Fire Bricks

Redneck

Tried to get some Fire Bricks today but had a difficult time finding the same type ( size was the same as ordinary bricks )that I have seen posted here on the Forum.[p]Had to improvise slighty by purchasing some paver bricks and wraping them with foil. I don't know it this is going to work but it was the best I could do in a short time. I have a Prime Rib going over them now....hopefully they will hold. Keep ya posted[p]Redneck

JJ

Redneck,
Be very careful with those pavers. They can and will explode.

Redneck

JJ,[p]Yeah that's what I was afraid of. Maybe the foil wrapping will hold them together until I can get some fire bricks. Going direct tomorrow.[p]Thanks,[p]Redneck[p]

JJ

Redneck,
You might want to check in either Biloxi or Mobile for a ceramic dealer. They carry the fire bricks you're looking for.

JJ

Redneck,
Try this store in Mobile. Not too far from you.[p]Armoll's Ceramics 334-478-3117
608 Holcombe Ave,Mobile, AL 36606-4220

If I find somkething in Biloxi I will advise you.

JJ

Redneck,
Found 2 closer to you.[p]Dogwood Ceramic Supply 228-831-4848
13187 Dedeaux RD # C,Gulfport, MS 39503-5866 (9.6 miles) [p]Blue Mule Ceramics 228-863-1087
20543 Johnson RD,Long Beach, MS 39560-4101 (17.9 miles) [p]They might even have a plate setter.[p]Hope this helps you.[p]

Redneck

JJ,[p]Wow, what a source. You did much better than I and I live around here. Thanks for the information.[p]Redneck

Shelby

Please explain the use/need for the firebricks to a newbie!
I bought the 'place setter' when I bought my BGE; is this used much the same way?
Thanks!

Char-Woody

Shelby, yes, a plate sitter performs the same task of creating a ceramic barrier between the fire and drip pan under the project your cooking. The tri legged plate sitter has a dual function of using the top as a bottom and the legs as a grill support. Then place the drip pan on the reversed sitter. All in this order ..inverted "setter" drip pan, grill on the three legs..and your food on the grill or other V rack or rib assembles. Works nicely.
Or you can do breads and pizza with a combination of two firebricks flat in the center of your grill stand the plate sitter on its legs over the bricks..Preheat to 500+F degrees and do a Pizza or 400F degrees and bake breads.
I made some super buns last night that really turned into nice mini round loafs..so using them that way..
My first bun run..so next time I make em smaller balls and flatten wider..:-)
Other uses for the bricks are a simple under the pan layer to protect the drip pans. Bricks are flexible in their use, the sitter is a specialized tool.
Hope this helps...and if you need a set up proceedure for a cook feel free to e.mail me.
Cheers..C~W[p]

Chuck

Char-Woody,
I have been using the plate sitter with a pizza stone to make pizza with GREAT results. Do you use the two bricks in stead of or in addition to the setter and stone? I haven't done bread yet, but plan to soon. Is the bread setup different than pizza as far as the setter, stone, brick combination? Also I wouldn't mind your bun recipe if you are in a sharing mood. (:-)[p]Thanks[p]Chuck

Shelby

CW,
I was told you could use the place sitter directly on top of grill and place pizza or bread directly on the sitter. Is there a problem in so doing?
Thanks for the kind words and advice. Fear not, I'll be picking y'all's brains but also sharing some receipes of my own.
Thanks again!

Char-Woody

Shelby, yes, place it directly on the grill. You can use a pan of water for similar affects if you have no bricks.

What your cooking is going to determine brick/brick drip pan combo/ or just a drip pan. The Tri sitter or bricks won't be ideally the same for every cook. [p]I like to use a small diameter pan with water on firebricks with a tri sitter for bread and buns. I use no water addition when doing pizza.. just brick and tri sitter. It varies.
Cheers..C~W

Char-Woody

Chuck, for pizza..your doing it right..for breads I like to add a pan of steamy hot water to the bricks or extra pizza stone and let it heat prior to putting the breads on the stone. I am finding that pans are not necessary in bread making in the BGE..
Totally on the stone.. I have some special flour coming next week from King Arthur for stone baking.
Sure.. the recipe I used was from KA and I am sure they will not mind my posting it. Follow all the instruction's even the temperatures for the BGE. It works fine.
__________________________________________________________

KingArthurFlour.com [p]

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Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
Summer is the time of year when everyone thinks about grilling outdoors. Homemade buns make hamburgers and hot dogs taste out of this world. If you live in an area where the temperature gets so hot you don't want to heat up your oven, make a bunch of buns early in the season and freeze them. To give them a heartier texture, you can substitute 2 cups of King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour for an equal amount of King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 packets or 2 scant tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
2 cups warm milk (105°F to 115°F)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
6 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
sesame, poppy or caraway seeds or coarse salt (optional)
*We give you this fairly wide variation for a couple of reasons. First, you'll find in the summer that you'll need a bit more flour to absorb a given amount of liquid than you will in the winter. This is because it's humid and flour acts somewhat like a slightly dampened sponge as a result.[p]Second, this particular dough should be quite slack, i.e., very relaxed in order to make soft and tender buns. So you want to add only enough more flour, past the 6-cup point, to make the dough just kneadable; sprinkling only enough more to keep it from sticking to you or the board.[p]Mixing: In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and then the yeast in the warm water. Add the milk, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.[p]Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.[p]Kneading: Knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Because this dough is so slack, you may find that a bowl scraper or bench knife can be helpful in scooping up the dough and folding it over on itself.[p]Rising: Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly-woven dampened towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour. [p]Shaping: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide into 18 equal pieces. This is done most easily by dividing the dough first into thirds, then those thirds into halves, then the halves into thirds. [p]Shape each piece into a ball. For hamburger buns, flatten the balls into 3 1/2-inch disks. For hot-dog buns, roll the balls into cylinders, 4 1/2-inches in length. Flatten the cylinders slightly; dough rises more in the center so this will give a gently rounded top versus a high top.[p]For soft-sided buns, place them on a well-seasoned baking sheet a half inch apart so they'll grow together when they rise. For crisper buns, place them three inches apart.[p]Second Rising: Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. [p]Baking: Fifteen minutes before you want to bake your buns, preheat your oven to 400°F. Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with whatever seeds strike your fancy. [p]Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190°F. (A dough thermometer takes the guesswork out of this.) [p]When the buns are done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
Nutrition information per serving (1 bun, 93 g): 206 cal, 3 g fat, 7 g protein, 37 g complex carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 1 g dietary fiber, 17 mg cholesterol, 255 mg sodium, 119 mg potassium, 2 mg iron, 120 mg calcium, 83 mg phosphorus.[p]This recipe reprinted from King Arthur Flour's Baking Sheet, Vol. III, No. 5, May-June, 1992. [p]Copyright 2000, King Arthur Flour Co. All rights reserved.

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Back

Chuck

Char-Woody,
You ARE the man. I won't have time to try the buns today but will give them a try soon. Today i'm doing jerky and then sausage, roasted peppers, onions and garlic rolled in pizza dough, just an idea I had. I'll post the results if either turn out. [p]Thanks for the recipe.[p]Chuck

Shelby

Char-Woody,
Seems to me, one of the reasons I got the egg was to get away from a water pan. Drip pan I can see to prevent flame ups and use the drippings in a sauce. [p]Gonna take some time to experiment.

Char-Woody

Shelby, in a lot of standard ovens and brick ovens, added moisture is beneficial in the crusting. Water in a drip pan for meats just prevents the drippings from burning and eventually evaporate leaving the accumulated drippings for the gravies if needed. The moisture from evaporation in most cases also helps the meat to stay moist. I alternate its use. Beer is also a suggested moisturizer. Or apple juice and I have even used orange juice. It's fun to experiment.
Good luck to ya..
C~W[p]