pizza stone curing

Unknown

Any suggestions on curing a new BGE pizza stone? I got mine today and there were no instructions on how to cure it. I'd appreciate your help.

Pakak

dstew51,[p]Cook a pizza on it, that's the best thing.[p]No, there really is no need to cure it.

Smokin Joe

dstew51,
Fire up your egg and get the zza's rollin! Joe

katman

dstew51,[p]Bring your stone and your egg slowly up to temp and give your egg a couple of beers worth of time to get nice and stable. It's a holiday weekend for some so at least two beers, preferably three. Never put a cold stone in a warm egg. You might crack it, and if you don't you'll still have to warm it up to get it to work right for you.

Banker John

dstew51,
There really is no reason to 'season' the stone. The key, is to stabilize the temperature in the egg, with all the ceramic mass, including a pizza stone, before cooking on the stone to achieve that "brick oven" effect.[p]I preheat my egg for about 15 minutes WFO (wide open) to get the coals going really well. I then open the lid and add the plate setter, feet down and place the stone on the flat surface of the setter. [p]Here is the tricky part. I have already learned the vent settings for me to stabilize at 500-550. After inserting the ceramic mass, I set the vents to the temp desired. It may take you a while to learn the vent opening settings to get the temp you desire. Once you learn the settings, insert the plate setter & stone and adjust the vents and wait a good 1 hour before placing the first food item on the egg.[p]The benefit of this long heat up period is that ALL of the ceramic will come to a consistent, even temperature. It is the consistent temp that is desired to give that ABSOLUTELY perfect brick oven effect to your pizzas.[p]You will need a peel (I have 2 and alternate as multiple pies are cooked in succession).[p]Good luck and it sounds like you are well on your way to perfect brick oven/hearthstone baked goods. Please post pix if you can and share your successes (and failures). [p]Yes, we've all had our failures... I remember the finished pie that fell of the peel as I walked into the closed sliding glass door; not funny then but very funny now. I have also lost pies down the inside of the egg, into the fire, etc. I'm sure you will create your memories, too.[p]Banker John

Unknown

Thanks everybody. You have been a great help! It is so nice to have a forum like this where we novices can get some really great information about cooking on our BGE's.