The vertical chamber of the tandoor requires preparation appropriate to the materials and the condition of the equipment. Hot weather does not prove that the entire structure is dry. Before summer cooking, check repair dates and the requirements of layers located beneath the visible surface.
Identify material readiness
Outdoor Oven Cement sets hydraulically in the described applications. However, joint setting and drying of the complete chamber are separate steps. Before heating, also consider new bricks, fillings, and finishing.
Heatproof Screed has its own preparation and drying requirements. Do not assign a single time to all layers based on the last completed joint. A moisture trace at the base requires clarification regardless of air temperature.
Heat according to the device
Maintain the heating method established for the structure and applied products. Do not increase the fire abruptly to shorten the preparation stage. Different cross-sections and installation conditions do not justify a single universal number of minutes for each tandoor.
Check the equipment's working path and the place for placing hot parts before starting. Record the method of operation and any changes occurring. Do not try to regulate the temperature by randomly closing openings whose function you do not know.
Residual heat is also part of the cycle
After finishing cooking, handle the fuel and the chamber according to the device's requirements. Do not pour cold water for the purpose of quickly cooling the hot lining. The end of food preparation does not mean the end of heat activity.
After cooling, inspect refractory bricks, the entry, and the joints. Compare them with the previous condition, recording new defects and movement of parts. Such observation helps to assess the actual operating cycle without attributing each crack solely to a single firing.