Can I use Pre-Mixed High-Temp Mortar on a Mattone Barile Grande fire brick pizza oven kit?

Construction Materials Needed to Build a BrickWood
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I see the note to “NEVER USE A HIGH-TEMP MORTAR FROM A PAIL OR BUCKET!”. What is the reason for this. My local store (High Temp Inc. in Portland, OR) sells a pre-mixed mortar that I’d like to use. Any reason this wouldn’t work?

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Hi Justin, and welcome to the BrickWood forum.

@BrickWood is very specific on this subject. He says that liquid-form mortar will remain soft in this application, and that you must not use it.

However, I followed the link you provided and read the description on their Web site. While I believe them when they say it “works flawlessly as a fire brick mortar in kilns, forges and even pizza ovens,” I don’t see a data sheet or detailed specifications for it, just that it’s rated up to 3,200°F.

I’m going to hang out the “wiser heads needed” signal and ask @BrickWood to weigh in on this. I know that both the convenience and the cost look tempting, but I’d wait for his opinion on it—because I’ll trade both convenience AND cost for an oven that works.

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Thank you for bringing up this VERY important question & thanks to @bikerbudmatt for flagging this message.

I really need to sit down w/ a hot cup of Woods Coffee and spend a couple of hours on this one question. But right now I’m tapped for time, so I’m going to give you a list of Pro’s / Con’s of pre-mixed High Temp Mortar, until I get a chance to spend the proper amount of time that this question deserves.

The following is my experience w/ Sairset by Harbison Walker International

PROS:

  • Fairly Priced - Bucket or Pail
  • Excellent Heat Retention characteristics
  • Perfectly Blended - No Guesswork
  • Great Texture / Workability

CONS:

  • Non-Water Soluble (Breaks down / crumbles if it gets wet)
  • Can only be used for THIN mortar joints (no more than 1/8").
  • Mortar does not harden until it has been fired (mortar touches fire for a specific time period). And the slightest movement can crack those soft mortar joints.
  • Can’t support weight! If you place this mortar between two bricks or blocks, the mortar will squeeze out like ketchup under a heavy hamburger bun.
  • There are a few more cons… and I’ll add these at a later date. But you have enough now to realize that you DO NOT want to use pre-mixed mortar to build a Mattone Barile or Mattone Barile Grande pizza oven.

  1. DO NOT USE PRE-MIXED HIGH TEMPERATURE MORTAR ON ANY PRODUCT FROM BRICKWOOD OVENS!

  2. ONLY USE DRY HIGH-TEMP MORTAR THAT COMES IN A BAG.

  3. SAVE A TON OF DOUGH BY MAKING YOUR OWN HIGH-TEMP MORTAR WITH A NEAR-PERFECT TRACK RECORD!

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