Getting temperature up with use of firebricks

Unknown

I have used 8 split firebricks, then a pizza stone. i can get the temperature to 500, but once the pizza is added have been unable to get the temperature above 4oo. Can anyone give any hints which might help?

Tim M

SMAY,[p]Tell us more. What size egg do you have?
How are you using 8 bricks, I have used 5 but never 8.
You say splits, are your bricks smaller than 1X4X8" ?
Do you have a chimney top on?[p]Tim

Unknown

Tim M,
I have a large BGE; the firebricks are the size you mentioned. I stack two, two more are stacked, then two more are stacked next to those already mentioned. those six are across the center of the grid and two more are placed just inside the wall on one side. maybe I'm using
too many firebricks? I am using the cast top and have kept it wide open. I tried closing the bottom vent to a finger's width after the temp had reached 500. And, I also tried opening it all the way too. my temp never went above 400 after placing the pizza on the stone. the pizza was excellent but took so... long to cook. I had hoped for 10 to 15 minutes cooking time. hope this gives you more to help solve my problem. Thanks!

The Naked Whiz

SMAY,
If you are leaving the cast iron top on, take it off. Even wide open, the daisy wheel top restricts air flow. Also, are you preheating the bricks? If you preheat the bricks to 500, I doubt that you could get the egg back down to 400 after you close the lid. [p]TNW

Unknown

The Naked Whiz,
Believe it or not, I preheated both the firebricks and the pizza stone. I remain puzzled.

The Naked Whiz

SMAY,
As do I. :-)
TNW

Sippi

SMAY,
You are heating an awful lot of mass. Try using all new lump and fill to the top of the firering. Leave the bottom vent wide open and the daisy wheel off. Are you having trouble reaching high temps on other cooks? George

Wardster

The Naked Whiz,
That's a lot of bricks. I say you pull them all out and sear the living s#*t out of a steak!!!!

Tim M

<p />SMAY,[p]I am confused by your setup. Here is a basic setup for firebricks. It allows a drip pan to be placed on the bricks and another grid then goes on top and the food on that. Or at this point you add a pizza stone on top to do pizza.[p]If you have anymore grid space covered with your 8 bricks, then air flow restriction is your problem -- OR -- too little fuel. You will NEVER have too much lump, but you can easily have too little. [p]Your bottom vent will be wide open from start to finish. The slide/daisy top wide open will get you about 600° so it isn't your problem. The setup in the picture shows 5 bricks, the 3rd one standing could be removed - I used it for more stability with the higher grid (not pictured). It's optional. That rig will take about 40-50 min to preheat (from liting the fire to cooking).[p]Tim

Unknown

SMAY,[p]I'll use three firebricks (actually I use plain old 1/2 width size bricks I buy at Lowes and have never had one crack) and set them on their sides in a pinwheel or bike spoke type pattern. Let them heat up and then put the stone on them. You must, of course, heat up the stone as well, but I find that it's easier to raise and maintain tempurature if you put the stone into a cold oven and slowly bring it up to 500 degrees before putting in on the Egg...Easier on the stone, too.[p]This configuration allows for more air flow around the stone...I have no problem getting up to and maintaining 600 degree for a pizza cook...Done in about 6 minutes.