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Still Struggling with Pizza - Vent

AD18
AD18 Posts: 209
Still struggling with pizza.  I cannot get the Egg up to higher temps.  I have cleaned it out to insure all the air vents are clear.  Fresh charcoal.  Startup and let sit about 40 minutes and cannot get above 450.  Platesetter in, legs up, grate, and BGE pizza stone on grate.  Put pizza in anyways.  Struggled before getting pizza off steel peel with corn meal on it on to stone.  Tried parchment paper this time and it slid off nicely on to stone.  Let pizza cook at 425-450 for about 10 minutes and tried to get parchment paper out and it would not come off.  Let it cook for another 5 minutes and finally it slid off on to stone.  Let the pizza cook for about 30 minutes and it came out not too bad, crust was kind of soft, but suspect it was due to lower temps.  Pulled everything out of egg and while we were eating let it run with wide open vents and nothing is side..  It ran wide open for about 20 minutes and it never went over 500.  Only thing I can think is I got lousy charcoal.  Luckily the pizza is so good or I would seriously consider giving up.  Sorry for venting, but I feel better now:)
Large BGE, Weber 22.5 kettle, Weber Genesis
Cobourg, Ontario

Comments

  • pretzelb
    pretzelb Posts: 158
    I can't help on the temp issue (I assume you took the top off) but do you have a CI skillet? The only pizza I did was semi deep dish style in the skillet. The nice thing was I didn't have to worry about paper or flour or corn meal - just grab the skillet. I only had to feed a total of 3 so the skillet was enough food for all of us. 
    XL egg owner, home brewer, jogger, coffee roaster, gamer 
  • Gator_Man
    Gator_Man Posts: 138
    Hang in there you will get it!!! I do all of my pizza's at 425-450 temp! Not sure why you think you need to go higher? What size Egg do you have? How much lump did you put in the Egg? Some might think I'm crazy but when I put lump in all of my eggs I fill to the top of the fire ring and left over lump from the last cook is much easier to light. I promise you if you fill the egg with lump to the top of the fire ring and light it and leave the bottom vent open and nothing on the top you will get a temp well above 900++++ flames shooting out the dome. In summery I think you are not putting enough lump in the Egg. Good luck and keep us posted. GM

    I'm from North Carolina summer and Okeechobee Florida winter.

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

  • plumbfir01
    plumbfir01 Posts: 725
    yeah, are you taking daisy wheel off top or just opening it?
    Beaufort, SC
  • AD18
    AD18 Posts: 209
    I had the lump to the top of the fire ring, bottom vent wide open, and dome cap completely off.  I have a large BGE and the pizza dough we bought said to bake it at 500.  That's what I tried to achieve.  I have been using Dragon's Breath charcoal for some time now and it has performed admerably on low and slow temps around 225-250.  I have run it a couple of times for steak and again I keep hitting 400-450 and it stops.  Going to switch brands and see what shakes out.  I have tested my dome thermometer with a propane torch and it went to 700 very quickly so I don't suspect the thermometer.  Will keep kicking at the can until I get it right:) 
    Large BGE, Weber 22.5 kettle, Weber Genesis
    Cobourg, Ontario
  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    How are you lighting the fire? In just one spot or 4 or 5 spots.

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited April 2014
    Unless I missed it have you made sure your firebox opening is lined up with your bottom vent? Honestly you should be able to bury your needle! The only other idea is you have too much charcoal and it isn't getting enough air in from the bottom to create the blast furnace effect.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • AD18
    AD18 Posts: 209
    I use a Looftlighter and I had 5 different spots going.  One smack dab in the middle and 4 spots around the outside.  When all was said and done the whole fire box was glowing red, but no actual fire was being produced.  I found that kind of odd when I have had it fired up full blast in the past.  However, I use my Egg 80-90 percent of the time low and slow so when I try to go high temps not sure what to expect or do.  
    Large BGE, Weber 22.5 kettle, Weber Genesis
    Cobourg, Ontario
  • AD18
    AD18 Posts: 209
    Yes, vent is lined up ok RRP.  I was wondering about that and during last clean out made certain.  The charcoal that I have in there right now has a lot of smaller chunks, so maybe the air flow through it is being hindered.  I may actually take some out and see what happens.  Good idea, thank you.
    Large BGE, Weber 22.5 kettle, Weber Genesis
    Cobourg, Ontario
  • Gator_Man
    Gator_Man Posts: 138
    edited April 2014

    Ok a propane torch will not check your dome temp but will probably destroy it. To check it boil water in a pan and stick it into a paper plate and then into the water and it should read 212 or so depending on you elevation.

    Go to this link to learn more about the thermometer,

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm#calibrate

    How many places are you lighting the lump?

    Don't cook by time, look at the crust and if I is done then pull it.

    If your lump is not kept in a dry location it can soak up moisture and will impede your ability to get to high temps. Just to get this correct you have filled the egg full of lump lit it in 4 places and just left the top and bottom open for at least 2 hours and no flames coming out of the top??? No plate setter either.

    I'm from North Carolina summer and Okeechobee Florida winter.

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

  • jscarfo
    jscarfo Posts: 405
    Try different lump
  • AD18
    AD18 Posts: 209
    Thermometer has been calibrated in boiling water and is right on.  Lump is stored in my garage out of the elements, in the original bag, all folded tightly on top.  I left the Egg wide open after my pizza cook, but only for about 20-30 minutes, not 2 hours.
    Large BGE, Weber 22.5 kettle, Weber Genesis
    Cobourg, Ontario
  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
    I have a medium that I have the same problem with. I leave the bottom vent opened and also the screen opened. I leave the top vent uncovered and had a roaring fire last time. The only problem was the flames were licking around the pizza plate and charred the outer edges. Guess I got it a little too hot.
    Gulf Coast FL
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    edited April 2014
    AD18 said:
    I had the lump to the top of the fire ring, bottom vent wide open, and dome cap completely off.  I have a large BGE and the pizza dough we bought said to bake it at 500.  That's what I tried to achieve.  I have been using Dragon's Breath charcoal for some time now and it has performed admerably on low and slow temps around 225-250.  I have run it a couple of times for steak and again I keep hitting 400-450 and it stops.  Going to switch brands and see what shakes out.  I have tested my dome thermometer with a propane torch and it went to 700 very quickly so I don't suspect the thermometer.  Will keep kicking at the can until I get it right:) 
    If you filled the lump to the top of the fire ring and put your platesetter in legs up...you are smothering your fire. Try again with same level of lump, platesetter legs down. This will give your fire some breathing room. Find some kind of a spacer to put on top the platesetter, then your pizza stone. A wok ring works well. You will be rocking high temps and great pizza
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
    If you have an old blow drier it is great for directing air at your fire and get it established quick, keep the lid open for five minutes after you got the fire going.  Then add you plate setter and pizza stone, close the bottom vent about half way, wait another half hour and I bet you will be 700º.

    Good luck

    Gerhard