Chapter 37 The Ultimate Evolution of Mud! On the Eighty-One Tribulations of Brick Making! ^……
The first batch of bricks laid out to dry on the open ground, after several days of sunbathing and Lin Yue's occasional turning over, had transformed from wet mud into hard lumps of mud. Although they were still yellowish-brown, at least they could be picked up without falling apart.
"Hmm, looks alright." Lin Yue picked up a brick and weighed it in his hand, feeling that it was quite heavy. "Uncle Shi Quan, what do you think of the moisture content? Is it ready to go into the kiln?"
Uncle Shi Quan picked up a bit of dry soil from the brick, rubbed it, pinched it with his fingernail, and nodded: "It's passable. But the real test is yet to come!" He pointed to the newly built, rather ugly, first-generation Lin family traditional brick kiln next to him.
This brick kiln is truly the culmination of the wisdom and hard work of Lin Yue, Gray, and Shi Quan.
With the full guidance of Uncle Shi Quan and the invaluable assistance of the systematic [simple kiln structure diagram], they used the refractory clay they had found, mixed with quartz sand and wood ash, to build a semi-subterranean structure that looked like a giant potato.
The kiln is circular, with a firebox for adding firewood and a simple ventilation opening at the bottom, and a chimney for venting smoke at the top. Inside the kiln, Lin Yue also specially built several fire channels with refractory clay, following Shi Quan's instructions, hoping to allow the flames to heat the brick blanks more evenly.
[System Notification: Construction of the [Basic Traditional Brick Kiln (Experimental)] is complete. Structural Rating: D (Barely usable, extremely low thermal efficiency, poor insulation, risk of kiln explosion). Estimated maximum temperature: 700-850 degrees Celsius (requires powerful blasting). Note: A brave attempt! Good luck... and best of luck for your safety.]
Lin Yue's lips twitched as he looked at the system's merciless evaluation: "Hey! System! What do you mean by this note? What do you mean by 'personal safety'? This thing can explode?!"
[System Response: Any process involving high temperature and high pressure carries potential risks. Please strictly follow the operating procedures (if applicable) and take appropriate protective measures.]
Lin Yue: "..." He felt like he wasn't firing bricks, but rather playing with fire and recklessly flirting with self-immolation.
But things have come to this point, the arrow is on the bowstring, and there's no turning back! We can't just nip the dream of a big red brick house in the bud because of a little risk, can we?
"Alright! Comrades! The exciting moment has arrived!" Lin Yue took a deep breath, clapped his hands, and tried to encourage himself and his comrades. "Today, we will fire the first batch of red bricks for our restaurant!"
Gray nodded silently, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
Shi Quan stood to the side with his arms crossed, looking like he was going to see what kind of mess they could make. But Lin Yue noticed that beneath his thick beard, his lips were tightly pursed, clearly indicating that his inner state was not as calm as it appeared.
Step 1: Kiln loading!
This is a technical job. The way the bricks are arranged in the kiln directly affects the flow of flames and the uniformity of heating.
Holding his stone tablet covered in scribbles, Lin Yue directed Gray and Lin Yue's capable foreman, Amu, to carefully feed the dried brick blanks into the kiln chamber.
"Attention! Attention! Leave a fire channel below! Leave gaps between the bricks! Don't stack them too close together! Otherwise the fire won't rise and it won't burn through!" Shi Quan shouted loudly from the side, just like a grumpy contractor.
Lin Yue and his team were in a flurry of activity, and it took them a lot of effort to finally manage to stack the first batch of about a few hundred bricks in a crooked and uneven manner, following the instructions given by Shi Quan.
Step 2: Ignition!
This is also a crucial step. The fire cannot be too intense at once; it must first be heated slowly over a low flame to evaporate any remaining moisture in the brick blank, otherwise it will easily crack.
Lin Yue personally took charge, carefully lighting the kindling in the firebox, and then slowly adding dry, fine firewood.
Flames rose, and smoke filled the air.
"Grey! Amu! Take turns operating the bellows! Keep the fire low! Don't let it get too big!" Lin Yue commanded.
The brand-new, highly efficient human-powered bellows made of animal hide once again played a vital role. Although it was still difficult to pull, it at least provided a continuous and stable airflow.
The temperature inside the kiln was slowly rising. A smell of earth and steam rose from the chimney.
Stone Fist would occasionally approach the kiln entrance to observe the color of the flames and the changes in the brick blanks, muttering some dwarven slang that Lin Yue couldn't quite understand.
The process of baking over a small fire lasted for several hours. Lin Yue and his team took turns keeping watch, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
When the moisture on the surface of the bricks had mostly evaporated and the color had changed from earthy yellow to a deeper reddish brown, Shi Quan finally spoke: "...That's about enough. We can increase the heat now!"
Step 3: Heat it up! Bake it!
This is the real test!
Lin Yue and Gray began adding more charcoal and hardwood to the firebox. The bellows were also pumping at full speed!
call--!
The furnace is roaring! The temperature inside the kiln is rising rapidly!
[System notification: Kiln temperature has reached 600℃…700℃…750℃…]
Lin Yue stared intently at the temperature display on the system interface, his heart pounding in his chest.
He knew that the critical temperature range for firing bricks was roughly between 800 and 1000 degrees Celsius. If the temperature was too low, the bricks wouldn't be fully fired and wouldn't be strong enough. If the temperature was too high, or if the temperature rose too quickly, the bricks would easily melt, deform, or even crack.
"Steady! Steady! Add firewood slowly! Control the airflow!" Shi Quan shouted instructions from the side, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Although he said burning mud was simple, he was more nervous than anyone else when it came to the crucial moment.
Inside the kiln, the flames illuminated a fiery red glow. The originally reddish-brown bricks, under the intense heat, grew darker and darker, gradually turning a deep crimson.
However, just as the kiln temperature was struggling to climb to nearly 850 degrees Celsius, an accident occurred!
All that could be heard from inside the kiln was a series of soft crackling sounds!
"Oh no!" Shi Quan's expression changed. "The fire is too high! Some of the bricks are cracking!"
Lin Yue's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly checked the system notification.
[Warning: Cracks have been detected in some bricks inside the kiln due to excessively rapid heating and uneven internal stress! Please adjust the firing temperature immediately and slow down the heating rate!]
"Quick! Reduce the airflow! Reduce the amount of firewood!" Lin Yue shouted.
Gray and Amu hurriedly made adjustments.
But it seemed a little too late. The crackling sound hadn't completely stopped.
Lin Yue's mood was like a rollercoaster, going up and down.
Finally, the kiln temperature stabilized at over 800 degrees Celsius, and there were no more large-scale explosions.
But Lin Yue knew that this batch of bricks was probably doomed.
The subsequent high-temperature heating and cooling process was even more agonizing.
They took turns on duty, constantly monitoring the changes in the fire and kiln temperature, fearing that something unexpected might happen again.
Xiao Fen seemed to sense the tense atmosphere and obediently lay down to the side without causing any trouble.
Old Bard and Mia prayed silently in the distance.
Finally, after a long firing and cooling process that felt like an eternity, the first batch of red bricks was ready to be fired!
Everyone gathered around, holding their breath and watching nervously as Lin Yue and Gray carefully removed the mud sealing the kiln opening.
A wave of heat, mixed with the smell of burnt earth, hit me.
Inside the kiln, everything was in a mess.
Most of the brick blanks cracked and deformed to varying degrees because of incorrect firing or excessively rapid heating, and some even turned into black charcoal!
Only a small portion of the bricks closest to the fire channel, which were heated relatively evenly, barely maintained their original shape, and their color was a fairly authentic reddish-brown.
Lin Yue picked up a finished brick that looked to be of the best quality, tapped it, and the sound was quite crisp. The hardness was also acceptable, at least much better than adobe bricks.
But the quantity... is too small!
Hundreds of bricks are put in, but in the end, probably less than a hundred are usable!
It failed.
The first attempt at firing bricks ended in failure with a dismal yield.
An awkward and disappointed atmosphere filled the air.
Lin Yue looked at the burnt bricks and felt a chill run down his spine. How much clay and fuel had been wasted!
"...Hmph! I knew it!" Stone Fist was the first to break the silence, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible regret. "Burning mud isn't that easy! The heat! The heat is the most important thing! The fire you've made... is a complete mess!"
Gray and Amu were also somewhat dejected.
Lin Yue sighed and patted the ash off his hands: "Alright, alright, don't be discouraged! It's good enough that we managed to make a few decent bricks on our first try! At least it proves that our approach was correct, and that this red clay can indeed be fired into bricks!"
He mustered his spirits and began to summarize the lessons learned from this failure:
"It seems the problem mainly lies in the control of the heat. The temperature cannot be increased too quickly; it must be done gradually. Also, the way the bricks are stacked in the kiln needs to be improved so that the flames can contact each brick more evenly."
"In addition, the insulation performance of our kiln is still too poor, resulting in too much heat loss, which makes it difficult for the furnace temperature to rise and causes it to fluctuate."
"The moisture content of the brick blanks also needs to be controlled; if they are too wet, they are prone to cracking."
He spoke as he wrote it down on the stone slab.
Shi Quan listened from the side, not saying a word, but a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. This kid, though clumsy, is quick-witted and even knows how to summarize experience?
[System Notification: First attempt at brick firing failed. Reasons for failure: excessively rapid temperature rise, improper temperature control, low kiln thermal efficiency, insufficient pretreatment of brick blanks. Gained +80 experience points (learn from failure). Unlocked [Brick Firing Failure Case Analysis Report v1.0]. Recommendations: Improve kiln stacking method, optimize temperature rise curve, strengthen kiln insulation, and strictly control the moisture content of brick blanks.]
"System, your report came just in time," Lin Yue said with a wry smile.
"...Next time when stacking the kiln, you can try a triangular or grid pattern, leaving enough fire holes and flues."
"...When heating up, it can be done in several stages, with each stage lasting for a period of time, so that the brick blank is heated evenly inside and out."
"...The top of the kiln can be covered with an extra layer of mud, or covered with a damp straw mat to reduce heat loss."
Uncle Shi Quan began to impart his most treasured kiln-firing secrets at length. Although he may have fired ores or pottery before, the principles are the same.
Lin Yue quickly took out his notebook and carefully recorded everything on the stone tablet, occasionally comparing and verifying the information with the suggestions provided by the system.
For a time, the small hall was filled with a strong academic atmosphere.
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