How to Keep Bighorn Pellet Pizza Oven Lit and Burning Hot
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
- Is your bighorn backyard pellet pizza oven giving you trouble? Well in this episode we solve this problem once and for all!
No more smoky backyard. Just Neapolitan pizzas one after another.
Learn how to light your wood pellet-fired pizza oven, like the Bighorn or any other model really, and have it chugging pellets all night long with no interruption to the fun or output of your backyard pizza kitchen.
Fan - amzn.to/3EdsW2h
You see, your Traeger grill uses precise injections of air to start the pellets and keep them burning at the desired temperatures. All we are doing is the caveman version of that!
Check out a dough recipe - • Dough Recipe for Wood ...
Please support the channel by checking out the amazon affiliate links!
Ovens that I use
Big Horn Oven - amzn.to/3VbrBiL
Changemoor 13 - amzn.to/3C3oNv1
Lodge Dutch Oven - amzn.to/3C3oNv1
Support Equipment and Tools
Torch - amzn.to/3M6dirC
DOT 39z - amzn.to/3M24cvE
Fan - amzn.to/3EdsW2h
Launch Peel - amzn.to/3C8gL3Y
Recovery Peel - amzn.to/3EbohOr
Best Pellets… So Far - amzn.to/3rrJjk9
Mac-Daddy Thermometer - amzn.to/3E9rGNH
Weekend Warrior Thermometer - amzn.to/3C7Pxuj
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Food Scale - amzn.to/3fG719N
Dough-Blade - amzn.to/3CtpEXh
Pizza Screens - amzn.to/3Ee6fLe
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I have been trying to find so many options. Started doing research to switch to a propane just because I could never keep my bighorn lit to bring it to temp to cook anything. An $8 dollar Amazon fan saves me hundreds. Thank you so much.
Right on brother!
Thank you soo much for this video! I was so close to selling my oven and getting a gas one because it was way too hard to manage the fire, but I just tested this method and it worked perfectly!! And only with just wood pellets! Thankyou 👏🏻
I am glad that the method is working out for you!
Does your smoke a lot using the fan? I've had issues with mine smoking like hell,must try the fan method!
@@rjs71 The fan method will significantly reduce smoke outs!
Superhelpful video. Thanks for making these videos. I just got my big horn (used) as an anniversary gift. I plan on firing it up next week. Already ahead of the game because of you. Thanks.
Heck yeah!! They are build very well. I have had mine outside for going on 5 years no problem 😂. Thanks for watching and hopefully subbing! Working on new content now and if they’re is anything you wanna see just let me know! ~ Jason
@@JTVLIFE @JTVLIFE I am subscribed my man! I did a test burn using pit boss apple/oak blend pellets. Wasn't too bad for my first time. I used the torch as well as Royal Oak tumbleweed Firestarter. Got it going pretty good but noticed it would smoke and smolder alot when I added another scoop of pellets. So I started throwing a few wood chips/chunks in before putting in a scoop of pellets. That worked really good. That mini fan.....man that is a gem!!! And not just for the pizza oven. It was interesting though, the highest temp I could reach and kinda maintain in the big horn was about 500 Degrees on the stone inside. Read online these ovens get up to 900 degrees? Hoping for the best for my first pizza cook in the big horn tomorrow. I usually make pizza using a pizza steel in my kitchen oven. I'll keep you posted. Thx again!
I tried the fan idea and it worked great. Thank you
You're Welcome EJK!
Got a Bighorn for Christmas. Was very excited at first. I could not keep fire lit. Bought a OONI propane burner. 2 self tapping screws, done.
Heats to 800+ in 10 minutes. Recovers quickly. Tried the fan and all that stuff. the OONI kit was only reason I didn't throw it away.
Cook steaks, pizzas, pork chops, wings...everything in it.
It's awesome
Even though it was my first oven, the Big Horn is still my favorite lol. I just got that Deer Famy oven and it cant get above 400 on pellets, wood, or charcoal so thinking of doing this mod and seeing what it do! Thanks for watching! - Jason
Your big horn videos are really a big help - thanks dude.
@@bobmcglone6825 Thanks!
Thanks. Just tried your tip and it worked like a charm. The biggest frustration with the Bighorn is getting the timing right to fill the hopper. I just loaded the hopper and the fan just kept the fire running, just like your video. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching and glad the information helped!
Thank you so much for taking the time and making this video. Why bighorn themselves haven't posted a how to video is crazy. They owe you some money bro for helping them out. 💯
I know dude. Has me thinking of getting my own oven lol. They haven't even reached out to me and a lot of other oven makers just send me ovens lol. Thanks for watching - Jason
@@JTVLIFE good contant man. Keep up the good work and hustle
@@PBwarrior22 Thanks man. I am actually working on stuff at the moment! lol. Thanks for the support - Jason
I don't have a big horn but I have an oven that looks similar. I insulated it which made a huge difference. There's no hopper tho. Thanks for the idea of adding a fan. It made a huge difference and I have a flame going the whole time
Hell yeah brother! - Jason
Fan is a great idea. Thanks for taking the time out to make the video.
Glad I could help out Freddie. - Jason
Great idea! you just saved me the price of a gas powered oven
Glad it worked out for you. I also recommend using an axial fan which doubles as a hopper tray handle. It pushes more air directly into the hopper. Your fan just blows all around the rear side of the oven and hopper tray. You really want it pushed directly into the hopper tray, much like a blacksmith's forge fire. It is a cheaper, more efficient, and more portable solution. I also expanded the pellet hopper by adding a pellet reservoir which store about 3 times the volume of pellets. Since it is gravity fed, you just load it and forget it for 30 minutes. Still the propane system works best and gives the most control, least amount of mess and variability to the heat source. Unlike what many think, the hardwood pellets really don't impart any smoky flavor since they are in contact with the pizza for only 90 seconds. You will see that you will eventually go propane and with the self rotating pizza stone to avoid rim burning. Email me back for plans.
Will do SilverShadow2LWB!
SilverShadow2LWB Can you elaborate or post pictures of your expanded hopper and propane plans?
I looked all over Amazon and couldn't find a rotating pizza stone. Any ideas?
@@who922 The BigHorn is the perfect oven to make this modification because the bottom floor is a perfectly flat sheet of stainless steel. There are a number of ways to do this but mine uses a 1/2" inner diameter bronze bushing. It is has a flange and is shaped like a top hat. You need to cut a hole in the center of the bottom of the oven. Mine was 3/4". Through the center of the bushing one runs the square 3/8" rotisserie spit bar. One can find these new at Amazon, but many people sell their rotisserie accessories from their barbeques on Craigslist or eBay. Rotisseries come in 5/16", 3/8", and 1/2", in both square and hexagonal. I used a square 5/16" that came with solid fork hubs, not the cheap bent sheet metal hubs. Remember that the bar has chamfered edges, so don't buy your bushing until you have your bar stock profile. Don't cut the final length of the rotisserie rod yet until you can measure the exact length. It will depend upon the thickness of your motor. Look for a motor with a flat back, so that while the rotating socket is facing straight up, the back of the motor becomes your base. I made a wooden base frame for mine to hold it from counter-spinning. but you can also just use rubber feet. Then one takes one of the hubs with the four meat piercing spikes and bends the spike out radially so it looks like a helicopter. I made four extensions out of 1/2" 12 gauge sheet metal with a 1/2" right angle hook at each end. I had a local welder weld this to each one of the spikes and hub piece. Amazon sells 12" cordierite pizza stones then fits into the cradle. They are a good 0.6" thick. Then the AC rotisserie motor is placed on the table under the oven with the shaft socket facing upward. There are also mods on TH-cam on how to make a rotating pizza stone, but I thought many were to flimsy, or to hard to get. One guy sends you one from China if you pay him first. No thanks. This paired with the 35,000 btu propane burner makes the perfect pizzas. This is over twice the heat output of the Ooni Koda 12. I do have to warn you that trying to center you pizza launch takes some practice. You might want to start with smaller 8" pizzas before you launch the 11 inch pizzas. The stone will heat up faster now that the hot air can circulate below the stone as well as from the top....so 20 minutes usually will get your stone up to about 840 degrees F, Hope this helps. I got my BigHorn a few years ago when they were selling for $85 on eBay, so with all the mods I probably have $225 in it now. There is really no other oven on the market at this price with these features.
Have fun!!
Game changer!
I bought a cheapo Wolfgang puck pellet pizza oven. The Hopper is too small and i spent the entire time just trying to keep it hot enough. I thought I should try a small fan and this just confirmed it for me. Only downside is you get a little ash blowing onto the pizza.
Sorry for the late reply... No ash isn't really much of a problem. The fan isn't blowing directly on the fire. More like under the bed of pellets through the grate of fire box. Have you tried yet? - Jason
This was a game changer! Thanks so much. Love your channel especially the big horn related vids!
Thank you. Plan on getting back in the Big Horn Vids soon! - Jason
Great idea! Will be trying it. Thanks
Hell ya thanks for the great idea, I can’t wait to try it. Gota have some more octoberfests while they last as well
For sure!! Been buying out or corner store like every other day! Love me some October fest!
I crumble up and then light some QuickStart firestarter on top of initial load of pellets and that seems to work well to get it going
Gunna have to try that next time I have something like that on hand. Thanks for watching! - Jason
Thanks. Appreciate the BH videos. My first two cooks were fine. Using your pizza party production. Last 2 cooks were a problem. Thoughts? Fan. Definitely worth a try.
What exactly have you trouble last time? The fan really takes the control of fire to the next level. Love “pizza party production”! Thanks for watching - Jason
A hair dryer should also work, can always find them at thrift stores!
Great video. I think I'll just buy a burner, lol
Burners are a great option. I have that DeerFamy oven that doesn’t get hot so might do a vid on modifying that. The propane is less to watch but then you got the tank and hose coming off it. Trade offs either way. Thanks for watching - Jason
Awesome hack!
Thanks! - Jason
Have u done a video ooni fyra v bighorn I'm torn between the two
I’ve done bighorn. I have used a propane Omni at my brother in laws and I like the big horn better. Check out the video I did on the rotating one. That is probably my all around favorite. It’s the Magic Flame.
My friend has the amazon pizza oven has a rotating stone but manual I think il take the plunge and get the big horn best price iv found is £149 amazon
Ligit almost burned my house down. This worked too well!
Shayan - lol! Yeah, give that BigHorn some room to breath brother! - Jason
I like it. Have you ever tried with wood chips or wood chunks? Any difference?
I have used the chunks. They don't get as hot. Which isn't a bad thing is you are trying to cook something around 375-400. Never tried the chips. Never been a fan of them because they remind me of mulch. Also, I don't think they would burn efficiently. They are really made to be soaked and put on top of coals or and electric smoker. Thanks for watching - Jason
i was wondering if it's possible to improve the oven, so that it smokes less, so neighbors aren't so annoyed 😅
My idea was, if one would drill some little holes into the upper third of the chimney, this might add enough fresh oxygen to the flame-smoke-mix, so that the smoke actually ignites and burns instead of just going to waste..
There are those solo stove devices which use a similar method to create a "secondary" burn if you wanna look it up how that works. Many thanks for your videos from Germany. Any volunteers to try and improve the big horn oven ? :)
I’m down for improvements! Not sure if the holes would speed up pellet consumption or lower oven temperature but it’s worth a try. The smoke is a major bummer when it gets going 😂. Thanks for watching! - Jason
Great tip! Do you leave it on low while cooking pizzas as well? I used it to get the stone hot, then turned off the fan while the pizza cooked and then kicked it back on between pies to let the stone recover.
Jarrod, I use high for the pre-heat then low the rest of the time. Yesterday I made the best pizza I’ve made yet in the big horn. Came out perfectly airy and crispy. The fan I use isn’t the most high powered one. Low is barley a breeze but just enough to get the flames to consistently hit the roof of the Bighorn. - Jason
@@JTVLIFE thanks for the reply and tips! Ya the fan is such a game changer for sure.
The fan worked‼️
Too late, sent it back
They are a challenge. The fan really makes it easy. - Jason
@@JTVLIFE Just go gas, then all the fire starting and maintenance is gone. No more fire tending and trying to maintain an even heat. Believe me, it is the biggest improvement on any pizza oven. Don't think that the wood or pellets impart a smoky flavor...90 seconds is way to short a time to get an aroma into a piece of dough. In a smoker yes, but in a pizza oven, no. Many restaurants with big brick pizza ovens use gas flames not wood.
Thanks for the information! I bought a Mimiuo pellet oven (very similar) about a year ago. After some super smokey pizzas I gave up on it and moved on to the Expert Grill (Walmart) pizza oven and the Big Horn propane pizza oven. They are both great! But, I still might be using my pellet oven had this video existed then! I prefer a wood fired pizza, but the Big Horn propane oven really has something going for it! Super easy to use and heats up in five minutes everytime. That and VITO Iacopelli! He has a lot on TH-cam for free and a Master Class. I think the fans would be well served if you check it out. I promise! Propane has allowed me to get my pizza game to the Next Level (with Vito's help).
Jon - Vito is the man! Been watching him from the beginning and he is what originally turned me on to Neapolitan pizzas at home! My N.Y. style pizza dough is based around an episode he did in L.A. at a N.Y. pizza spot. Been trying to get time to make it and review a new oven a got a few months back that is a great option for amazing N.Y. pizza at home... If you have the space for it! - Jason
What kind of pellets did you use?
I like the pit boss the best. Good size, burn clean, and cheap & available from Amazon!
Man this oven has some really bad airflow
It does. The fire box is poorly designed. The magic flame has a great one. I have seen others like the changemoore with a little too much ventilation. The fan is a game changer if you haven’t tried yet. It gives you a lot of control. Keep you ash tray clean too my Pizzaiolo. Thanks for watching! - Jason