Pizza á Carbonne

Rotor

I had my first truly spectatular failure on the egg yesterday.[p]I decided it was time to try out the pizza stone (14" BGE). Helped that the little ones were asking for Pizza le Hut for dinner.[p]First mistake was trusting my memory. (I like to think I've got a PIII upstairs, but only 120 MB on the HDD). Pizza makers on this forum seem to split between the low and hi temp solutions. The high temp solution seems to rely on getting the stone really hot to create a moisture barrier which prevents burning the crust (kind of like searing meat) the low temp solution seems to rely on keeping the stone 's temp down to avoid that nasty burn but keep the pizza in long enough to cook the top.[p]I tried both solutions - the worst of both - I cooked at 600 but then left the pizza's in for 12 minutes. The top was perfect - oh man it looked good. The kids were all excited (usually egg feasts are more to the liking of the grown-up)the adults were all excited the crust was carbon. Not just burnt - charcoal. I think I made more lump than I burnt! My friends at Pizza Nova came to the rescue. [p]Only one question - what about the stone? I suspect I just scrape it off, and keep using it. Does it matter that it is as black as coal?[p]Dave

Pug

Rotor,
Sorry about your pizza. There is nothing worse than losing a pizza when your hungry. I usually cook at about 550-600 degrees. I also put firebricks under my pizza stone and use corn meal on the stone to help prevent burning. As far as your stone, just scrape it off as you said and it will get better with age. I say all of this, of course, after breaking my new pampered chef stone that someone gave me for Christmas. If you are cooking and hear a "plunk" sound coming from the egg, you know it is not good. :-)

Rotor

Pug,[p]I'll give your suggestion of putting some fire bricks under the stone next time, thanks. [p]It was a drag losing the pizza but it was more of a drag that the kids lost faith in having Dad make a pizza! I'll be getting aggro next time they want Pizza le hutt and I suggest I make them at home![p]Dave [p]

Tim M

<p />Rotor,[p]Let me correct you a little and maybe it will help with your next pie. We pretty much all agree on high temps for pizza - atleast in the 550-600 deg range. This has been the standard here for three years since it was first done on a U shaped pattern of firebricks with a stone on top. Lately Hog Euker has experiemnted with a raised grid and stone on it at 400 deg. but most agree on 550 or more. [p]The stone does not have to be pre heated and it really doesn't sear the crust to slow the cooking. The ceramic blocks and shields the crust from the much higher temps around and below it. Slowly the ceramic will heat up and transfer more and more heat from itself to the crust and that is what cooks the crust. The hot 550-600 air temp over the toppings is what cooks them and you are tring to balance the two so they are finished at the same time. If the top is done too early, then preheating the stone will speed up the crust to match. Crust gets done too early, then you need less preheat and maybe more ceramic to slow it down even more. There may be many ways and methods to slow down the heat transfer in the Egg, but I have tried many and I prefer 2 because they work 99% of the time. [p]The U shaped firebricks with stone on top works and the plate setter with stone works for me every time. I admit I have never tried two stones since I have only one, but I would assume it would also work perfectly. I have read many many posts, here, where people try with one stone and 70% of those are not good reports. Hog Euker is the latest of very few, that I can recall, who had good results with one stone. He uses a raised grid to move it away from the fire and lowe the temps. Lower temps also give a more smokey pizza and that is not desire - although some might like it.[p]Picture is a plate setter with BGE stone on top. [p]Tim

char buddy

[p]The other way to look at it is this, Rotor. Once you get chez Rotor pizza right, you will be like a God to your children. [p]I follow Tim M and Spin's advice to the letter and I make pretty passable pizza's. I never got the hang of making my own dough, but the real problem was that pizza was such a high carb load that it was literally too much of a good thing. Now my kid has to do something really special to get dad to do pizza.

Rotor

char buddy,[p]I only wish I had that problem - my oldest, Will, is six and he takes after both my wife and I - thinnest kid in class. (I outgrew that when I got a desk job!). Having him run a high carb load is just what he needs.[p]Cheers,[p]Dave

Rotor

Tim M,[p]Your posting really helps - I understand what a plate setter is now - and of course now I covet one![p]I'm going to call John at my favourite BBQ store and see if he's got one or will bring one in.[p]Dave

Spin

Tim M,[p]Your plate setter is a pizza stone (with legs), so you do cook using two stacked stones.[p]Spin

Tim M

Spin,[p]You're right - never thought about it like that. I knew two stones should work. I have also used it in a U configuration with equal results. [p]Tim

Sippi

Rotor,I, too, heard the "plunk" a couple of nights ago with a stone that was probably 15 years old. I purchased a new one this past weekend that appears to be about the thickness of the one in Tim M's post. Is there any way to "cure" a new stone? Hearing the "plunk" is not something that I really want to hear with this one .Suggestions from all ya"ll will certainly be appreciated

Tim M

Sippi,[p]No way to cure them. A good one is fired in a kiln at 1000 deg or more so the Egg offers no real threat. The one designed for the oven seem to handle that but not the Egg and thicker is better it seems. Keep it dry as possible (my BGE has been wet and worked fine) and try it - it will work or crack. Good luck.[p]Tim