in this experience. It is the kind of project that the children could remember with nostalgia, when they are adult and have their own families.

Having said that, I would like to add a few cautions of my own. At the three minute mark of this video, the “good, flat, level surface” requirement was mentioned, “to bed these things in”. The “things” he was using look remarkably like concrete paving slabs, but I wish to say that concrete pavers are quite inappropriate for this purpose. Concrete does not perform well in fire-box or fire-place environments. Even clay bricks are not ideal, even though they are more fire resistant than concrete. It is important, if the oven shall survive for a reasonable time, to use fire-bricks for the floor of the oven.

The following comments are from another website which gives a far more detailed guide to building a cob oven. “Fire bricks” are not like regular bricks or stone. They have a range of heat conducting and moisture absorbing properties that make them the ideal wood-fired cooking surface.

We got our firebricks from a local brick company, but you might be able to find firebricks in a salvage yard or on craigslist. Considering how important fire bricks are to a well-functioning wood-fired oven, this is not something you want to be cheap on: make sure you get fire bricks, not regular bricks.

The following website gives a rather more detailed, and I believe much more valuable guide on how to build a cob oven: How To Make a Wood-Fired Oven With Cob

 

[Curly green finger's]

The idea of a wood-fired oven for cooking pizzas and bread involves a sense of delight, as well as the delicious taste of well baked food.

The Youtube video which has been linked by Curly certainly gives a sense of excitement, with all of the volunteers who helped to build it. From that point of view I think that he and his children could have a wonderful experience of sharing and cooperating in this experience. It is the kind of project that the children could remember with nostalgia, when they are adult and have their own families.

Having said that, I would like to add a few cautions of my own. At the three minute mark of this video, the “good, flat, level surface” requirement was mentioned, “to bed these things in”. The “things” he was using look remarkably like concrete paving slabs, but I wish to say that concrete pavers are quite inappropriate for this purpose. Concrete does not perform well in fire-box or fire-place environments. Even clay bricks are not ideal, even though they are more fire resistant than concrete. It is important, if the oven shall survive for a reasonable time, to use fire-bricks for the floor of the oven.

The following comments are from another website which gives a far more detailed guide to building a cob oven. “Fire bricks” are not like regular bricks or stone. They have a range of heat conducting and moisture absorbing properties that make them the ideal wood-fired cooking surface.

We got our firebricks from a local brick company, but you might be able to find firebricks in a salvage yard or on craigslist. Considering how important fire bricks are to a well-functioning wood-fired oven, this is not something you want to be cheap on: make sure you get fire bricks, not regular bricks.

The following website gives a rather more detailed, and I believe much more valuable guide on how to build a cob oven: How To Make a Wood-Fired Oven With Cob

They were fire bricks for sure

 

[Ian123]

They were fire bricks for sure

Yes they even pointed out the fact they are fire bricks, old elec heaters can be a good source.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

old elec heaters can be a good source

and an electric oven cuts out all the faff completely

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yes they even pointed out the fact they are fire bricks, old elec heaters can be a good source.

There not cheap to buy either I need 1 sq metre, I've got plenty of jars as insulation, they used bottles in the video.
@jenkinsbrynmair it's a home schooling project as the children are home schoolers.

 

[Ian123]

and an electric oven cuts out all the faff completely

It was another old beek who passed away many years ago Who told me he was astounded man spent so long learning to cook inside……then wanted to go and bbq. Personally I’ll bbq anything, looking forward to the first whole lamb going on the cross this spring

 

[Ian123]

I’ve got some pics but not on this phone so try this.https://www.americanlamb.com/recipes-2/lamb-al-asador

https://overthefirecooking.com/lamb-al-asador/

 

[Curly green finger's]

I’ve got some pics but not on this phone so try this.https://www.americanlamb.com/recipes-2/lamb-al-asador

Blimey, I've done a pig on a spit before, lookes good though having the veg in a pan under the lamb.
You've given me some more ideas.

 

[Ian123]

We do a lot of the lambs. You can also do them on this large grill. Your looking at about 3hrs for a lamb on the cross. Yes this is 1 we did!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

looking forward to the first whole lamb going on the cross this spring

Maybe too nuanced for some?

 

[Erichalfbee]

There not cheap to buy either I need 1 sq metre, I've got plenty of jars as insulation, they used bottles in the video.
@jenkinsbrynmair it's a home schooling project as the children are home schoolers.

Do you prepare the children for external exams?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Maybe too nuanced for some?

Maybe but we have become to reliant on comfort cooking and easyness lassyness, some children wouldn't even know what a carcus looks like, different cuts of meat, they see it wrapped in clingfilm/packaging with lovely writing on.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Do you prepare the children for external exams?

W is taking his G. C. S. E
R has passed 8 A levels.

 

[Erichalfbee]

W is taking his G. C. S. E
R has passed 8 A levels.

8?
I'm impressed
My daughter managed 5A* to get into Cambridge
The world beckons for R. I hope he has decent aspirations. We need clever people in the world to do something with their talents

 

[Curly green finger's]

8?
I'm impressed
My daughter managed 5A* to get into Cambridge
The world beckons for R. I hope he has decent aspirations. We need clever people in the world to do something with their talents

Yes 8, 4 were A's, he could of gone to whatever uni he wanted but he works for a housing company from home he's only 20 and even had his face in the local paper, he will go far and also not have to graft manually like me.
Im very proud of him