Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

pizza cooking question

Options
bgarbee
bgarbee Posts: 20
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am wondering what the best way to maintain a 500-600 degree egg for cooking pizza. Usually I keep the daisy wheel off and the bottom vent all the way open but this seems like it is letting a lot of heat escape and also burning my charcoal faster. The problem is when I put the daisy wheel on (even if that is open all the way) I drop to about 450 and have a hard time getting back up to even 500. Any feedback would be much appreciated.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    I leave the DFMT off so I can look in to see how it's cooking. (Watch the eyebrows) Bottom vent open about and inch, maybe a bit more. For me, that seems to stabilize at about 500*. YMMV.

    With the top off and the bottom wide open, I get 750+, depending on what lump I have in there (used vs fresh, fill level, etc.)

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Options
    Airflow is the only way to maintain temps. Choke it off and the temp drops.

    You aren't letting heat "escape" through the top so much as allowing the built-in chimney effect work properly to create the high temps you desire.

    Open it up and let it rip.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MaceMan
    MaceMan Posts: 8
    Options
    Also be sure to make sure the holes aren't clogged with small pieces of coal. If you open both up it will heat up off the charts. I fried my gasket from cooking at high temps for pizzas and they sent me a high temp gasket at no charge!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    Options
    Ya hit the nail on the head, "depending on the lump" yes, used,new/fresh or the brand all make a difference.

    Regards,
    Bordello
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Options
    My daisy wheel never goes on for a pizza cook.
    The lower vent is also open all the way, which will result in excessive cooking temp under normal conditions. When mine goes north of 550, I put on the plate setter/feet/stone rig which causes it to lower back down to 450 albeit for a short time. When it hits 550 again, on goes the pizza, which temporarily stabilizes the temp at 550. By the time it starts to climb again, Im usually peeking at it which also keeps the temp from climbing. You could close the lower vent a little at that point, but Im always opening the dome during a pizza cook which keeps it from getting to hot. I'm all the way wide open for the whole cook.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    So much quicker and easier your way than mine! Thanks.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Options
    It could be argued(with accuracy) that the stone doesnt have adequete time to heat up when using this method, but I have noticed little difference in the finished product since implementing it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • bgarbee
    bgarbee Posts: 20
    Options
    Thanks guys,
    I just called BGE and they are sending me a new gasket. Could someone explain the correct setup. I don't use the feet. I usually go inverted plate setter, grate, pizza stone on top of grate. Is this wrong?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Options
    bgarbee,

    You need more of an air gap under the pizza stone. I use copper tee fittings or pieces of firebrick. The gap has to be large enough to prevent radiant heating of the stone from the plate setter.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,677
    Options
    If your going inverted (legs up) you have plenty of air gap, legs down like Steve said the 1/2" or 3/4" copper elbows work good.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • bgarbee
    bgarbee Posts: 20
    Options
    do i have too much air gap, is it better to use the feet?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,677
    Options
    experiment with different setups to find what you like. some who like crispier crust might set the stone right on the platesetter while others cook from 400 to 1200 dome temps. finding the setup you like is good when you can eat your mistakes.
    for me platesetter legs down, feet then stone. Dome between 450 & 500 cook time about 12 minutes.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • uglydog
    uglydog Posts: 256
    Options
    You have a major dilemma there. Other posters have suggested various methods to get to pizza cooking temperatures. In the interest of accurate science, the only way to know for sure is to do many, many pizza cooks, only changing one variable with each cook. You could even keep notes of your eggsperiments. When you finally get a good definition of how to set up the egg, you'll have to start eggsperimenting with different dough recipes, and then different toppings. You are really in for a long, arduous learning process, but you may find the journey is better than the destination. Don't be shy about inviting us over to test the results of your efforts.Pictures of your results will help us understand what's going on, but tasting the results trumps pictures.

    Uglydog
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • uglydog
    uglydog Posts: 256
    Options
    Forgot to tell you that I do thin crust pizza, using the following setup: Fresh load of lump; platesetter legs down; BGE feet on the platesetter, then the pizza stone on the feet. Let the whole shebang heat up to about 650° dome, then put the pizza on the stone with a piece of parchment under the pizza. Pull the parchment out after about 1 or 2 minutes. With thin crust, the za only has to cook a few minutes.Don't put too much stuff on the crust; thin coating of sauce, some cheese, and maybe one other filling, 2 at the most.

    Uglydog
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories