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Yuck! First pizza tastes like charcoal

Texifornian
Texifornian Posts: 23
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Not sure what we did wrong. I filled the egg with lump to the top of the firebox and lit it in two places. Had the pizza stone on top of the platesetter (legs down) and kept it between 500 and 600 degrees. The crust and toppings were cooked just right but everything had a charcoal or chemical-type flavor to it. We just used the regular BGE lump and the wax fire starters. The first one I think we had too much corn meal on the pizza stone, but for the second pizza we brushed it off. Anybody have this same experience?
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Comments

  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Did you allow the fire to burn off the charcoal flavor and settle down to temp or did it just run to temp and still smoke?
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  • Texifornian
    Texifornian Posts: 23
    Well, as soon as it got up to temp (around 500 degrees) I put the pizza in. Lots of white smoke coming out. Funny thing is, we put in another pizza after the first was done, and that tasted pretty lousy too.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Sounds like you just didn't let it burn long enough to get rid of the acrid lump smell. Next time, hold your hand over the top vent for a sec and smell your hand. If it smells bad, so will your food.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Texifornian

    Too bad. Lose the wax starters IMHO

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • EGGARY
    EGGARY Posts: 1,222
    From what I know, you need to wait until the white smoke is gone. Even when the EGG gets to temp, wait until it does then you are ready to go.

    Good luck.
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  • RU Eggsperienced
    RU Eggsperienced Posts: 1,527
    It has happened to me too when I first started cooking pizzas. Now, I found that when I stabilize the temp and leave it there for 20-30 min it will be perfect. I also make sure the platesetter and my pizza stone are there for the full period so they are up to temp too. Usually I use a lightly damp paper towel and quickly wipe off the pizza stone to get off any of the smoky residue...

    The smell test is also quite good, also when the darker smoke disappears it is generally ready...

    Sure hope you don't get too discouraged.. To me pizzas are one of the best cooks on the egg & the family is always excited when I cook them.

    Pizza%20Night-3.jpg
    Cheers.....Jerry


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  • field hand
    field hand Posts: 420
    Thanks for the tips. We haven't done a pizza yet, but it's in the near future.

    Barry
    Marthasville, MO
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    lots of white smoke is the key.

    one of the firestarters probably still burning.

    when the smoke smells clean, you are good to go
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  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
    Your pizza stone has to preheat for 45 min to 1 hr to do pizza correctly. You put the pizza on when temp was reached and this was the issue. Preheat stone when the egg is lit next time and all will be good.
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  • Texifornian
    Texifornian Posts: 23
    My thanks to everyone for the feedback. I'll put those strategies to use for next time.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    This has nothing to do with your problem (which I think has been answered) but make sure you put spacers between your stone and platesetter. these can be anything from (3) balls of aluminum foil to (3) green egg feet.

    the space allows the stone to heat evenly so you don't wind up with any hotspots.
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