Brewster Academy Brick Oven Project: part one

Dust enclosure on servery side

This project, compressed into the time between when students at Brewster Academy left for Christmas Break and when they return on January 7th, required more-than-average planning.

Forms over block base

Pouring concrete over backerboard

first set of rebar

An anonymous donor (who won't be named) wanted to change the way food is prepared by the chefs at Brewster Academy.  Executive Chef Chris Dill and others decided on a wood-fired brick oven.

The 54" interior diameter brick oven that I am currently building will have extra mass in the floor and dome to allow for only one firing per week but six days of cooking.

Laying out lines of oven floor

Part one involves the fairly heavy and mundane task of building a base and pouring the sub-oven-floor slab.  Weather cooperated in that it was drizzling and 40 degrees for much of the concrete mixing so that we could mix outside and bring the wet mix to the indoor location without creating a dust cloud.

Photos here show block base, forms, reenforcing, and slab. Stay tuned for more compelling shots.