Despite all the benefits that civilization gives us, namely gas and electricity, food that is cooked using wood or coal is much tastier. For this reason, lovers of homemade pilaf, shurpa, lavash and shish kebab tend to have comfortable jug-shaped clay ovens, which are characterized by high heat capacity and low consumption of firewood. They are also called tandoor. Anyone can make such a design in their country house. You will learn how to make a tandoor from a barrel with your own hands from this article.
Introducing the device
According to experts, since ancient times in Central Asia, craftsmen used kaolin clay to make tandoor. It has been observed that properly prepared clay is more plastic. For this reason, it was soaked in water and left there for several days to swell. In order to make the design of the furnace more durable, sheep or camel hair was additionally added to the clay mixture. soaked andthe mixed composition was kneaded with feet for a long time until it became soft and homogeneous. According to its consistency, the clay should have been like soft plasticine. Only after that it was considered ready for use. The tandoor itself was built from molded clay bricks, the thickness of which was 50 mm. Before construction, they were dried for a long time in the sun.
Tandyrs are round and square in shape. The first option is considered classic. However, due to the fact that many craftsmen had difficulties with making stoves of the correct cylindrical shape, an alternative option was invented, namely square tandoors. Nevertheless, already during operation, it was noticed that round and square structures differ in temperature conditions. According to experts, rounded shapes are preferable. Therefore, the home craftsman can be advised to use the available ready-made cylinder. Judging by the numerous reviews, a tandoor from a barrel can be quite good. Its capacity can be 100, 150 and 200 liters. We will tell you how to make a tandoor from a 200-liter barrel with your own hands.
Consumables
For those who are interested in how to make a tandoor from a barrel, experts advise getting the following:
- Metal 200-liter barrel. It is desirable that it be made of a material that does not corrode.
- Firebrick.
- Sand.
- Clay.
- Water.
- Pallet. In the future, it will be used to collectfat.
- Armature.
- Board. Its thickness can vary within 2.5-3 cm.
- Wooden handle.
Tools
Those who want to make their own tandoor from a barrel will have to work as follows:
- Angle grinder (Bulgarian). She is equipped with cutting discs.
- Mastercom.
- Spatula.
- Trowel.
- Electric drill.
Where to start?
After preparing all the necessary consumables and tools, you can get to work. The first step is to prepare the barrel. First, it is cleared. For this, experienced craftsmen recommend using a high pressure washer. Next, with the help of a grinder, an end wall is cut out of the barrel under the filler neck. Then, at the bottom, you need to cut through the hatch for blowing with the same grinder, through which fresh air will be supplied to the container.
Progress of work
At this stage, the inside of the barrel is lined with refractory bricks. Masonry is carried out on clay mortar. Experts advise using a continuous thick layer. You can buy a ready mix. For example, "Weber Vetonit ML Savi". However, many home craftsmen make clay solutions themselves. To make a tandoor from a barrel, it is advisable to use a mixture prepared in the following proportion: 1: 1: 4 (fireclay, ordinary, sand).
Cement mixture is undesirable because it is less resistant to elevated temperatures. Otherwise, in a tandoor from a barrel after kindlingcracks are formed. You need to cover the brick to the very top. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the blowing hole remains unblocked. The protruding edges of the brick are carefully cut off with a grinder. Judging by the reviews, there are times when, after masonry, the blower does not close with difficulty or completely. To fix this in a brick that will be used as a door, you need to cut the edges at an angle and equip with a wooden handle.
Make it easy. It is enough to drill a recess in the center of the brick, in which there will be a handle on the clay mortar. It is also possible to equip a tandoor from a barrel with a cast-iron door, for which a steel damper is provided. But according to the masters, compared to an impromptu door made of refractory bricks, the cast-iron one is less airtight.
Final stage
At the very end, the tandoor should be equipped with a tray in which fat will be collected. This pallet is a small pot. It is hung on a metal crossbar inside the furnace. In order to be able to install the crossbar, it is necessary to make special slots under it in the masonry.
Then you need to make a wooden cover for the tandoor. A home craftsman will need several boards 3 cm thick. The lid should have two layers. The bottom one will have a diameter half that of the top one.
Installation
After the tandoor fromThe 200 liter barrel is ready, it should be installed. Since this design is stationary, it is better to put it on a foundation base. It is not necessary that the depth of the foundation be large, 20 cm is enough. It is important that its diameter be slightly larger (by 15 cm) than the diameter of the tandoor. To prepare the foundation, you first need to choose a suitable place on the site. Then they dig a hole, the bottom of which is lined with a pillow of sand. Reinforcing mesh is laid on top. After that, the formwork is made from the boards. It is desirable that its height be at least 10 cm. Now you can pour ordinary cement mortar into the pit.
Oven test
Before you start using the tandoor, experienced craftsmen recommend calcining it first. The inside of the structure is carefully lubricated with vegetable oil. Then paper and some wood chips are placed in the oven. Initial heating should be carried out on low heat. If this recommendation is ignored, then, most likely, the clay layer will noticeably crack. You need to increase the temperature gradually, putting coal or firewood into the tandoor in small portions, controlling the height of the flame. If fired correctly, the clay will have the properties of ceramics. The whole process will take the home craftsman at least 6 hours. After completing these steps, the tandoor is considered ready for use.
Reviews
According to the owners of such structures, a high temperature regime is reached inside the furnace in a short period of time. To cook, it will be enough to melt the tandoor to just 400 degrees. In addition, due to the thickness of the walls andhigh thermal insulation properties of the material, this stove is considered a fairly economical design, since a small amount of coal or firewood is required to kindle it and warm the walls.
Heat treatment takes much less time. Judging by the reviews of the owners, it will take no more than 40 minutes to bake beef in a tandoor. The result is an evenly heated oven in which you can cook various dishes. This design is used for cooking barbecue, barbecue, grilling, roasting vegetables and meat, as well as for cooking soups.
