Golden Embers Wood Fired Ovens Installation And Operating Manual

GOLDEN EMBERS WOOD FIRED OVENS

INSTALLATION AND OPERATING GUIDE

Congratulations! You have chosen one of the finest wood fired appliances available in the world today. To ensure that you enjoy the full benefit of using these extraordinary products, it is essential that you carefully follow all of the steps and procedures in this operating guide and seek the advice and assistance of your supplier wherever necessary.

Your Golden Embers wood fired appliance has been constructed with the finest of refractory materials according to a technically advanced design based on thousands of years of history. With proper care and the minimum of maintenance, your appliance should last indefinitely.

We realise that for many the use of wood fire appliances presents a new challenge and that a certain mystique has been attached to their usage. We believe that the information presented in this guide and the user manual will dispel any fears and misconceptions which you may have and enable you to rapidly convert your investment into the profitable centre piece of a successful eating establishment.

All Golden Embers appliances, whether gas, wood or electric fired, are designed to give long and satisfactory service and have been fabricated from the best possible materials and workmanship. Nevertheless, proper selection,

installation, adjustment and preventative maintenance is critically important if performance, efficiency and appearance are to be maintained for the life of the product. Please read all instructions carefully and seek explanations of anything you may be unsure of, as these instructions contain important safety information regarding the installation, use and maintenance of the appliance.

ALL MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY OTHER DOCUMENT ISSUED BY GOLDEN EMBERS IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OR REPLICATED IN ANY WAY, WHETHER IN ORIGINAL FORM OR ANY MODIFIED FORM, WITHOUT THE PRIOR FORMAL WRITTEN CONESENT OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER.

Instructions should be read and observed in the following sequence: 1) Any addendum or amended instructions as supplied with any upgrade or option. 2) Product specific instructions as supplied with the particular primary product 3) Quick reference operating guides supplied with the principal product 4) Component operating and instruction texts as may have been supplied 5) The Cooking with Fire Book and finally 6) any third party or additional texts.

PRE-INSTALLATION CHECK LIST

To ensure installation and delivery are quick and simple and that you have selected the correct appliance for your establishment it is important that you establish and confirm the following items prior to ordering and delivery.

• Use the product performance data sheets to establish exactly which product model or variant will satisfy your volume requirements, having made suitable allowances for planned growth when estimating your requirements.

• Select the appropriate fuel type and source and ensure that there is a ready and reliable supply of that fuel.

• Check with your local authorities what if any approvals and planning permission’s may be required.

• Ensure that you have allowed sufficient space for the appliance to be correctly installed. Allow, if necessary, for

any clearances from structures and adjacent appliances as may be stipulated by the local authorities.

• Ensure that there is an access point sufficiently large to allow for delivery and installation of the unit.

• Ensure that there is an adequate clear way from the point of unloading to the final position of set down and that the

floor surface is able to bear the weight of the product during installation and positioning.

• Check that there is sufficient clearance through doors, and passageways and between other structures and appliances so as to be able to move the appliance to its set down position in the cooking area.

• Ensure that a dedicated flue can be installed in close proximity to the appliance or that appropriate measures have been taken to enable the flue to be safely connected to an existing extraction system. If a straight flue is to be installed, check that there are no beams or obstructions in the roof space above the appliance.

• Check the type and pressure of any gas supply if the appliance is to be operated on gas. This must be specified prior to ordering so that the appliance can be configured appropriately for safe and efficient operation.

RECEIVING INSPECTION

• Check all crates and packaging for handling damage. After checking for external damage, carefully remove the external packaging and check for any ‘concealed’ damage.

• Report any damage to the carrier immediately it is detected. The carrier may wish to inspect the damage.

• If gas or electrical appliance or back up systems are supplied, check the compliance plates to ensure that the correct

appliance for the specified gas or power supply have been supplied.

• Care and diligence must be exercised when unpacking, assembling and moving the product.

• Special attention must be paid to fire hazards from combustible surfaces and the requirements of the local

authorities and relevant safety or standards authorities must be complied with when positioning the appliance.

INSTALLATION PROCEDURES

• Remove the base frame and assemble it. At the lower end of the front and rear frames place the cross members in the upper holes (110mm from the ground) so that a pallet trolley can fit under them.

• Leave the front top cross member of the frame so that the forklift can lower its tines.

• Remove the oven from the pallet by getting the fork under the front of the metal base and lifting the oven up several inches.

It may be necessary to break the front board of the pallet away to achieve this

• Place two blocks of some sort (about 150mm thick) near the centre of the oven on each side to act as pivot points and lower the fork. The oven should now be balance some 150mm above the pallet.

• Place the tines of the fork under the steel base and lift the oven clear of the pallet. The tines should be set so as to be close enough to fit inside the frame and should not be inserted further back than about two inches in front of the temperature probe hole.

• Raise the oven to about 950mmm above the ground.

• Slide the frame under the base and slowly lower the oven so that the locating bolts pass through the matching holes in the

top side members of the frame. Then fasten these bolts to the frame with the nuts and washers.

• Lower the tines of the forklift and fasten the top cross member of the front of the frame in position.

• Place the tines of the forklift, spread wide as possible, through the frame below the two top cross members.

• Now use the forklift to place the appliance inside the premises onto a stable level surface, whether this is through a

doorway or through a window from which the pane of glass has been removed.

• If using the turning frame to achieve installation through standard 900mm doorways please carefully read and follow the instructions supplied separately with the turning frame.

• Either use the forklift to move the appliance to its set down position or place a pallet trolley under the frame and move the unit into position.

• At all times ensure that the appliance is only lifted enough to be clear of the floor excess height will result in the appliance being unstable during movement as it is top heavy.

• Once the appliance is in its final position remove the lower cross members and secure them at ground level or secure the side frames to the floor using dyna bolts and completely remove the front cross member.

• If gas back has been purchased, this should be fastened to the frame in the designated position. The exact fixing method depends on the class of burner purchased and is detailed in the accompanying instructions.

• Now connect any gas and power lines and test and commission any burners fitted.

• Your plumber or gas fitter should now fit any flues and exhaust ducts and adjust the damper settings.

• If a deluxe surround has been purchased this should now be laced around the frame and fastened to the locating ring

around the girth of the appliance. If a turret surround has been purchased the upper portion should be fitted above the lower surround and fastened in position.

• To build the outer base enclosure, drop plumb line marks from the front corners of the tunnel and then draw a circle of the appropriate diameter on the floor, which passes through the two plumb points.

• Build a brick or other material base up to the level of the render of the oven. Take care at all times to ensure that there is no contact between the bricks and the steel base of the oven. Keep a gap of at least 10mm at all times. Then render the base (if desired) to line up with the dome in line with the top of the bricks.

• Cut a fine v joint in at the union between the top render and the base. This can be filled with polyfilla high stress or similar before painting or tiling. Finally insert the granite mantle and decorate to your own taste.

• Seal any joints and sponge the colour coating provided over the sealed joints so that they are not visible.

• Light the first fire or ignite the gas burner. Although Golden Embers appliances are pre-seasoned, it is still required that the

heat up cycle be progressive. Initially heat the appliance to around 120

C and maintain that temperature for around 4 hours.

Then raise the temperature in steps of 50

C each four hours.

• Ensure that the gas flame (if any) does not fire directly into the oven wall and that the startup fire is kept in the centre of the appliance until a temperature of 300

C has been reached

FLUE INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

• All flues fitted to wood fired ovens must now comply with the Australian Standard for solid fuel burning appliances.

• Natural draft flues are more than adequate for most wood fire ovens and are the preferred method of extraction for

Golden Embers Ovens and, in Australia, must be installed in accordance with the building regulations applicable to open fire places in the locality where the oven is installed as well as the solid fuel appliance code.

• In general, if a natural draft flue is not able to operate, you will find that there are other environmental airflow problems which will probable also cause combustion in the fire chamber to be inadequate. You must rectify these airflow problems rather than merely fix the extraction problem by fitting a fan forced unit.

• Smoke is generally only produced when lighting the fire. The fumes thereafter are not unpleasant and should not aggravate neighbours or statutory authorities. Because Golden Embers ovens use so very little timber compared to others, they will only produce negligible amounts of smoke at any time. Of course, burning green or wet or resinous woods will increase the amount of smoke generated by the fire.

• Where the fluing is to be directed into existing ducting or communal systems, it is important to ensure that these ducts do not have an excessive build up of fat. It will also be necessary to fit the oven with a spark-arresting device, such as Golden Embers Flame and Soot Filter modules so as to eliminate the possibility of sparks being carried into the flues and igniting any fatty deposits. A fire in the ducting or extraction system of any building can be disastrous. Because of this, wherever possible, provide a dedicated flue system for the wood fire oven.

• The ductwork can become extremely hot and should be insulated wherever it is possible for patrons or staff to touch exposed sections. This can either be achieved by installing insulated duct-work or after installation by coating ducts in a vermiculite cement or insulating fire rated material. The standard installation recommended is for the use of a vented twin skin flue, and, possibly a third (often-decorative) skin in the exposed areas.

• All flues must be twin skinned, with a stainless steel inner skin and a vented galvanised steel outer skin.

• The standard inner skin used is 8” (205mm) in diameter and the outer skin is 10” (254mm) in diameter.

• All penetrations through ceilings must be clear of combustible material and fitted with a non-combustible ceiling ring.

• The preferred cowl is a stainless steel wood fired appliance cowl with draft diverter. A directional wood fired cowl can also

be used, if preferred. In some instances you may be required to fit an AGA gas cowl, although these decrease draw and will result in more rapid build up of wood burning by-products.

• The outer duct should be spaced from the inner duct by means of z spacers (or short sections of 1” square tube) at the top and bottom so as to ensure proper venting and continuous airflow.

• A notch should be cut out of the outer duct to allow the damper shaft to penetrate the outer duct. A quadrant, showing open and closed positions should be fastened over the shaft and fixed to the outer duct. If a third or decorative skin (copper or brass etc) is fitted then the quadrant should be fixed to the outside of this skin.

• If gas is being used then the damper blade must either be 5mm smaller in diameter or have a notch cut off each side so as to never allow the duct to be sealed.

• The outer duct must end about an inch or so lower than the inner duct and should be covered by a skirt cowl or weather spinning which does not seal it. Alternatively you can use a wood burning twin skin cowl incorporating the outer skirt.

• A 10mm high gap must be left at the foot of the second skin to allow airflow through the inter-skin gap.

• The inner skin must be fitted with a steel butterfly damper with a long shaft that penetrates the second skin. Don’t use

aluminium cast dampers – they warp and fall out. Use fixed shaft steel or galvanised metal dampers only.

• The damper must be adjusted so that air is only just drawn into the flue. If the draw is too strong, heat will be drawn from the cooking chamber combustion will be excessive, wasting fuel and creating more soot.

• If gas is fitted then the damper must either be undersized or have cut-offs to prevent absolute closure of the flue.

• The damper shaft must be fitted with a lockable quadrant which shows open and closed positions.

• The roof penetration must be sealed with an appropriate approved aquaseal or deck-tite. The black type is generally

adequate for twin skin flues, although the pink or red types are sometimes preferred by the AGA.

• A Golden Embers flue kit, containing all of the required elements for a straight flue to 4m is available for $325.00 additional straight sections are available for $50 per length of 900mm. (As at September 1998)

• Flues must clear the roof by at least 600mm and preferably 1200mm. The cowl must be at least 4m away from the nearest point higher than the outlet venting point.

• Where the flue protrudes more than 1200mm above the roofline, particularly in exposed weather situations, stay lines may be required to secure the flue and maintain rigidity and stability.

• Where the flue is in close proximity to timbers in the ceiling space etc, the flue has been wrapped in insulating blanket, either 25mm ceramic blanket (where the exposed timbers are highly flammable) or 50mm CSR Fibretex R350.

• Avoid bends and horizontal sections as far as possible and where they are absolutely necessary use 45 degree or lesser bends as opposed to ninety degree or sharper bends. Preferably use radius or lobster back bends as opposed to sharp bends. Where there is any significant extent of horizontal flue it is recommended that an inspection hatch be incorporated into the flue at the start ane end of any horizontal section to facilitate cleaning and maintenance.

• All bends and horizontal sections must be readily removable or fitted with inspection hatches and/or cleaning elbows.

• To minimise the risk of fire, it is recommended that the flues are cleaned at least annually, to remove any soot and other

build up of flammable materials, although, in reality, you will find these to be negligible if the correct timbers are used. It is advisable to have the flue inspected after six months of operation to establish what degree of build up has occurred. Where there are any horizontal sections then it is required that the flues be inspected and cleaned more regularly.

• The design of the oven, tunnel and flue outlet is such as to make it near impossible for any sparks to enter the flue shaft during normal operation of the ovens. Nevertheless, where the flue is to be vented into a general or communal extraction

system, it is recommended that a stainless steel baffle element filter be incorporated into the transition flue inlet and that a break be incorporated into the flue at the point of coupling, effectively creating a miniature range hood.

• All flame is contained within the oven chamber and has to move out of the chamber at right angles to the induced convection flow, around a 45mm right-angled protruding lip. Thereafter, all flue gasses must move through the incoming fresh air stream, effectively inducing a vortex scrubbing effect, mix with an at least equal portion of fresh air, turn at right angles again and move into the horizontal section of the transition flue, once again change direction at right angles, before entering the flue shaft. Effectively this means all flue material moves through 320 degrees, around 4 bends, through one induced vortex and over two differing materials, before it entering the flue shaft. This design is far more effective at eliminating spark travel than the two horizontal offset strips used in competitive units (which vent directly from the cooking chamber), and which effectively put the air flue gasses through only two 45 degree bends.

• Should you wish to add additional filtration, then a twin baffle insert can easily be fitted from galvanised sheet and riveted into the transition, or, a stainless flame mesh filter can be fabricated to fit into the transition intake opening. If the flame filter insert is used, it will need to be cleaned extremely regularly so as not to obstruct the airflow.

• All flues must be professionally cleaned at least annually. Where bends or horizontal sections exist in the flue, or the flue vents into a common duct where fatty deposits may exist, it is recommended that they be cleaned six monthly and all bends should be fitted with inspection hatches

• The exact interval between cleaning for each specific system should be determined under advice of a professional flue cleaner or chimney sweep and will depend on many factors specific to the actual site and operating conditions and practices.

• IMPORTANT! - REFER AT ALL TIMES TO THE CODE APPLICABLE TO THE AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS FOR SOLID FULE BURNING APPLIANCE FLUES AND INSTALLATION.

THE NATURE OF FIRE

• Fire is due to a chemical process of oxidation, the combination of a substance with oxygen. Since fire is due to oxidation, it needs air to burn properly, and a flame will go out after it has used the available oxygen. Almost every material combines with oxygen given enough time. Iron, for example, will rust and the rust is oxidised iron. When the chemical combination occurs so rapidly that it is accompanied by a flame, it is called combustion.

• The Ignition Point, or Kindling Temperature, is the degree of temperature at which a substance will catch fire and continue to burn. Substances, which can be ignited in the air, are called flammable.

• The FlashPoint of a flammable item is lower than its ignition point. It is the temperature at which it gives off sufficient vapour to flash, or flame briefly, in air, but below the temperature at which it can burn continuously or spontaneously.

• A fire, once started, will only be self-supporting when the temperature created by the combustion of the burning substance is as high as or higher than its ignition point. Some hard woods, such as ebony, require a great deal of heat to burn. If a stick of ebony is placed in a fire, it will burn. When it is removed the fire of the smouldering ebony itself has a lower temperature than the ignition point and the flames thus die. Fire can burn with or without flames. Flame indicates that heat has forced gas from a burning substance. The flame is produced by the combination of this gas with oxygen in the air.

GOLDEN EMBERS WOOD FIRED OVENS

QUICK REFERENCE OPERATING MANUAL

(Refer to the detailed text of the product manuals and the Cooking with Fire book for more specific information)

THE SELECTION OF FIRE WOOD

CHARACTERISTICS OF WOOD

• Wood is the hard, fibrous substance found beneath bark in the stems and branches of trees and shrubs. Practically all commercial wood comes from trees. It is plentiful and replaceable.

• Wood is made up of a number of substances. Cellulose constitutes about 50 percent of the wood by weight. Lignin makes up about 23 to 33 percent of softwoods but only about 16 to 25 percent of hardwoods.

• Ash-forming minerals are found in wood in very small quantities perhaps 0.1 to 3 percent by weight. Extractives are not part of the wood structure, but they contribute colour and odour to the wood. Tree fragrance is marked in some wood but essentially absent in many.

• The classification of wood is related to the type of tree from which it is derived. Not all trees are used commercially.

• Trees are divided into two large classes: softwoods and hardwoods. These names can be somewhat misleading, however, since there are hardwoods that are softer than some softwoods. Balsa, for example, is one of the softest and lightest woods, but is classified as hardwood, Even within tree species hardness and other wood properties vary, depending upon the conditions under which the tree was growing at the time the wood was formed.

• The trees classified as softwoods have needle-like or scalelike leaves that, with a few exceptions, remain on the tree all through the year. Hence softwood trees are sometimes called evergreens. The hardwoods are broad-leaved trees and are frequently deciduous, shedding their leaves in winter.

• Generally the wood nearest the bark of the tree, called sapwood, takes part in the life activity of the tree. The water, minerals and materials needed for growth are moved through the sapwood of the tree. The central part of the tree, which is usually darker, is called heartwood. Heartwood is denser and emits less smoke when burning, sapwood is lighter and burns more fiercely, but can be smoky, particularly if not properly dried and cured.

• Each species of wood has its own characteristics, which will set it apart from other woods and to determine its suitability for certain uses.

• The lignin binds the wood fibres together. Fibres with the lignin removed, called de-lignified fibres, are mostly cellulose. De-lignified fibres are used in papermaking. Lignin is an insoluble, intractable material that is difficult to remove from the wood.

• Hemicelluloses are associated with cellulose and make up about 15 to 30 percent of the wood by eight. Ashforming minerals are found in wood in very small quantities perhaps 0.1 to 3 percent by weight. Extractives are not part of the wood structure, but they contribute colour and odour to the wood.

• Tree fragrance is marked in some wood but essentially absent in many. Incense cedar and Port Oxford cedar, for example, have a spicy odour. Unseasoned oak typically has a sour odour.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FIRE-WOOD

• You may use almost any species of hard or softwood (with the exception of pine and similar resinous timbers) to fire your oven. Ideally use a wood which gives a good flame and burns to ash. Certain timbers can be blended for their fragrance and aromatic flavouring properties.

• Very hard timber burns slowly with a smaller flame and yields large amounts of coals which smoulder for extended periods. Whilst these types of woods may well be the ideal woods for thermally inefficient ovens, they are not particularly suited to thermally efficient ovens, such as the Golden Embers ovens. This type of wood will inevitably cause excessive heating of the floor and a large amount of wood will need to be burned to obtain a good enough flame to heat the cooking chamber properly. Although it may seem contradictory, softer woods which burn more fiercely, such as wattle or sugar gum will be far more effective thermally efficient ovens with heat bank sub floors.

• ALWAYS use well dried timber cut into split logs no thicker than a man's forearm, and approximately 200 – 400mm in length. It will save a lot of time and effort it you get the timer merchant to split the timber for you.

USING THE WOOD FIRE OVEN

LIGHTING THE FIRE

• During the first two days of operation it is important that the fire temperature be raised gradually so that all moisture can disperse from the oven walls without forming super heated steam. We recommend a rise of no more than 50

C per hour.

• When lighting the fire at the start of the day use 5 - 7 logs depending on their size. It is safe to use low odour firelighters or a gas poker to start the fire; alternatively you can use the traditional kindling method. If you use newspaper or resinous timbers, such as pine, for kindling then it may be necessary to clean the flue more regularly.

• You can either start the fire in its normal position at the side of the oven or you may prefer to start the fire in the centre of the oven floor and then move the coals and burning logs into position once the oven temperature has been reached. We have been unable to determine any specific advantage to either of these methods and so they remain an issue of personal preference, although the general heat dispersion achieved by lighting the fire in the centre of the oven would seem, in theory, to result in the most rapid heating cycle.

• The oven should reach operating temperature after approximately 30 to 40 minutes. (Except during the first week or so of operation when excess moisture needs to be driven from the cooking chamber and the residual heat levels need to be built up in the sub base heat bank).

MAINTAINING THE FIRE

• The best fire position during operation is hard to one side of the oven.

• A fire at the back may be more visible to the clientele, but loses much of the convection heat properties as the

flames wrap around the chamber roof towards the tunnel and flue. A side fire results in optimum convection as the flames wrap from side to side across the oven chamber roof. In addition, adding wood to a rear fire will inevitable result in debris dropping onto the cooking floor (and food in the oven) as the wood passes across the entire oven from front to back. The fire should take up as little floor area as possible. Some operators use a simple metal or brick form to hold the fire in place.

• It is very important to always have a good strong flame so as to ensure the cooking chamber temperature is properly maintained and the top of the pizzas are toasted. This will prevent the bases from burning before the top is cooked through. A single flaming log is usually adequate in the small oven and one or two in the large oven. Never cook with just coals!.

• Whenever the flame starts dying or the temperature starts to drop, put a new log onto the fire. Do not wait until the flames are completely out as this will mean that the new log will smoulder at first, absorbing heat and emitting smoke, rather than bursting into strong flame.

• Should you need to re-ignite your fire during the course of the day, paraffin firelighters may be used. Do NOT COOK ANYTHING in the oven till after the paraffin block is totally burnt out as this will result in the paraffin fumes impregnating the food. Alternatively, induce a flame by casting a handful of semolina flour or other combustible onto the glowing coals.

• At the end of the day spread the coals over the cooking floor. This will burn off any residual food material and cleans and sterilises the floor. (See the section on cleaning the oven).

• At night, seal the oven mouth using the door or aluminium foil to maximise heat retention until the next light up time.

CONTROLLING THE FLOOR TEMPERATURE

• It is very important to always monitor the temperature of your oven floor in relation to the rest of the oven. Should you find the floor is too hot and tends to burn the underside of your pizza base before the top is toasted, or the dough is cooked through, mop the floor with clean water to reduce the floor temperature. Use a standard “hairy” mop dipped in a bucket and then wrung out so as not to throw excessive amounts of water onto the oven floor.

• Do not put cold water on the tiles as the thermal shock may crack them. Also do not dump cold water or a cold wet mop on the granite mantle as this will result in cracking of the mantle.

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Golden Embers Wood Fired Ovens Installation And Operating Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual