Pizza

Cecil

I may already know the answer to this but I will ask anyway. I made a couple of pizzas tonight, kids say they are tired of everything I have been cooking (I think they are simply tired of the veggies I serve on the side.) Anyhoo, I used a raised grid and pizza stone and cooked at around 475. The first one was perfect on top but had some scorched places on the botttom. #2 was black on the bottom and the cheese was melted but not browned.[p]Was it lack of plate setter or improper temp. or a combo of both?[p]Thanks!

Big Daddy - OCT

Cecil,
I have to admit that I haven't cooked one yet but I'm pretty sure the plate setter would have protected your pizza stone from the direct heat that very likely caused your problems. It was probably getting to temp on pizza #1 and screaming hot by pizza #2.[p]I can't wait to try my new one...maybe I'll have some pictures by the weekend.[p]Good luck,[p]Bruce

icemncmth

Cecil,[p]Yep you need a plate setter....because a pizza needs to be cooked indirect...

Cecil

Big Daddy - OCT,
Thanks, that is what I thought. Best of luck with yours, i'm sure it will be great.
Walt

Shoe

Platesetter legs down, pizza stone on top, some sort of separator (I used 3 half-inch copper elbows from the hardware store I flattened some with a hammer) to separate the two. That separation allows the stone to be heated by the air temperature in the egg, and not from the direct radiance of the fire below.[p]Cooked bread this way over the weekend. Lifted the platesetter out afterwards to transition to cooking something else. Was wearing my leather welding gloves. As soon as I touched the platesetter I heard a sizzling sound. When I put the platesetter down and looked at the fingers of the gloves, they were still bubbling. I think it was the years of grease on the gloves. That platesetter was mighty hot from that direct radiant heat.

BYC

Cecil,[p]I diasgree with the many whom say you NEED a plater setter. I have made many BGE pizza's long before there was a plate setter. As you pointed out pizza number 1 was okay thus direct cooking works for the first. Maybe it went a tad long. Your number 2 pizza went onto a stone, which had way too much heat in it thus quick cook on the bottom. I do not preheat my stone and if I want to cook more than one I wipe down the heated stone with a damp cloth before applying. Having said all of this a platesetter helps when cooking multiple pizzas. Or even a couple of bricks.

Cecil

byc,Thanks,I did preheat stone so it was very hot. I agree, the first one could have come off aminute or two earlier.

Cecil

Shoe,
So it follows that my unprotected stone was very,very hot. Thank you.