Pizza Stone Size

ENOegg22

Does anyone know if there is an “ideal” size for a pizza stone on the large BGE? I have been using an off-brand stone and I’m starting to think it may be a contributing factor to some of the shortcomings of my BGE pizza.

The 14” is recommended for the large, by BGE. My stone is 16”. And I’ve suspected it restricts airflow when getting the egg warmed up. It eventually gets to +500 dome temp. So, I figured it was fine, and gave a good cooking surface area. But is there any science behind the size of the stone?

My best results with my current setup are to bake the pizzas at around 500 degree dome temp with a medium or thin crust thickness because anything hotter burns the bottom of the dough before the top cooks. Does a smaller stone at higher temp cook more evenly?

xfire_ATX

I am not sure what my stone is but I also use the Lodge 14" CI pan, but the stone is likely a bit smaller.

I used both of those in my large with the oval CGS stone underneath it in my Large.  Now that I have an XL I use a similar setup but run at about 475 (dough asks for 450)

GoldenQ

You are restricting air flow too much.   The BGE stone is the max size I would consider and maybe a little taller.  IO like the CGS system 

gamason

2 things to consider. Get the stone alittle higher in the dome. Tak a couple of bricks and raise it up some. Also, watch the sugar content in your dough. that will cause it to burn as well. I usually use the dough from Publix. It cooks best between 450 to 500 degrees around 10-12 minutes on my large. Good luck!

fishlessman

my 15.5 inch stone is too big with a standard setup in the large. its not so much restricted airflow, what happens is the heat hits the big flat of the stone and the heat is pushed back downward into the base. ive had 1000f degree plus fires down below and yet low temps above. it creates a hotter stone that burns things in a large.  i fixed the problem by setting it in sand in a tank end shaped like a wok sitting on a cgs spider. the wok shape diverts the heat upwards creating a much hotter dome and cooler stone. this works up to about a 1200 degree dome cook which is the limit in a large egg without a fan device. its so hot that a blue flame will hover over the pizza as it cooked, a broiler effect. dont try this at home opening the dome at these temps is like playing with a bomb but a 53 second pizza is possible with store bought dough

RRP

@gamason just gave you some good advice; however, rather than using bricks since that adds mass acting as a heat sink you can use a variety of items to raise your stone higher. Us older egg owners had 3 green ceramic feet which are great plus being stable for that purpose. But, you can buy 3 ceramic "pot feet" at any good garden center. Other eggers have used big balls of aluminum foil or copper plumbing elbows though both of these aren't as stable as feet are.