YOUR Kettle Pizza Setup

[aguyindallas]

I am "hoping" to try my new to me Kettle Pizza this weekend. The one I bought has the Pro-Grate with the larger Tombstone Pizza Stone. I am looking for the best heat techniques that have worked for you. I have looked a bit online etc and from what I understand, you simply load one load of hot coals into a charcoal basket, place it at the rear and add a few chunks of hardwood to stoke up the heat. This method sounds appealing as it wouldn't require banking a ton of hot coals directly on the side of the kettle, but it seems like it would be awfully hard to get to the right temps with such a small amount of fuel (1 basket worth).

Any tips here?

[mike.stavlund]

I'm no expert, but I've done a half-dozen cooks with my Kettle Pizza.  I really like it.  When I get a bit more experience I'll write up a full post on my tricks and hacks, etc..

That method has worked really well for me-- one full chimney of Kingsford, plus several chunks of hardwood occassionally added during the cook.  KB gets the thing up to almost 500, but you need the hardwood pieces to go north of there.  When the temps come down, I push a couple pieces of oak across the stone and onto the fire. 

The best tip I got came from @zavod44 -- to get some kind of heat sink/diverter up above the pizza stone.  Fortunately, it's easy to add a second grate up top, sitting right on the bolts holding the KP together.  I pile pieces of old pizza stone up there, other folks use fire bricks, plate steel, aluminum foil, etc..  The point is to have something above your pizza to direct that heat down at your pie-- the lid of the grill is just too far away. 

If you're using a nice and/or colored kettle, you would be wise to avoid piling all of those coals against the side of the bowl (as KP recommends).  I take three charcoal baskets and put them into a 'C' shape around the back of the grill (away from the KP opening).  This reduces the direct heat on the porcelain, but even so I'm afraid I've done some damage to my precious redhead.  In a perfect world, I'd have a beater black OT with the KP mounted on it full-time, but I just don't have the room. 

[aguyindallas]

@mike.stavlund

Thanks! I am using a 25.00 Black OTG I got from Craigslist. That said, I still don't wanna kill it. Are you saying you put coals in all three baskets, or just the "rear" one?

I have a Pizza Steel that came with the setup I got, do I've got that part covered.


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[zavod44]

I put them all the way around on there sides like Mike is saying

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[aguyindallas]

@zavod44 You have three lit baskets going at once, correct?



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[zavod44]

Yes

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[aguyindallas]

Cool, thank you.


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[MacEggs]

I like to have the charcoal at the rear, opposite the KP opening.

Instead of tossing an old charcoal grate from a rescue, I did some fabricating. Put up 2 "fences" to help concentrate the heat. Works grate!




I like to light a full Weber chimney of lump. Then add some chunks of wood of your choice.  About 4-5 pieces.
I know … this pic has briquets.  I don't use them anymore for the KP.  Not hot enough.




On the upper part, I have foil and firebrick.






I use these mesh screens that measure about 14" in diameter to put the pizza on.
They work very well.  I am able to turn the pizza with ease.  I usually turn the pie once or twice during a cook.




I use a dedicated KP only kettle.  I do this because my everyday kettle has lots of nice seasoning that I've worked so hard to build up.
The high heat that is produced by the KP is like a self-cleaning oven.  It turns all of the seasoning to char.










This is a great accessory!  We have had lots of fun creating our own pizza. Even had a pizza party last spring.

There is a learning curve, but that's half the fun.  Enjoy!   

[mike.stavlund]

@aguyindallas yes I light a full chimney of Kingsford, then dump it into all three baskets.  But I try to concentrate the heat toward the back of the kettle. 

As Mac mentioned, this will make the back of the kettle considerably hotter, so you will need to turn your pies as they cook.  But the whole thing works really well. 

(Mac also has the fanciest dedicated DP setup I've ever seen-- deluxe! In my perfect world it's a total beater kettle and I just pile the coals right against the porcelain in the back. )

Another hack I've used is to switch my cooking grate orientation from 'north/south' to 'east/west' and cut out a few of the grate wires at the far end.  This allows me to push fresh chunks of hardwood right onto the charcoal.  I did this with an old beater grate, of course, and was surprised to see how clean and shiny it got after several cooks! 

[pbe gummi bear]

Mac, that's the most epic seasoning I've seen.

[Bob BQ]

Wondering if anyone has tried using the Vortex in conjunction with the KP...?

[landgraftj]

I use three baskets, and fire bricks or a cast iron insert above the grates. Works fine. I also have a black OTG just for the kettle pizza insert. Best $40 purchase so I don't ruin any of my colored kettles.

[MacEggs]

so I don't ruin any of my colored kettles.

I love watching the colour-change on my red "M" code KP-only kettle ….    No porcelain pops yet. 

[MrHoss]

Wondering if anyone has tried using the Vortex in conjunction with the KP...?

The base of those vortex things is wide...so wide that even if you pushed it right against the back of the Kettle the opening at the top would end up underneath part of the pizza stone. I am pretty sure this would not be good at all. Probably crack your stone it would.

[Falstaff]

Thanks for the pics, MacEggs. A picture paints a thousand words . . .  Questions: Why is there tin foil in the bottom?  Also, for everyone, how many pizzas can you bake with three baskets and without reloading?  Thanks!