Periodic
Thermal Cleaning PDF
Establishing A
Thermal Cleaning Routine
Wood Stone ovens are typically operated at temperatures which preclude the need for
cleaning of the interior walls, ceiling (the dome)
and floor of the oven. If, however, you
routinely operate the oven at floor temperatures lower than 450 degrees Fahrenheit, you
may notice a buildup on the interior walls and/or ceiling of the oven.
If you operate below 525 you may notice some buildup on the floor. If this is the
case, use the following procedures to periodically clean the oven. The frequency of thermal
cleaning will be determined by the amount of buildup experienced. The amount and rate of
buildup will largely be determined by the type of wood burned to fuel the oven
(if in a wood fired oven), operational
details (such as if you are re-heating pizza slices and grease
runoff from cheese is building up directly on the floor) and by how
long the oven is operated at temperatures low enough to allow buildup to occur.
Thermal Cleaning Gas-fired Oven:
The Floor
If a Wood Stone gas-fired oven is operated at low
temperatures (below 525 degrees Fahrenheit),
it is possible that grease and debris from food could build up on
the floor of the oven, especially in the
doorway where temperatures are cooler (see photo at right, click
on image to zoom). Often, this build up is perceived as the
floor flaking away. To remove the buildup that has accumulated on
the floor of the oven, simply turn the radiant flame to its
highest setting and set the floor set point at 650F. Monitor the
floor temperature displayed on the controller. When the floor
reaches 650 degrees Fahrenheit, lower the flame slightly so as to
maintain the oven floor temperature near 650 degrees for 2 hours
or longer. Often, it is easiest just to leave the oven on
overnight at this elevated setting to ensure that the debris on
the floor's surface has reached sufficient temperatures to make
the build up easy to scrape off.
WARNING:
OVEN DOORS SHOULD NEVER BE ON WHEN OVEN BURNERS ARE OPERATING.
Scraping is usually done early the next morning using the
utility peel or one of our
floor scraping tools
(shown here). When scraping the
floor it is important to keep from pushing the debris into the
burner well - debris in the burner well can cause problems with
the radiant burner. Often people will use
a pan to shield the burner when the
floor is being scraped. Repeat this thermal cycling as needed to
keep the floor clean.
Once the oven is clean, allow the oven to return to normal
operating temperatures and continue normal operation. It is a good
idea to clean the floor early in the day so that the oven is given
time to cool back down before the lunch rush begins.
Thermal Cleaning Gas-fired Oven:
The Dome
If a Wood Stone gas-fired oven is operated at low temperatures (below 400 degrees
Fahrenheit), it is possible that grease from food could condense on the walls and ceiling
of the oven. To remove the grease that has accumulated on the walls and ceiling of the
oven, simply turn the radiant flame to its highest setting. Monitor the floor temperature
displayed on the controller. When the floor reaches 600 degrees Fahrenheit, lower the
flame slightly so as to maintain the oven floor temperature near 600 degrees for about an
hour. Once the oven dome appears clean, allow the oven to return to normal operating
temperatures and continue normal operation.
Thermal Cleaning Wood-fired Oven:
The Dome
Starting from an existing fire, increase the fire's intensity (by adding wood) so that the
floor temperature goes above 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain this temperature for
approximately 1 hour or until all visible signs of sooting are gone from the walls and
ceiling of the oven. It should not be necessary to physically remove any material from the
walls and ceiling with a brush or otherwise. Once the oven dome appears clean, allow the
oven to return to the normal operating temperature and continue normal operation.
Thermal Cleaning Wood-fired Oven:
The Floor
If a Wood Stone wood
oven is operated at low temperatures (below 525 degrees
Fahrenheit), it is possible that grease and debris from food could
build up on the floor of the oven. Often, this build up is
perceived as the floor flaking away. To remove the buildup that
has accumulated on the floor of the oven, at
the end of your cooking day simply move
a portion of the coal bed to cover that part of the floor covered
with grease (if necessary you might do this in sections on
consecutive days). Leave the coal bed over the grease build
up. By morning most of the grease should have been burned
away. If necessary, proceed with scraping of the floor.
Scraping is usually done early the next morning using the
utility peel or one of our floor scraping tools.
If the oven is a combination gas and wood oven,
please note that when scraping the floor it is important to
keep from pushing the debris into the burner well - debris in the
burner well can cause problems with the radiant burner. Often
people will use a pan
to shield the burner when the floor is being scraped.
Repeat this process as needed to keep
the floor clean.
Once the oven is clean, allow the oven to return to normal
operating temperatures and continue normal operation.
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