Set up for pizza

Charcoal cookers (such as Weber Kettles)
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TMAN
Posts: 250
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:17 pm

Set up for pizza

Post by TMAN »

Hi guys can someone please go through the set up of the kamado for pizza.
The fuel, and vent set up to get to high temps,
And once the temp is at required temp how to maintain it.
Tried looking at some previous threads but couldn't find anything , if there is please post the link.
Cheers
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Card Shark
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Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:10 pm
Location: Gold Coast, QLD
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Re: Set up for pizza

Post by Card Shark »

Fill the fire box at-least 2/3full with hardwood charcoal. Light low so the fire builds quickly and do this at-least 40 minutes before you plan to Q. I use a thick pizza stone on top of the heat deflector to iron out hot spots in the fire. Turn a couple of times if on the deflector only.

Temp... depends on the doe. The wetter the hotter. The one I use at the moment is a little wet so I shoot for 500F. Start a 550, with lid up and a cold pie brings the stone back down to where you want to be. Do a test pie and adjust as you see fit. Drier doe 450 is a good number to start. 10-12 minutes and it's done.

Closing the bottom vent and upper open full promotes faster air flow mid cook if the top of the pie isn't cooked on top. The more you lift the lid the slower it cooks and potentially dries out. Once it's in I use a fishing torch to look down through the top vent to see when its done.

Lots of posts on pizza here. Have a wonder through the last pizza comp too. CS
Gumb

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by Gumb »

Correct, there are a lot of pizza posts and many different methods.

I cook them at 250c. Stage one is to get the kamado settled at that temp for a while and have the pizza stone in there as it's heating up. I have bottom vent open, top vent completely open until it gets to around 150c, then I'd shut the top vent but leave the wheel fully open. It should still climb in temp but more slowly. If it stalls, open the top vent about half way with the wheel still fully open. Then as it gets to target you should find the top vent is shut but the wheel is close to fully open. You can close the bottom vent to about half but it doesn't make a lot of difference, it's the top which controls things more finely. Once you get it sitting there, it shouldn't change much but play with the wheel and you'll get it sorted.

A thick pizza stone sits on the main grill at the level of the lid opening (no deflector under that). Then I put the extender grill on to the main grill and put the pizza in one of those pizza tray with the holes in it on the extended grill.
Then shut the lid and let it sit there for about 8-10 minutes (depends on the topping etc). I then take it out of the tray and put it on the stone underneath. A short time there, checking that the base doesn't burn and out she comes.

**When putting pizzas in and out and checking them, don't have the lid up longer than necessary, just crack it open, get the tray out, shut the lid, check the pizza, open the lid a bit, put it back in etc. If you have the lid open too long at these temps, it will get away from you very quickly as we explained in the other thread when you wrapped your ribs.
urbangriller
Posts: 9453
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:46 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by urbangriller »

......and every time you shut the lid, check the top vent, it could have slid to full open or full shut! Just make sure it is still where you wand it.

Cheers
Chris
Common Sense is so rare these days it should be a Super Power!
Card Shark
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Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:10 pm
Location: Gold Coast, QLD
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Re: Set up for pizza

Post by Card Shark »

urbangriller wrote:......and every time you shut the lid, check the top vent, it could have slid to full open or full shut! Just make sure it is still where you wand it.

Cheers
Chris
Easy to fix on a BGE, rotate the daisy wheel so the screw is facing you and it wont change.
urbangriller
Posts: 9453
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:46 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by urbangriller »

Card Shark wrote:
urbangriller wrote:......and every time you shut the lid, check the top vent, it could have slid to full open or full shut! Just make sure it is still where you wand it.

Cheers
Chris
Easy to fix on a BGE, rotate the daisy wheel so the screw is facing you and it wont change.
Yes, rotating the top helps, but it can still move on you. Having a nice thick coat of gunge as well will help hold it in place!

Chris
Common Sense is so rare these days it should be a Super Power!
TMAN
Posts: 250
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:17 pm

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by TMAN »

Thanks guys
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tfx
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:36 pm

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by tfx »

Using a Vision Kamado with the two tier rack, I use an old pizza tray on the bottom shelf as a deflector and slowly bring my pizza stone up to the 250 or sometimes 250 plus temp on the top shelf. Easier with the new high temp seals to do that without worrying. I used to see the old ones degrade with each cook.

Once the pizza is underway and 3 quarters cooked I drop the tray out to heat the stone directly and finsh off the bottom of the crust. This is an advantage of the two racks and an old pizza tray as a deflector - I just take it out with tongs and drop it on the conctete. Highly reccomend the two tier rack for this and many other reasons if you are shopping for accesories.

I have also employed the grease proof oven paper method and a good sprinkling of semolina to facilitate transfer of the pizza from the bench, onto a chopping board and then onto the stone. Take it out a couple of minutes into cooking.

Keep your cheese away from the edges and life gets easier also. Watch out for runaway temps. Easier to sneak up to a temp level you want.
Gumb

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by Gumb »

Good advice there too. I have a ss tray which I picked up for about $10 from the local $2 shop and do exactly the same when searing a lump of beef on the bottom rack, then adding the extender rack and the trays a a deflector to finish off the beef as an indirect roast. a very hadn't and cheap accessory.
urbangriller
Posts: 9453
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:46 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by urbangriller »

Gumb wrote: I have a ss tray which I picked up for about $10 from the local $2 shop
How does that work? :shock:

You should have got 5 trays for a tenner!

Chris
Common Sense is so rare these days it should be a Super Power!
tfx
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:36 pm

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by tfx »

Gumb wrote:Good advice there too. I have a ss tray which I picked up for about $10 from the local $2 shop and do exactly the same when searing a lump of beef on the bottom rack, then adding the extender rack and the trays a a deflector to finish off the beef as an indirect roast. a very hadn't and cheap accessory.
Should also add to use it upside down if using it as a deflector and cooking chicken. Upside downd the fat sizzles and runs off to burn below. Rght way up and it can catch and super heat some very flamable grease. It scared the bejezus out of me but would have looked funny from space.
Gumb

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by Gumb »

urbangriller wrote:
Gumb wrote: I have a ss tray which I picked up for about $10 from the local $2 shop
How does that work? :shock:

You should have got 5 trays for a tenner!

Chris
Good quality or did I get ripped? :(
Dougt
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 4:26 pm

Re: Set up for pizza

Post by Dougt »

Gumb wrote:
urbangriller wrote:
Gumb wrote: I have a ss tray which I picked up for about $10 from the local $2 shop
How does that work? :shock:

You should have got 5 trays for a tenner!

Chris
Good quality or did I get ripped? :(
ripped. even coles/woolies do 5 for a blue swimmer
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