Hello Everyone,
I have a PS536 Electric oven and I want to know if my finger arrangements are appropriate. Does anyone know if this information is published somewhere?
In a related question…thank to the trip down memory lane post I read in a much older post where Tom Lehman describes a finger arrangement that might be available that would more accurately simulate a deck oven type cook, he called it a “Hearth Oven” arrangement. Would this be published anywhere, or would that be something I have to call and ask Middlby about?
Tho i’ve only had NG M360’s, one trick I learned was to put extra fingers on the bottom…I think I used a total of 6 on the bottom & for on top…
I also slowed down my conveyor speed & dropped the temp…
Thanks for the input Patriot.
Since posting, I realized that I only had three bottom fingers on each oven and four top fingers on each oven. I am not sure what the correct total is, but it would seem to me they would match and there is room for four.
I have taken one bottom finger from the bottom oven and added it to the bottom of the top, so the top now has four and four and I am doing some trial runs. It is a new build out, not open yet.
In most all instances the mm ovens have every lower finger possible installed in the bottom. Then you adjust time and temp to get the bottom correct. Then set up the top finger arrangement to get the
desired results on the top of the pizza.
That can involve not only the number of fingers used but also the number of air distribution holes in the individual gingers.
George Mills
In addition to what G.M. has posted, an off-shoot of the “Hearth Bake” profile, which is actually a Lincoln invention or terminology, is the use of the Lloyd pans Hearth Bake (cloud pattern) Disk. This disk was developed specifically to help the oven replicate a hearth baked characteristic without creating the unwanted “pizza bone”. The system calls for full open fingers across the bottom with maximum airflow, set the temperature to 500 to 515 for the older air impingement ovens or 465 to 475F for any of the newer air impingement ovens, then set the bake time for 5-minutes and adjust the top fingers to provide the level of top bake that you are looking for. This normally means you will need to be flowing air through typically only three of the top fingers (possibly a partial on the fourth finger). Of the three top fingers, only one or two will probably be fully open, the other one or two (actually 1/2) will have diffused air, again this is adjusted to provide the top bake desired. Now, for the bad news: We have never been overly excited about the bake of any pizza coming out of an electric air impingement oven as compared to a gas fired oven, but even at that, the hearth bake concept still seems to provide a better bake than other baking platforms.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
@Geroge - I called MM and they sent a diagram showing the default configuration which actually had four finger across the bottom and two on top - and of course two spacers on top. The pattern was (from the uncooked end) was finger, spacer, finger, spacer. This was different than how they were configured when originally shipped so setting them according to this arrangement has helped make things more consistent.
@Tom - Additionally, yes I ordered a couple discs for hearth bake from Lloyd a couple of days ago, and should have them anyday. Looking forward to testing them. I will make a note of the Gas versus Electric comment for future upgrade but right now of course I have to try to make the best product I can in the ovens I have.
I appreciate both of you weighing in.
Having used electric in the past, I believe you’ll enjoy the changes u r making…
My last bit of advice is to slow down your conveyor speed & drop the temp…it will result in a better cooked/tasting pizza…IMHBCO