Hey Lee, that`s a great video! I did an apprenticeship with an old school plumbing firm in the north of England, we did everything from fixing a leaky fawcet to lead glazing to large scale heating, plumbing drainage and roofing construction projects. I`ve done plenty of lead, zinc and copper roofs in my younger days. The secret to getting the patina on copper roofs is as old as time and it is this........ One time I was fitting a copper roof on a catholic church in the shape of an A-Frame, and the old priest was amazed at how the bright copper sheets we placed each day, would turn green overnight. He`d often ask me how this happened and I`d always tell him it was a miracle! One day he saw one of the lads on the scaffold with a mop bucket, mopping the roof. He asked me what was in the bucket and I told him it was Holy Water! What it actually was, was piss ! The lads would piss in buckets throughout the day and we`d mop this on the new sheets before leaving site for the day. The acid in the urine reacted with the copper and turned it green! If you try this with modern copper sheets, they often have an oil based protective compound on them which has to be removed with detergent , first.
I have been growing more and more interested in building my own wood fired brick pizza oven and I've watched a LOT of videos on how to make them, not nearly as detailed and helpful as this! Thanks so much, I'll be starting my project soon!
Same here. I'm starting planning for my own pizza oven and this is one of the most helpful videos I have seen, thank you for the detailed explanations, Lee.
Now, THAT, is what I call a well thought out, narrated and honest video as to how to go about making a wood fired pizza oven smoker combo out of bricks and other material. Hats off to you Lee. Excellent job.
Just came across this vid all these years later and gotta say it is the most fantastic vid on this topic. Attention to detail is fabulous, description of processes is fabulous, the design AND location and how it all fits together with its surroundings is fabulous - awesome! Most important this isn’t a ridiculous vanity project but a beautiful piece of functional art. Well, well, well done!
I've wanted to add a brick oven to my backyard for about seven years now, but have yet to do so. This video has given me so many ideas, and is a fantastic tutorial. Coming from a woodworking background, it feels outside of my skill level, but it is very much appreciated. Thank you for posting it.
Lee. I haven't watched all of this, but I have to tell you that I'm already blown away at what you've done. I've been thinking of building a wood oven on the patio of my restaurant and you may have just solved my problem. Thank you so much!
This is only the second video on pizza ovens I've seen and luckily is not only perfect to me in its looks, but it's designed well with great instructions. Thanks a million for sharing this build with the world.
Think about what he said, how could that be? Northern states frost lines are 36"-42". That's impossible. It would be like 6 to 9 cubic yards just for the flat base to the soil level, not including the pad above ground! There must be a different way, like a floating pad for northern states. I had a similar idea for a smoke box but my idea was to put a second floor 12 to 18 inches below the main floor and at the back of the main floor, have an opening for smoke from a fire on the lower floor to come up and pass around the meat to be smoked on its way to the front chimney. You can also use the opening to brush your ashes then remove them from the lower floor...
My initial thought when watching this was, why so much work? But when I saw your face at the end of the video I totally understood. That look of satisfaction, pride, accomplishment and seeing the results is priceless. Sir, you've inspired me to roll up my sleeves and get to some work in my backyard! Love from Pakistan!!!
I totally enjoyed your video! I've watched ALOT of pizza oven building videos and I think this was probably the best one I've seen. Slow, clear, insightful. Without boasting or telling us how we should do it. It was how YOU did yours. Thanks for taking the time to document and provide a different and intelligent approach and execution to building your oven.
+Alan Lloyd Thanks Alan. I looked at some of your videos from Thailand. I haven't been to Thailand but I've visited Cambodia and I absolutely loved it. I need to find a job over there!
Thanks! I would love to see pictures of it, but you can't share them here for some reason. If you have them posted online, or even better, a UA-cam video, I think you can post a link here in the comments.
Like many others considering a build, watching many videos, I’ve taken many tips from your video but most impressed by the fact your pizza oven has a sufficient flue opening to avoid the dreaded frontal smoke stain, brilliant
Yes it draws pretty good. A little smoke out of the front sometimes on start up or if it's windy, but other than that it pretty much all goes into the flue.
Well done, that is by far the best brick oven video I have come across. Love the fact that you took your time and planned every move before executing them. Very informative, I will be watching it several more times before moving forward with my project at some point. Thanks again.
I just completed a walk in tile shower ,I thought that was a nice challenge , now I've been given another project. An out door brick rocket oven/pizzeria.Watching your video convinces me of how much I don't know.But you sir are a master journeyman.
I have been researching building a outdoor pizza oven for a few months. I have to say your video is by far the most informative i have found, Great job m8. The finished oven looks amazing.
Very lovely work. I live in Austin, Texas the home of off set smoking BBQ. You have the ability now to make brisket and ribs suited for the gods, cooked low and slow. Congrats and I hope it brings you many years of fun.
That is amazing. I've been looking for a combo smoker idea to build into an outdoor fireplace. Love the design and look. I'm up in Wisconsin so come spring I'll be getting started and will probably be basically copying your pizza oven plans and use some of your tips for the smoker. Great job. Thanks for the ideas and taking the time to go through your project in so much detail!
Thank for not playing obnoxious music just plain calm explanations.Great build and thank you for sharing.Just a tip when you poured your oven base and was little short that is great.Fill the rest with salt it is great insulation and easier to level the bricks on top.
Yes, I agree, I should have made the bottom of the oven about 6" higher. That would have made it much easier to get things in and out of it. But, it would have made getting the brick out to use the smoker a lot harder.
Great video. My wife and I built a clay oven down here in Panama. We run a full moon pizza night each month which is pretty popular with the ex pat community. We seem to have inspired one of our friends to build a more sophisticated oven at his home in the States so I pointed him at your video. I think you have covered evwrything he will need to know. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes from the Republic of Panama 🇵🇦
Congratulation. Brick oven is amazing is the best one I ever saw I have one but not even quite as cool as the one you have and thank you very much for share all that information thank you
It’s guys like this that make UA-cam great, perfectly filmed and explained throughout. Over here in the Uk I have been trying to find out if I can’t use normal bricks to make a pizza oven, all builders merchants say no! I need to buy fire bricks but I know in Victorian times they used Engineering Bricks and the Italian for thousands of years have used clay bricks, I think this video clearly shows bricks are fine too use. Cheers 🍻 for the upload
I used fire brick on the inner dome and I think that is the smart thing to do. Regular bricks might work, but then again, they might not. I would spend the small amount of extra money on the fire brick so I don't have problems later on - because it will be hard to fix if you do.
That is one the best videos on "how to do something" I've seen. Really well done, and edited. And "boy" that was a lot of brick, time and work. And I'm inspired. Thanks for posting!
wow, beautifully done, just the right amount of time explaining things. Pizza is only 1 of the things cooked in it, we fix salmon, veggies, potatoes, breakfast is awesome, eggs are incredible, bacon, sausage.
love the essential bottle opener LOL. Finally a video that tells EXACTLY how to build in a short and to the point way! Big THANK YOU for your work. I am stealing your plans and starting an exact copy here.
Nice Job! I do a lot of DIY stuff on my Ranch, one thing you can do to get Air Bubbles out of Concrete is to use a round stick zipped tied/attached well to a vibrating sander! works great for getting your mix to jiggle real good! ;Peace)
Greetings from Australia Lee, Thanks heaps for the deep narration, well explained and a beautiful addition to your lovely garden, you’ve inspired me and im hoping to make one like yours , love extremely the flue / chimney, the best example of drawing out the smoke , still keeping the heat dissipating this into the oven dome and not totally wasting out going heat , brillant 🎉 Godbless and thanks for posting.
Thanks, I do hope to build a combo too!! When the funds get there!! I live in Atlanta, clay soil. So, I know I need to build a very strong base with rock and sand. Thanks for your tips!!!
This is the best design I’ve seen after looking at dozens. Another option for the base in places with hard winters and freezing temperatures would be to dig out down to your frost level and fill it with rocks and or large gravel. This allows moisture to expand without obstructing or changing the shape of the ground. This is how they used to build log cabins and they would just make a big pit Full of rocks kind of like we would now dig out and fill with concrete to make a foundation footing when you fill it with the rocks and gravel and or sand even if water gets down in there the water is allowed to expand but the rocks don’t move with the expansion so you stay level, there are cabins that were built hundreds of years ago that are almost still perfectly level with those foundations. Another option would be to use an auger and drill holes down and basically make a deck to build all of the sun come out a very strong deck but it could definitely be done. I see a lot of people that misunderstand the installation process in the bottom for the perlite mix and end up making that in the bottom of the interior of their oven which means when they light the fire they’re heating it only from above because they don’t have that layer of brick to retain that heat and so everything has to cook from the top because the oven floor loses its heat being that the surface is the perlite insulated mixture that won’t retain the heat The same way the brick will so basically it’s a cooler bottom oven and then I have problems cooking things and they take a long time. I like your solution because if you make it solid rock it holds massive amounts of heat and you’re constantly having to turn your pizza and keep it moving and cook it within a couple of minutes to where you were insulating the bottom then adding a layer to absorb heat so you come out somewhere in the middle where your bottom still retains heat and there’s enough to cook but you’re not constantly dealing with extreme amounts of heat on the bottom of the oven. My only change is instead of using the fire brick on the inside of the bottom, using the perlite mixture basically you get that fire brick installation of fact, I would’ve used pizza brick which is just a precast porous concrete like your clay, it retains heat but it also porous so you don’t get a frying effect it doesn’t resist moisture it lets the moisture out and to flow through it. That’s what most professional pizza ovens that aren’t a moving rack would use and I’ve always told her to call pizza stone probably because that’s its intent fire brick is an insulator meant to not retain heat to where the pizza stone is kind of a cross between that and solid rock it’s still retains heat but it is still porous enough to where you’re not going to have a completely solid surface so it’s going to allow moisture in air to flow on the bottom so you don’t end up with a soggy boiled mess in the middle. For your copper stand to get the patina on there there are chemicals you can buy that speed the oxidization process but a lot of people just use a water with a little dishwashing liquid and a torch. You could also just brace or even just glue or Apoxsee some sort of trellis system or other material for those vines to climb up. Plants generally don’t like copper, if you use copper spikes or nails in a tree you can actually kill it in many instances. But on that I think if you put some kind of trellis on the outside, you could wrap it with the wire like a cattle panel or fencing or you could do a wood trellis or a wire or string trellis the plants can climb up.
You are correct about the foundation. I didn't get into that much detail in this video because it was already long enough. Not to mention that the vast majority of my experience is in Florida, so I can't claim to be an expert on the best way design a foundation for those conditions. Thanks for the comments!
I know I'm late to the party, but.... dang if I didn't love this. So very much useful information. So very many good ideas. And all well communicated. Thank you, Lee.
I've been tossing around the idea of building an oven for quite some time now. This video showed up in my feed at the perfect time. I do quite a bit of smoking so this design really appeals to me. Thanks for the great content.
Fantastic video. Thank you for the detailed description of your process. It's a great overview video, well-edited, with good narration. Definitely the best how-to video I've seen on building a classy brick wood-fired oven.
I gotta tell ya, I've done concrete for about thirteen years and can say that oven will be there for a couple hundred years! I'm about to start building one of these myself and yours is by far the best looking oven I've seen on here. Well done!
I just had this idea (smoker & oven combo) the other day as well. Researching it I found your video which was exactly what I needed. Thanks for making the video, it is very helpful and your end result looks great!
beautiful work. I can appreciate an expert and how much time is involved. In the event of a nuke strike, you can seek shelter inside it as well as cook incredible meals.
I gave you a like and maybe pushing your comment up so the UA-cam AI might recommend this video. It looks similar to the type I've been thinking of over the years, but never seen this one in the past. I want a rocket stove added with the smoker. Forgot to add grill with rocket stove.
As an artist I use copper sheet and ribbing - if you use M38 gel over the sheet you can jump start the patina process. also the copper needs to be fairly clean. IF the sheeting is thick enough. I'm going to build one of these after I move. I also work with a lot of different types of glass. Thanks for your channel,
+Shereen Timmerman I haven't heard of m38 gel before but I knew there were some ways of accelerating the patina process. I didn't want to mess it up though. I need to just go out an spray it occasionally with some vinegar and ammonia just to give it a little push.
+Shereen Timmerman I drew them myself with Sketchup and my model can be downloaded from the Sketchup 3-D warehouse. I think there is some plans in PDF format that you can download from the Forno Bravo website also. They are pretty generic though.
I have been hoarding bricks for a few years now hoping to build myself a brick oven. I have 480 reclaimed firebricks (acme everlast, apgreen lonestar, unknown logo stamped), 60 new firebricks, 1980 texas red clay bricks(ferris, palmer, mexia, texas, abilne, cherry reds, dallas, local), 2100 reclaimed substandard Mexican bricks to use as outer veneer. I'm so close!!! :-) Awesome video interesting method for the dome instead of using a trammel. I've physically reclaimed all of these bricks out of the ground, demolished houses, remodels, etc.. by now I'm pretty damn good at cleaning bricks.
That was awesome. I'm researching to build one at our new home in Philly so thanks for the Frost line info. I love the addition of the Smoker. Hope mine works as well as yours when done. what was the group you found information in online?
Wow. I'm not even kidding. This is hands down the best pizza oven video on UA-cam. THANK YOU! I'm doing my research now for my summer pizza oven project and I SO appreciate the effort you put into making this video. As someone else stated, you, sir, are a legend! 🙌 I have no doubt I'll be watching your videos a number of times before and during my build. Thanks again.
Thank you so much. I tried to be as comprehensive as I could without making this a two hour long video, but I know it didn't cover every single thing you need to know, so let me know if you have any questions during your research or when you start building.
Hi Lee - congrats for sharing. Great ideas. . Here in Brazil, these kinds of oven are common. - heritage from Portugal and south Italy. I might make it a little differently - with more uses.. as example - the furnace to make smoke,I'm thinking in a wood burning stove where the burning gases and heat , will help warm the oven plus smoke. Or a by pass at chimney duct might eliminate the smoke to outside - it depends the use. The stove turns easily in a barbecue charcoal grill, removing the steel plate - and become a furnace using sanddust... And plus - plan a water heating by metal coil at the exit of the chimney... I'm planing building one - and your ideas , all of them, will be used. Really thanks
I would have loved to incorporate one of those Argentine grills (I'm not sure if they go by the same name in Brazil). I haven't really thought of a way to make it look tacked on to the oven though. I may have to build myself one of those as a whole separate project.
@@LeeMcNeil - its easy to invent after people have already invented ...the trouble is the first step like you did. give me an e-mail I can send you several pdf models for construction of smokeless wood stove - you can improve over that, like I'm doing over your ideas. Actually, my plans only will copy your smoker system. I saw how to mix our ideas with gains. My planned oven will work with wood, charcoal, and/or gas propane. I made two ribbon burners like the forge ones (easily findable at yotube), to heat quickly the oven - useful to heat my steel works in damascus knife making too... I reduce the inside space with blocks and bricks - work like forge... I take the blocks out -have a insane oven.. With your ideas I can smoke some meats... I'm designing the project... About argentinian grill - copy the Uruguayan parrilera - find models at youtube - be sure its the best barbecue of world. I want to construct one (easy) to use inside the oven... Be in touch - regards from Brazil
I actually built it a little over ten years ago, I just did the video around five years ago. I'm in construction so I have been super busy over the last couple of years and haven't done a new video in a while. This is the exact subject that I plan to do my next video on. It will be uploaded soon so stay tuned.
@@LeeMcNeil Thanks enjoyed your video. I love your idea for the smoker, but I am concerned that the mess that will make inside will be a problem when you want to do pizzas. Do you burn it clean or do you wash it? Maybe its not as big a problem as I imagine?
@@malancronje6805 No. When you cook pizza in it, you build the fire on the floor of the oven right over where any grease would have dropped when it was previously used as a smoker. Plus the oven gets to close to 1,000 degrees when you cook pizza, so everything in it gets incinerated.
Thanks for the advice about foundation,As I am in Ohio and the foundation is more than I want to get involved with . Agree your build look super great and anyone who copy this is going to have something to love and going to have some great food in many years to come. Thanks looks great Sir
This is an awesome tutorial. I'm a professional chef that wants to build my own hearth/smoker and this was easily the most helpful video I've seen. That said, it shows that you're a contractor. If you were in Indiana, I'd trade you services!
Where in Indiana are you? My mother in law lives in Fortville, just outside of Indianapolis. But she is in her 80's so we probably won't be traveling up to there anytime soon unfortunately.
You inspire me. I too am a builder of sorts and really love your innovative hybrid cooker/oven. I love to grill and smoke as well. I know how much time money and time, did I mention time??? it takes to undertake a major project like this. My hat is sincerely off to you. I don't mind projects that I can complete in lets say... a month or so. This must have taken you at least 6 months or longer to do. Lots of dedication to the project and the end result is nothing but amazing, fantastic, astonishing. A lot of heart went into it, and I'm sure you have made amens by now with the other half for taking so much time. Wives usually can't see the end result locked into your mind, until it's done and up and running. Loved the detailed video (And the steak cooking one as well) Check my channel if you have spare time.. :) ua-cam.com/users/irobodude
Nice job Lee! I have wanted to build one of these for quite some time, sans the smoker portion of the build... Thank you for taking the time to make the video!
You have covered it all! Great great job. Your video documentation can give anyone with some light skill all the information necessary. Built many insulated cabinet smokers, reverse flow and a Santa Maria grill.... you've got me thinking...enjoy this beautiful oven
You've created a masterpiece! Very impressed. It's gorgeous. Just a thought. You probably already know this. Mexican floor tile is much thicker than conventional tile. Thanks for sharing!
You, sir, are a genius. I would love to do something like this for my wife and I someday. She loves to make pizza and bread and I love BBQ. We don't have space to make two separate structures, but if I'm crazy, I could make ONE. Great work!!!
You Sir are a masterclass of detail. Thank you. No one comes close to the information you give and it’s time tested. For this you earned a sub today. I want to build one because you told me everything warts and all. Been looking around and I’ve chosen to do it this way.
Mike Norton Yeah I've seen that before on some slabs under a cooler or freezer. It works great but wants to float like a bitch so you have to make sure it's held down good. Glad I could help.
Hey Lee, that`s a great video!
I did an apprenticeship with an old school plumbing firm in the north of England, we did everything from fixing a leaky fawcet to lead glazing to large scale heating, plumbing drainage and roofing construction projects. I`ve done plenty of lead, zinc and copper roofs in my younger days. The secret to getting the patina on copper roofs is as old as time and it is this........
One time I was fitting a copper roof on a catholic church in the shape of an A-Frame, and the old priest was amazed at how the bright copper sheets we placed each day, would turn green overnight. He`d often ask me how this happened and I`d always tell him it was a miracle!
One day he saw one of the lads on the scaffold with a mop bucket, mopping the roof. He asked me what was in the bucket and I told him it was Holy Water!
What it actually was, was piss ! The lads would piss in buckets throughout the day and we`d mop this on the new sheets before leaving site for the day. The acid in the urine reacted with the copper and turned it green! If you try this with modern copper sheets, they often have an oil based protective compound on them which has to be removed with detergent , first.
I am having a hard time understanding anyone giving this a "thumbs down". This is one of the best demonstration vids I have ever seen!
I don't know either. People are crazy I guess. LOL!
I have been growing more and more interested in building my own wood fired brick pizza oven and I've watched a LOT of videos on how to make them, not nearly as detailed and helpful as this! Thanks so much, I'll be starting my project soon!
Patrick Berg >please document it all for the rest of us.. thank you .
how is your oven going?
Same here. I'm starting planning for my own pizza oven and this is one of the most helpful videos I have seen, thank you for the detailed explanations, Lee.
How did it work out?
Well, how is the pizza oven? Would like to see an update. Thanks Patrick
Now, THAT, is what I call a well thought out, narrated and honest video as to how to go about making a wood fired pizza oven smoker combo out of bricks and other material. Hats off to you Lee. Excellent job.
Thanks man. I really like hearing that!
Just came across this vid all these years later and gotta say it is the most fantastic vid on this topic. Attention to detail is fabulous, description of processes is fabulous, the design AND location and how it all fits together with its surroundings is fabulous - awesome! Most important this isn’t a ridiculous vanity project but a beautiful piece of functional art. Well, well, well done!
Thanks!
The best project I saw in UA-cam so far and it is exactly I plan to do. Thanks for great video ❤
I wonder how many generations it took for everyone to agree that this thing is beautiful and it truly is
I used to think they were ugly and a waste of space but now I want one lol
I do construction work and this is the first time I see someone doing something excellent, thanks to teach us their experience you do amazing work!!!
This is the best oven build on UA-cam. Inspiration to start my own build. Thank You!!
I really like how you break down the project, talking about materials and tools, design and engineering.
Thanks!
I've seen a lot of D.I.Y. brick ovens on youtube but this one takes the cake. Nice job.
I love it! Thanks man.
I've wanted to add a brick oven to my backyard for about seven years now, but have yet to do so. This video has given me so many ideas, and is a fantastic tutorial. Coming from a woodworking background, it feels outside of my skill level, but it is very much appreciated. Thank you for posting it.
Coming up on another 7 years! Have you made any progress? 😁
Lee. I haven't watched all of this, but I have to tell you that I'm already blown away at what you've done. I've been thinking of building a wood oven on the patio of my restaurant and you may have just solved my problem. Thank you so much!
This is only the second video on pizza ovens I've seen and luckily is not only perfect to me in its looks, but it's designed well with great instructions.
Thanks a million for sharing this build with the world.
Thank you!
The smoker box idea was genius.
I like the music and the rocking of the legs back and forth. Like a kid
Thanks from NY, for including the tip about making sure the foundation is beneath the frost line.
Think about what he said, how could that be? Northern states frost lines are 36"-42". That's impossible. It would be like 6 to 9 cubic yards just for the flat base to the soil level, not including the pad above ground! There must be a different way, like a floating pad for northern states.
I had a similar idea for a smoke box but my idea was to put a second floor 12 to 18 inches below the main floor and at the back of the main floor, have an opening for smoke from a fire on the lower floor to come up and pass around the meat to be smoked on its way to the front chimney. You can also use the opening to brush your ashes then remove them from the lower floor...
My initial thought when watching this was, why so much work? But when I saw your face at the end of the video I totally understood. That look of satisfaction, pride, accomplishment and seeing the results is priceless.
Sir, you've inspired me to roll up my sleeves and get to some work in my backyard!
Love from Pakistan!!!
Dr. Behjat Syed Get it done Doctor. I want to see your video too!
I have been educated! That was one of the most thorough videos I have ever watched on UA-cam! Thank you!
I totally enjoyed your video! I've watched ALOT of pizza oven building videos and I think this was probably the best one I've seen. Slow, clear, insightful. Without boasting or telling us how we should do it. It was how YOU did yours. Thanks for taking the time to document and provide a different and intelligent approach and execution to building your oven.
Thanks. That is what I was shooting for.
Brilliant. I'm in construction as well and this is so good to watch. Talking my language..... Hope you are enjoying hte fruits of your labour.
+Alan Lloyd Thanks Alan. I looked at some of your videos from Thailand. I haven't been to Thailand but I've visited Cambodia and I absolutely loved it. I need to find a job over there!
Nothing but respect, thank you for your help! I am almost done with my oven!
Thanks! I would love to see pictures of it, but you can't share them here for some reason. If you have them posted online, or even better, a UA-cam video, I think you can post a link here in the comments.
Like many others considering a build, watching many videos, I’ve taken many tips from your video but most impressed by the fact your pizza oven has a sufficient flue opening to avoid the dreaded frontal smoke stain, brilliant
Yes it draws pretty good. A little smoke out of the front sometimes on start up or if it's windy, but other than that it pretty much all goes into the flue.
Well done, that is by far the best brick oven video I have come across. Love the fact that you took your time and planned every move before executing them. Very informative, I will be watching it several more times before moving forward with my project at some point. Thanks again.
I didn't expect to make it all the way through this video, but there was enough info to keep my attention. Nicely done, sir!
I'll take that as a compliment LOL! Thanks.
@@LeeMcNeil It was a compliment. It's not easy to make a video well. Respect, sir!
intense labour of love! it was beautiful to see the level of craftsmanship you applied.
I just completed a walk in tile shower ,I thought that was a nice challenge , now I've been given another project. An out door brick rocket oven/pizzeria.Watching your video convinces me of how much I don't know.But you sir are a master journeyman.
I love it! But I am no journeyman. Those were the first bricks I had ever laid. I am in construction though.
I have been researching building a outdoor pizza oven for a few months. I have to say your video is by far the most informative i have found, Great job m8. The finished oven looks amazing.
Very lovely work. I live in Austin, Texas the home of off set smoking BBQ. You have the ability now to make brisket and ribs suited for the gods, cooked low and slow. Congrats and I hope it brings you many years of fun.
That is amazing. I've been looking for a combo smoker idea to build into an outdoor fireplace. Love the design and look. I'm up in Wisconsin so come spring I'll be getting started and will probably be basically copying your pizza oven plans and use some of your tips for the smoker. Great job.
Thanks for the ideas and taking the time to go through your project in so much detail!
Mathew, Let us know how you did, and give us a detail of the build.
Yeah, how did the smoker part work out?
Thank for not playing obnoxious music just plain calm explanations.Great build and thank you for sharing.Just a tip when you poured your oven base and was little short that is great.Fill the rest with salt it is great insulation and easier to level the bricks on top.
Yes, I agree, I should have made the bottom of the oven about 6" higher. That would have made it much easier to get things in and out of it. But, it would have made getting the brick out to use the smoker a lot harder.
I watched a lot videos how to build wood fired brick .Not nearly as detailed and helpfull like yours! Thanks
That was my goal
Great video. My wife and I built a clay oven down here in Panama. We run a full moon pizza night each month which is pretty popular with the ex pat community. We seem to have inspired one of our friends to build a more sophisticated oven at his home in the States so I pointed him at your video. I think you have covered evwrything he will need to know. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes from the Republic of Panama 🇵🇦
Congratulation. Brick oven is amazing is the best one I ever saw I have one but not even quite as cool as the one you have and thank you very much for share all that information thank you
It’s guys like this that make UA-cam great, perfectly filmed and explained throughout.
Over here in the Uk I have been trying to find out if I can’t use normal bricks to make a pizza oven, all builders merchants say no! I need to buy fire bricks but I know in Victorian times they used Engineering Bricks and the Italian for thousands of years have used clay bricks, I think this video clearly shows bricks are fine too use.
Cheers 🍻 for the upload
I used fire brick on the inner dome and I think that is the smart thing to do. Regular bricks might work, but then again, they might not. I would spend the small amount of extra money on the fire brick so I don't have problems later on - because it will be hard to fix if you do.
That is one the best videos on "how to do something" I've seen. Really well done, and edited. And "boy" that was a lot of brick, time and work. And I'm inspired. Thanks for posting!
ua-cam.com/video/bs4t2c_hJ7k/v-deo.html.
wow, beautifully done, just the right amount of time explaining things. Pizza is only 1 of the things cooked in it, we fix salmon, veggies, potatoes, breakfast is awesome, eggs are incredible, bacon, sausage.
This is fantastic, your design is likely going to be my inspiration for my dream back yard oven as a centerpiece in my landscaping. Great work
love the essential bottle opener LOL. Finally a video that tells EXACTLY how to build in a short and to the point way! Big THANK YOU for your work. I am stealing your plans and starting an exact copy here.
+John Phillips (Kitakitz Publishing) Yes the bottle opener is essential! Good luck with your build.
Nice Job!
I do a lot of DIY stuff on my Ranch, one thing you can do to get Air Bubbles out of Concrete is to use a round stick zipped tied/attached well to a vibrating sander!
works great for getting your mix to jiggle real good!
;Peace)
That is an awesome idea. That would have worked perfectly. I'll have to remember that trick the next time I pour some concrete.
Greetings from Australia Lee,
Thanks heaps for the deep narration, well explained and a beautiful addition to your lovely garden, you’ve inspired me and im hoping to make one like yours , love extremely the flue / chimney, the best example of drawing out the smoke , still keeping the heat dissipating this into the oven dome and not totally wasting out going heat , brillant 🎉
Godbless and thanks for posting.
That is great to hear! Thanks.
Thanks, I do hope to build a combo too!! When the funds get there!! I live in Atlanta, clay soil. So, I know I need to build a very strong base with rock and sand. Thanks for your tips!!!
Not sure why anyone would dislike this video. It turned out great and I would love to cook pizza and drink beer there!
One of the best descriptions and videos to date!
Many Thanks
ua-cam.com/video/bs4t2c_hJ7k/v-deo.html.
This is the best design I’ve seen after looking at dozens.
Another option for the base in places with hard winters and freezing temperatures would be to dig out down to your frost level and fill it with rocks and or large gravel. This allows moisture to expand without obstructing or changing the shape of the ground. This is how they used to build log cabins and they would just make a big pit Full of rocks kind of like we would now dig out and fill with concrete to make a foundation footing when you fill it with the rocks and gravel and or sand even if water gets down in there the water is allowed to expand but the rocks don’t move with the expansion so you stay level, there are cabins that were built hundreds of years ago that are almost still perfectly level with those foundations. Another option would be to use an auger and drill holes down and basically make a deck to build all of the sun come out a very strong deck but it could definitely be done.
I see a lot of people that misunderstand the installation process in the bottom for the perlite mix and end up making that in the bottom of the interior of their oven which means when they light the fire they’re heating it only from above because they don’t have that layer of brick to retain that heat and so everything has to cook from the top because the oven floor loses its heat being that the surface is the perlite insulated mixture that won’t retain the heat The same way the brick will so basically it’s a cooler bottom oven and then I have problems cooking things and they take a long time. I like your solution because if you make it solid rock it holds massive amounts of heat and you’re constantly having to turn your pizza and keep it moving and cook it within a couple of minutes to where you were insulating the bottom then adding a layer to absorb heat so you come out somewhere in the middle where your bottom still retains heat and there’s enough to cook but you’re not constantly dealing with extreme amounts of heat on the bottom of the oven.
My only change is instead of using the fire brick on the inside of the bottom, using the perlite mixture basically you get that fire brick installation of fact, I would’ve used pizza brick which is just a precast porous concrete like your clay, it retains heat but it also porous so you don’t get a frying effect it doesn’t resist moisture it lets the moisture out and to flow through it. That’s what most professional pizza ovens that aren’t a moving rack would use and I’ve always told her to call pizza stone probably because that’s its intent fire brick is an insulator meant to not retain heat to where the pizza stone is kind of a cross between that and solid rock it’s still retains heat but it is still porous enough to where you’re not going to have a completely solid surface so it’s going to allow moisture in air to flow on the bottom so you don’t end up with a soggy boiled mess in the middle.
For your copper stand to get the patina on there there are chemicals you can buy that speed the oxidization process but a lot of people just use a water with a little dishwashing liquid and a torch. You could also just brace or even just glue or Apoxsee some sort of trellis system or other material for those vines to climb up. Plants generally don’t like copper, if you use copper spikes or nails in a tree you can actually kill it in many instances. But on that I think if you put some kind of trellis on the outside, you could wrap it with the wire like a cattle panel or fencing or you could do a wood trellis or a wire or string trellis the plants can climb up.
You are correct about the foundation. I didn't get into that much detail in this video because it was already long enough. Not to mention that the vast majority of my experience is in Florida, so I can't claim to be an expert on the best way design a foundation for those conditions.
Thanks for the comments!
What a fantastic job and design. I envy you right now, would love to have this in my back yard.
I know I'm late to the party, but.... dang if I didn't love this. So very much useful information. So very many good ideas. And all well communicated. Thank you, Lee.
Thanks!
Thank you for posting such in depth of details video. I am so inspired to build one.
That was satisfying to
Watch. Now that I watched all the steps
I just have hire someone to
build me One !
Git 'r done!
This is actually genius!
I've been tossing around the idea of building an oven for quite some time now. This video showed up in my feed at the perfect time. I do quite a bit of smoking so this design really appeals to me. Thanks for the great content.
Thanks!
Fantastic video. Thank you for the detailed description of your process. It's a great overview video, well-edited, with good narration. Definitely the best how-to video I've seen on building a classy brick wood-fired oven.
I gotta tell ya, I've done concrete for about thirteen years and can say that oven will be there for a couple hundred years! I'm about to start building one of these myself and yours is by far the best looking oven I've seen on here. Well done!
Thanks. The concrete was the easy part for me. Laying all that brick though - that was not!
I just had this idea (smoker & oven combo) the other day as well. Researching it I found your video which was exactly what I needed.
Thanks for making the video, it is very helpful and your end result looks great!
I've watched a lot video about building pizza oven and this is best video! This is exactly what i want in future for my garden. Thank you
Thanks for the kind words.
You're a damn legend. Congratulations on making the coolest/hottest oven ever and documenting it so we can learn from your experiences too. Cheers!
HAHA! I don't know about all that but thanks!
holy shit what a video. best instructional video for a wood fire oven on youtube, hands down.
Thanks!
Great work, love it. you had me at the sketchup model. smoker combo is also an inspired addition.
Amazing skills. Unfortunatly not for everyone. Great job
beautiful work. I can appreciate an expert and how much time is involved. In the event of a nuke strike, you can seek shelter inside it as well as cook incredible meals.
Just got mine finished about two months ago,it’s a new lifestyle, wife thought I was crazy but the taste of the food drives her crazy 😂😂❤
Nice!
I wish people could post pictures of their ovens here.
Wow. Fantastic work sir! You just earned a subscriber. Hopping to do this in about a month.
WOW.....WHAT A GREAT TIME AROUND THAT PIZZA ....SMOKER OVEN......
Amazing, just amazing, good job, Sir?!!
I gave you a like and maybe pushing your comment up so the UA-cam AI might recommend this video. It looks similar to the type I've been thinking of over the years, but never seen this one in the past. I want a rocket stove added with the smoker. Forgot to add grill with rocket stove.
Yes a wood burning grill would have been a good add to this oven
As an artist I use copper sheet and ribbing - if you use M38 gel over the sheet you can jump start the patina process. also the copper needs to be fairly clean. IF the sheeting is thick enough. I'm going to build one of these after I move. I also work with a lot of different types of glass. Thanks for your channel,
+Shereen Timmerman I haven't heard of m38 gel before but I knew there were some ways of accelerating the patina process. I didn't want to mess it up though. I need to just go out an spray it occasionally with some vinegar and ammonia just to give it a little push.
Google CAN be your friend. (M38 gel) Did you use plans from a book or PDF? Thanks again!
+Shereen Timmerman I drew them myself with Sketchup and my model can be downloaded from the Sketchup 3-D warehouse. I think there is some plans in PDF format that you can download from the Forno Bravo website also. They are pretty generic though.
great video. ..the oven
will outlast us all
ua-cam.com/video/bs4t2c_hJ7k/v-deo.html.
Very nice, design, and function. Great details in your video too without overtalking.
Hello from Ireland 😀 Thanks you so much for sharing Lee , very informative, I've just subscribed.
I have been hoarding bricks for a few years now hoping to build myself a brick oven. I have 480 reclaimed firebricks (acme everlast, apgreen lonestar, unknown logo stamped), 60 new firebricks, 1980 texas red clay bricks(ferris, palmer, mexia, texas, abilne, cherry reds, dallas, local), 2100 reclaimed substandard Mexican bricks to use as outer veneer. I'm so close!!! :-) Awesome video interesting method for the dome instead of using a trammel. I've physically reclaimed all of these bricks out of the ground, demolished houses, remodels, etc.. by now I'm pretty damn good at cleaning bricks.
That was awesome. I'm researching to build one at our new home in Philly so thanks for the Frost line info. I love the addition of the Smoker. Hope mine works as well as yours when done.
what was the group you found information in online?
Forno Bravo in the Forums section.
The amount of detail in this ovens construction is amazing!
Outstanding job! I'm in the process of building a much smaller verision.
Great site
If you can share the process I have the same idea, just a little bit smaller than this one. Thanks
Wow. I'm not even kidding. This is hands down the best pizza oven video on UA-cam. THANK YOU! I'm doing my research now for my summer pizza oven project and I SO appreciate the effort you put into making this video. As someone else stated, you, sir, are a legend! 🙌 I have no doubt I'll be watching your videos a number of times before and during my build. Thanks again.
Thank you so much. I tried to be as comprehensive as I could without making this a two hour long video, but I know it didn't cover every single thing you need to know, so let me know if you have any questions during your research or when you start building.
@@LeeMcNeil Thank you!
AWESOME video bro! VERY informative! Thank you kindly for sharing!!!
ua-cam.com/video/bs4t2c_hJ7k/v-deo.html.
Hi Lee - congrats for sharing. Great ideas. . Here in Brazil, these kinds of oven are common. - heritage from Portugal and south Italy.
I might make it a little differently - with more uses.. as example - the furnace to make smoke,I'm thinking in a wood burning stove where the burning gases and heat , will help warm the oven plus smoke. Or a by pass at chimney duct might eliminate the smoke to outside - it depends the use.
The stove turns easily in a barbecue charcoal grill, removing the steel plate - and become a furnace using sanddust...
And plus - plan a water heating by metal coil at the exit of the chimney...
I'm planing building one - and your ideas , all of them, will be used. Really thanks
I would have loved to incorporate one of those Argentine grills (I'm not sure if they go by the same name in Brazil). I haven't really thought of a way to make it look tacked on to the oven though. I may have to build myself one of those as a whole separate project.
@@LeeMcNeil - its easy to invent after people have already invented ...the trouble is the first step like you did.
give me an e-mail I can send you several pdf models for construction of smokeless wood stove - you can improve over that, like I'm doing over your ideas.
Actually, my plans only will copy your smoker system. I saw how to mix our ideas with gains.
My planned oven will work with wood, charcoal, and/or gas propane. I made two ribbon burners like the forge ones (easily findable at yotube), to heat quickly the oven - useful to heat my steel works in damascus knife making too...
I reduce the inside space with blocks and bricks - work like forge...
I take the blocks out -have a insane oven.. With your ideas I can smoke some meats...
I'm designing the project...
About argentinian grill - copy the Uruguayan parrilera - find models at youtube - be sure its the best barbecue of world.
I want to construct one (easy) to use inside the oven...
Be in touch - regards from Brazil
Its been 5 years now. Can you do an update on the oven video?
Tell how it has held up and what it looks like now.
I actually built it a little over ten years ago, I just did the video around five years ago. I'm in construction so I have been super busy over the last couple of years and haven't done a new video in a while. This is the exact subject that I plan to do my next video on. It will be uploaded soon so stay tuned.
@@LeeMcNeil Thanks enjoyed your video. I love your idea for the smoker, but I am concerned that the mess that will make inside will be a problem when you want to do pizzas. Do you burn it clean or do you wash it? Maybe its not as big a problem as I imagine?
@@malancronje6805 No. When you cook pizza in it, you build the fire on the floor of the oven right over where any grease would have dropped when it was previously used as a smoker. Plus the oven gets to close to 1,000 degrees when you cook pizza, so everything in it gets incinerated.
Thanks for the advice about foundation,As I am in Ohio and the foundation is more than I want to get involved with . Agree your build look super great and anyone who copy this is going to have something to love and going to have some great food in many years to come.
Thanks looks great Sir
The dislikes are from McDonald's fans.
Backyard goal for 2017, have to say I really enjoyed your video, don't think I have ever posted a comment on UA-cam in all the years of using it !
Git 'r dun!
Lee McNeil oggy
Really enjoyed this vid
great work Lee
regards KCB. (UK Carpenter)
ua-cam.com/video/bs4t2c_hJ7k/v-deo.html.
Il progetto più bello che abbia mai visto.
Bravo!!
Grazie!
Beautiful good there bro.would love to build something like this soon.mite have to get this pizza oven design off you.😊😊
agian nice job.👍👍
Best teaching & design！！ I have watched over 50 movie, how to build oven, this is the best one.
Thanks!
Your oven will still be standing after the next 300 years.
robert elber Hells yeah it will!
Try 2000+
This is an awesome tutorial. I'm a professional chef that wants to build my own hearth/smoker and this was easily the most helpful video I've seen. That said, it shows that you're a contractor. If you were in Indiana, I'd trade you services!
Where in Indiana are you? My mother in law lives in Fortville, just outside of Indianapolis. But she is in her 80's so we probably won't be traveling up to there anytime soon unfortunately.
You inspire me. I too am a builder of sorts and really love your innovative hybrid cooker/oven. I love to grill and smoke as well. I know how much time money and time, did I mention time??? it takes to undertake a major project like this. My hat is sincerely off to you. I don't mind projects that I can complete in lets say... a month or so. This must have taken you at least 6 months or longer to do. Lots of dedication to the project and the end result is nothing but amazing, fantastic, astonishing. A lot of heart went into it, and I'm sure you have made amens by now with the other half for taking so much time. Wives usually can't see the end result locked into your mind, until it's done and up and running. Loved the detailed video (And the steak cooking one as well) Check my channel if you have spare time.. :)
ua-cam.com/users/irobodude
Fantastic Work. What skills you have..love the addition of the smoker...will be copying that build ..Thanks for sharing
Wood fired pizza? Hows pizza gonna get a job now?
Noice one Stoink!
Pizza will find a way to roll up on some dough, because if I know Pizza, Pizza neads dough.
Best DIY oven building video I've seen.
Glad you liked it!
Nice job Lee! I have wanted to build one of these for quite some time, sans the smoker portion of the build... Thank you for taking the time to make the video!
You have covered it all! Great great job. Your video documentation can give anyone with some light skill all the information necessary. Built many insulated cabinet smokers, reverse flow and a Santa Maria grill.... you've got me thinking...enjoy this beautiful oven
My old man built Uruguayan Churrasqueras. Im about to build my own with a pizza oven incorporated. Liked your work mate!😎👌
You've created a masterpiece! Very impressed. It's gorgeous.
Just a thought. You probably already know this. Mexican floor tile is much thicker than conventional tile.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! The problem with the thicker Mexican tile is I can't find it in a 6"x 6" with a color glaze. I probably just need to look a little harder.
Great video. Very comprehensive and useful for anyone building a new oven.
Thanks!
You, sir, are a genius. I would love to do something like this for my wife and I someday. She loves to make pizza and bread and I love BBQ. We don't have space to make two separate structures, but if I'm crazy, I could make ONE. Great work!!!
You Sir are a masterclass of detail. Thank you. No one comes close to the information you give and it’s time tested. For this you earned a sub today. I want to build one because you told me everything warts and all. Been looking around and I’ve chosen to do it this way.
Git 'r dun!
I like the idea of the combination of pizza oven and smoker. That is great.
Thanks! It works great both ways.
I used your approach with the Styrofoam mold when I poured the base. That was genius my friend. Pure genius. Thank you for sharing.
Mike Norton Yeah I've seen that before on some slabs under a cooler or freezer. It works great but wants to float like a bitch so you have to make sure it's held down good. Glad I could help.
You did not forget the bottle opener, Good Man!!!
Yes, it gets a lot of use too.
One of the best built pizza combo ovens I’ve seen . Your brick work is sweet . 🇳🇿🇳🇿👍🏻