Temp mystery solved

TexanOfTheNorth

I did some pizzas about 1 1/2 weeks ago on my LBGE and could not get my dome temp much higher than 400*. I figured that maybe my lump had gotten a little damp and that's what was causing the problem. Did pizza again last night and had the same dome temp problem. I knew it wasn't the lump this time as I had just put a new load into the egg and the temp had shot up well over 600* before I got my setup in place. 

My setup (both times) was plate setter, grid, bricks and then my pizza stone; trying to get the stone higher up into the dome. Eventually it occurred to me that my 16.5" pizza stone was actually high enough in the dome that it was cutting off any airflow into the dome. I took the bricks out and put the stone directly on the plate setter and the dome temp came right up to where I wanted it.

Just thought I'd pass this along in case in could be of some help to others.

Little Steven

Was the stone higher than the gasket?

Skiddymarker

Air flow, that's what an egg is all about. Good advice. One of the reasons I cut up my old 15" stone and use it as a half moon setter in my MBGE. The 15" stone blocked too much air flow. Now I use a 13" stone, good for two of us, and if there are more, we make more pies. 

The old too big stone is great for reverse sears. 

TexanOfTheNorth

Little Steven said:

Was the stone higher than the gasket?

Yes.

bicktrav

Did you buffer the stone from the platesetter with balled up foil or anything, or did you lay the ceramic of the stone directly on top of (flush against) the platesetter?  I only ask because it seems to me that the conduction of the heat from the surface of the platesetter to the surface of the stone would cause the stone to get too hot.

TexanOfTheNorth

bicktrav said:

Did you buffer the stone from the platesetter with balled up foil or anything, or did you lay the ceramic of the stone directly on top of (flush against) the platesetter?  I only ask because it seems to me that the conduction of the heat from the surface of the platesetter to the surface of the stone would cause the stone to get too hot.

I had the plate setter in with the legs up and a grid on the plate setter. Originally, I had bricks on the grid and then the stone so, all I did, was remove the bricks and put the stone on the grid.

You're right though, if the plate setter went in legs down you'd want some separation between the plate setter and the stone.

MIgreenegger

I use pieces of leftover granite between the plate setter(legs down)  and the pizza stone. Works perfectly for keeping some of the heat away from the stone yet allows the air to flow.

bicktrav

TexanOfTheNorth said:

bicktrav said:

Did you buffer the stone from the platesetter with balled up foil or anything, or did you lay the ceramic of the stone directly on top of (flush against) the platesetter?  I only ask because it seems to me that the conduction of the heat from the surface of the platesetter to the surface of the stone would cause the stone to get too hot.

I had the plate setter in with the legs up and a grid on the plate setter. Originally, I had bricks on the grid and then the stone so, all I did, was remove the bricks and put the stone on the grid.

You're right though, if the plate setter went in legs down you'd want some separation between the plate setter and the stone.

Got it.  That's how I do it too.  Makes sense.  

BigWings

I go legs down, then my grill on top of that, then the stone on the grill.