Pizza Question

Grillin&Chillin

I made a couple of pizzas Sunday night and both were a disaster.
My basic setup was:
Lump slightly over ring and burning very well
Plate setter legs up
Grill
Pizza stone
After about 45 minutes the highest dome temp was 400.
I removed the pizza after 20 minutes. The crust was dry and not the least bit brown. Awful!
Pizza # 2 was same setup except I removed the stone and cooked directly on top of the plate setter. Dome was 550 without the pizza stone. After about 5 minutes, the edge of the crust was nice and puffy with a perfect brown color. The bottom was black and burned to a crisp!!
It would seem that somewhere between my 2 techniques, there is a perfect pizza.
Any suggestions would be most welcome!

Zippylip

Try legs down, stone on top of feet at 500-550 (preheated at least 1/2 hour at that temp), I think you may get better results:

jeffinsgf

Zippy, do you have something between the pizza stone and the plate setter? In the pic it looks like there's a gap.

Just did my first pizza a couple nights ago. It was just a Papa Murphy's take and bake, but boy, what a difference from doing it in the oven.

500 dome and took about 13 minutes.

Zippylip

jeff, that is actually my old setup, there were copper pipe fittings holding up the stone, I used these before I got an extra set of feet, here is the newer setup, both give the same gap of about 3/4 of an inch, I like the feet better only because they are more stable:

Zippylip

[Deleted User]

G&C-
Follow Zippy's recommendation and you'll be fine! I originally used the setup you used and have since changed to The setup Zippy describes and the results are a LOT better!

One thing I would add is to set the Pizza on parchment paper. It makes it easier to transfer from peel to stone to peel. I used to use cornmeal and it worked fine, but parchment is way easier.

jeffinsgf

Thanks. You think that the air space is important? Have you tried it both ways?

jeffinsgf

That pizza looks MARVELOUS!

dhuffjr

I cook them legs up with the stone on the grill. A little trick I use is kosher salt on the stone to aid in getting the pizzas on and off the stone. I think the main problem your having is temp. Kick it up.

Anywhere between 500-700 and you'll be good.

Avoid situations like your trial number 2 where the pizza stone has direct contact with the heat/flame. That burns crusts.

Zippylip

I think it is important, fire is naturally convective & when there is air space, the heat is more evenly distributed. The direct flame in your egg is hitting certain parts of the setter, some areas are hotter, some are cooler, so rather than transmitting this unevenness from the setter to the stone, the space between allows for air movement & a more evenly heated stone, so in the end I believe you will reduce your chances of burning any part of your pie. Having said that, I have seen people on the forum put the stone right on top with no gap (I have not tried it) & they have had success too. I like having a little room for error, you know, for when you get side-tracked opening a beer & whatnot

jeffinsgf

Thanks. I use my feet under my Dutch oven, so they're already in the kit.

I need to go through some stuff and find my other set, too. I'm not holding out much hope, though, haven't touched them in 9 years and a move!

Craig

I cook mine at 500 - 550 on a pizza stone that's on a raised grid, direct. I don't use a platesetter. I make a thin crust pizza and it usually takes around 9 to 10 minutes.

This has always worked for me.

Good luck!

Grillin&Chillin

With my first setup, why do you think I couldn't get the dome temp past 400?

Eh! Head

Just finished up my first pizza on my new egg
It turned out great
Plate setter legs down
placed aluminium pizza pan with airholes directly on plate setter
I had no problem getting to 500 degrees
Crust was very crispy and brown on the bottom
Taste like it came out of a wood oven

[Deleted User]

IMHO- not enough draft which could result from ash leftover in the coals from the last cook or putting your platesetter on before your firestarters had completely burned up. I find that the platesetter definitely affects airflow causing it to be slower to heat up, regardless of the additional mass.

Nowadays, I always start with the dome open at least until the firestarters have burned up- sometimes a little longer. (of course the bottom vent is wide open too.) If you're looking for a dome temp over 400 I think this is a good way to get the coals going!

Zippylip

G&C, I agree w/Bob, you likely had a lot of ash blocking air flow which will supress the temperature. Another similar cause, if you were using new lump, is lump dust, it can restrict flow the same way ash can. To avoid either one in the future, be sure your firebox is clean under the grate, and that the airholes are all clear, & stir around used lump before lighting it to knock off all the ash, with new lump, be sure not to pour the bottom of the bag in with all the dust & also stir around if there are little pieces to be sure you have plenty of air going through the grate and the airholes... if you do this you will have no problem screaming up to your target temps

Zippylip

it did come out of a wood oven :laugh:

Eh! Head

Your absolutely right!