LEG IX HSPA newer CLIBANUS photos

[Hibernicus]

For some years now we've been building bread ovens at events. At Ft Mac we've built a number of small ovens on the ground. At SCA events and more recently at The Muzeo in Anaheim we've built ovens of stacked brick.

This year we built a barrel vault oven.. a CLIBANUS... and it has proven to be superior to all the prior ovens.

Since the elements of the oven have to be transported there and back we built a metal tray slightly larger than the diameter of the oven in order to create a lip for the mudding to rest upon. This year we stood it on cinderblock but have since acquired a stack of light weight concrete stone blocks to replace the cinder blocks

The bricks are standard pavers. The door is arched with half bricks

We built a wood form for the body of the oven, and used a metal frame for the door. A wood form for the door has since been built to replace the metal frame. We laid up one arch at a time, slid the form back and built the next arch.... Note that the form has a handhole!

Each arch received just enough mudding, a mix of clay rich soil and straw, to keep it up until all arches were up. We then added additional bricking to close up the back.

Once the bricks were in place a skim coat of mudding was applied. A small smokey fire was built and kept hot with additional charcoal and an ocasional handful of leaves until all mudding was complete and no more smoke escaped through minor cracks.

A finish coat was applied with a handmade replica Roman trowel.

Here are a few photos



http://rlqm.com/ftmac2008/ftmac2008.oven.02.jpg
http://rlqm.com/ftmac2008/ftmac2008.oven.03.jpg
http://rlqm.com/ftmac2008/ftmac2008.oven.04.jpg
http://rlqm.com/ftmac2008/ftmac2008.oven.05.jpg

[Titus Petronicus Graccus]

Sean,
VERY nice work!
Do you have instructions on how to actually bake the bread in it? And what was used for the base (bottom part)?
And how well does it travel? Do you have to destroy/rebuild it everytime you hit an event?
And would you be so kind as to provide us with a photo of the trowel? As a Blacksmith, I'm always interested in ironwork.

[A_Volpe]

NEAT! Great stuff, Hibernicus

I'm surprised you're not packaging and selling loaves by now!

[jvrjenivs]

very cool, but not seen before (in europe at least). Keep your projects posted! They're adding a lot to the total picture of your display!

[Hibernicus]

BAKING: Each oven has to be learned. Each one is different. This is, in part, why we decided to adopt the current form. Build the same oven each time = no learning curve. One way to learn is to build one in your backyard if possible and start baking.

THE BASE: CR steel , 10g

EACH TIME: we rebuild the oven at each event. What's nice about the current form is that it came apart much easier and faster than any othe roven we've built.

HAULING: The components weigh...... alot! Not only do we haul the bricks and tray we also have to bring our own soil

Pics of tools are forthcoming.

[Hibernicus]

Some new pictures:

Another view of the oven. Better shot of the half bricks framing the doorway. Note the warming pad on top. On a whim.. the oven exterior gets warm the top gets warmer. A pot of water on top stays warm, bread stay warm and on cold mornings: hands get warm roo!

http://rlqm.com/ftmac2008/ftmac2008.oven.06.jpg


Two loaves of bread. Spelt wheat. I'm not sure if either of these are made with the hand ground flour, sorry. .. but we are going to be grinding flour at our next public event.

There is little yeast in either of these loaves. They are dense, heavy, flavorful and remain supple for days and days, unlike modern bread which tends to get crusty hard in short order. Neither of these loaves, nor any that we made lasted more then a few minutes...!

Total loaves over 2 days: 7, plus some trout and a duck and baked apples with honey and baked garlic .. we kept the oven busy. The trout were gutted, stuffed with spices and laid down on a thin bed of sea salt right on top of the brick floor.

http://rlqm.com/ftmac2008/ftmac2008.oven.08.jpg

[jvrjenivs]

very nice pictures. I'm getting hungry by looking at them!

[Magnus]

How's the bread taste?

[Primvs Pavlvs]

How's the bread taste?

With its tongue!

[Hibernicus]

Following an old Legio IX tradition: Paul earns a penalty for bad joke: Move chair TWO chair lengths back from the fire.

The bread tastes great and it's more filling. Sweetened with honey, dipped in olive oil or more honey... nummy

[Robert]

Hi Hib!

I see your are camouflaging your cinderblocks with brick. Just a thought, four sturdy oak 8" trunksections could double as seats or as supports to you great looking oven. No need for covering them, then.

[Hibernicus]

Robert, a good idea!


We were going to slap some mudding on them but ran out!

But, we've already picked up some light weight concrete stone blocks. They look like dressed stone.

[rusty myers]

I know I have seen some lightweight fire proof bricks somewhere too... have to think on that for a while. Not period, but like 1/10 the weigght, and you are mudding it anyway. Been many years since I painted CivWar flags on bricks, and the showroom closed... anyone else remember this? Or did I inhale to much stain fume over the last two days...

[Hibernicus]

You want mass for the oven, the more the better, with which to create a radiant thermal body... light weight bricks for the oven chamber may be counter productive... There are thermal bricks but they reflect heat or insulate from heat..

[texascavtrooper]

Sean,
Very cool oven. I just wish I could have been there to help eat the bread.
Bryan