Weber Kettle Club Forums
Cooking & Food Talk => Pizza Forum => Topic started by: 3sSecurity on January 07, 2016, 01:29:25 PM
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Just getting setup for some pizza using the kettle pizza attachment on my 26 and some insight from the pizza bible book.
On the menu tonight is a cheese pie, a pepperoni pie and an arugula and prosciutto pie.
I'm about to light the coals so I'll post up some pictures soon.
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Looking forward to seeing the pics @3sSecurity! I did two pies last night using Bobby Flays dough recipe. It's a 1 hour rise dough. Came out pretty good for my first attempt at making dough. Had a good crunch with a little chew. I need to learn how to throw pizzas better to get them thinner. Will eventually move to a 24-72 hour refrigerated rise dough, but last night the Regan mentioned pizza at e last minute so this did the trick.
White pizza: EVOO, minced garlic, shredded mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni on half, then topped with baby spinach and arugula after cooking.
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/07/c9eea199d09d2f27595162ac27f3e933.jpg)
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/07/778f108c715e10aeb3b0973daa559474.jpg)
Red pizza: Ragu pizza sauce (another thing for me to perfect making from scratch), shredded mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, and pepperoni. I went with a little too much fresh mozzarella on this one!
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/07/c172a4b284f99a81d768dbcf32d260a5.jpg)
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/07/460f4576b57e30636d4c989c734680c5.jpg)
It's still a learning process and I've been pleased with ever attempt so far, but even more excited to learn more and be able to put out a pizza that is perfect in my mind!
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Those look great. Coals are started. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160107/597cf40018490484b8ed984d21de8d6f.jpg)
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Alright, so I meat to post sine pictures along the way but in the heat of battle (or lack of heat during the battle) I got a little off track. But I did learn a few things. Most importantly, I really only held 700+ degrees for about 2 pizzas. And I also just threw a few chunks of wood right on top of the grate after that to bring the yelps back up. I think that's only okay if you have one or two more pizzas, other wise you should take the pizza kettle adapter off and add more coal/wood below.
The cheese pizza was a little undercooked, but other than that these were the best pizzas I've ever cooked at home. Though my wife really knows how to mess with me... she took one bite and said "mmmm, just like papa johns".
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160108/eeba34eb66acb065cf7d9ab72a3b1876.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160108/f9f69b730c8ae9558f30986f84158681.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160108/7a76a14490e55821ee012c41ecaeb7eb.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160108/bb82750112068577f09ea1a5003f5545.jpg)
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Homemade is better than those chains, no doubt. Love mine!
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love the quote from your wife!
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@3sSecurity - Looks really good! I have found getting the fire dialed in to be one of the trickier parts of using the kettle pizza. The first cook I had plenty of heat but too many coals under my stone and the crust was a little too burned, the second time was almost perferct, and my last cook was fine, but not quite as hot as I would have liked it. It is a pain to add coals once everything is setup. I might mod one of my grates and cut out some of the rack so I can just dump coals in the back of the grill with my aluminum peel.
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@MikeRocksTheRed - sorry for the delay, busy day at work today. Anyway, I'm having the same issue with heat control. It's not an issue when your just cooking one pizza, but I'd like to be able to cook 4-5 or more on a pizza night with some friends. I was thinking the same as you, a modified grate so you don't have to pull the whole unit apart to add fuel.
The other option I'm considering is getting the vast iron grates from cast-iron-grates.com, and just leaving one of the quarters in the back when I do pizza.
BTW, I've been using my slow n sear to keep the coals/wood at the back of the unit. I don't have a stone yet, but this might work well for you if you have the slow n sear and want to keep the coals from falling under the stone.
(And apparently I don't know how to tag people using tapatalk, maybe someone can clue me in)
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I struggle with pizza too. I have never tried on a kettle yet. I have a wood pizza oven and just cant get it right. 50/50 if I make 10 only half are good, the heat has a lot to do with it and also the beers..lol. I have been looking at the pizza kettle but never bought because of my oven. they make it look so easy at the restaurants. ARUGULA &PROSCIUTTO is my fav. Never had to I wen to Canada now I am hooked.
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@MikeRocksTheRed - sorry for the delay, busy day at work today. Anyway, I'm having the same issue with heat control. It's not an issue when your just cooking one pizza, but I'd like to be able to cook 4-5 or more on a pizza night with some friends. I was thinking the same as you, a modified grate so you don't have to pull the whole unit apart to add fuel.
The other option I'm considering is getting the vast iron grates from cast-iron-grates.com, and just leaving one of the quarters in the back when I do pizza.
BTW, I've been using my slow n sear to keep the coals/wood at the back of the unit. I don't have a stone yet, but this might work well for you if you have the slow n sear and want to keep the coals from falling under the stone.
(And apparently I don't know how to tag people using tapatalk, maybe someone can clue me in)
Not sure about tagging on tapatalk either. I have found that when I get the grill up to 650-700 pizzas take about 4 minutes....so if you are quick at getting them off and the next one on, two pizzas should be doable without losing heat. I'll try to take a picture of the setup I used on the last cook. Used my extra grate that has bolts for legs and is adjustable in height. Used it to raise my stone on the last cook about 2 inches which put the top of the stone level with the opening of the KettlePizza. It made it really easy to get the pizzas on and off with my peels.
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I struggle with pizza too. I have never tried on a kettle yet. I have a wood pizza oven and just cant get it right. 50/50 if I make 10 only half are good, the heat has a lot to do with it and also the beers..lol. I have been looking at the pizza kettle but never bought because of my oven. they make it look so easy at the restaurants. ARUGULA &PROSCIUTTO is my fav. Never had to I wen to Canada now I am hooked.
LOL. Maybe that is why I naturally wait to crack my first beer until I have a pizza on the grill! Never thought about it before but I guess my mind knows full concentration is needed as I am figuring this whole pizza thing out!
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Well that was part of my problem. I only had one pizza tray, and no peels. I think if I had the stone and two peels, I could get one on while I stage the second on the other peel so I can put it on right after I take the first off.
I was also getting about 4 minute cook time at 650-700. The problem was I had to take the pizza inside after cooking the get the next one stretched and put on the pan, then back outside and on the grill. Still working on getting some table space out by the grills to reduce the back and forth.
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@3sSecurity - I'd suggest getting a wood and an aluminum peel. The wood is good for putting your pizza in the grill, the aluminum is good for taking the pizza out, rotating the pizza and doming (lifting the pizza higher in the dome so the top cooks faster if the top is cooking slower than the buttom of the crust) the pizza if needed. Also allows you to dump a pizza in then get the next pizza ready to go on the wood peel while that one is cooking. I think my girlfriend got fairly big peels. She said she just made sure the peels weren't too big to fit in the KP opening by going to the KP site and either using dimensions of the peels they offer or checking the specs on the KP opening size. I'll see if she knows what brands and sizes of the peels. Not sure if she ordered online or at a store.
Is it just an illusion or has your pan that came with your KP warped already?
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Good call. I'm looking at aluminum peels right now. For the wood peel, I think I'm going to make one (wood working is my other hobby). In fact I'll probably make a few of them if anyone is interested.
The pan only warps like that at high temps, it came flat once it cooled. Once I get a stone I can use it as a Frisbee.
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I have a wood pizza oven and just cant get it right.
@stellato1976 Can you post pics or start a new thread with your WFO.
We love anything that cooks with fire.
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I have a wood pizza oven and just cant get it right.
@stellato1976 Can you post pics or start a new thread with your WFO.
We love anything that cooks with fire.
Come spring no problem.. She is all covered up for the winter..lol
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@3sSecurity , your pies look great!
I have never used the KettlePizza adaptor on an 18 or 26er, but ...
I think it is best suited for a 22" kettle. This is just my personal opinion, so maybe I'm wrong …
I use these screens and place the pizza on them. Makes rotating the pie super-easy.
(http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n615/MacEggs/IMG_2069.jpg) (http://s1142.photobucket.com/user/MacEggs/media/IMG_2069.jpg.html)
(http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n615/MacEggs/IMG_2271.jpg) (http://s1142.photobucket.com/user/MacEggs/media/IMG_2271.jpg.html)
(http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n615/MacEggs/IMG_2277.jpg) (http://s1142.photobucket.com/user/MacEggs/media/IMG_2277.jpg.html)
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Interesting...I bought these to turn my pizza. (http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01/09/a0c1351692440ba00d960d7473f1f910.jpg)
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I think those pizza spinners are the way to go. I've been able to spin the pizza on the pan with my tongs pretty easily, but I don't think that's going to work well if the pizza is on a stone.
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I think those pizza spinners are the way to go. I've been able to spin the pizza on the pan with my tongs pretty easily, but I don't think that's going to work well if the pizza is on a stone.
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I've never had issues with the pizza sticking on a stone... Its like chicken on a grill. Sure maybe when you first throw it on it grabs a little, but as soon as it starts to crisp up its probably easier sliding then on those expanded metal pans you show... Especially if you have some corn meal or seminole under it. Though I have always used a metal peel, including when putting the pizza in which requires you to be a little heavy on the under coat.
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Definitely have to load up cornmeal on the peel to get it in initially. You are correct though, once it crisps up it isn't too bad to pull out with the peel and rotate. I just want to be able to reach in and spin, done.
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Definitely have to load up cornmeal on the peel to get it in initially. You are correct though, once it crisps up it isn't too bad to pull out with the peel and rotate. I just want to be able to reach in and spin, done.
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Was more commenting on the difficulty of spinning pan vs pizza straight on the stone.
Haven't gotten hands on one in person but it looks a little like it could be harder to rotate a pizza in most kettle attachments due to width of opening.
Man I need to get a job so I can get a smoke and sear and a kettle pizza :P
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I don't think I'll get a smoke and sear. I think I am accessoried out until I get a griddle.
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The slow n sear is actually really good with the kettle pizza, it keeps all the fuel at the back (this is more helpful when refueling since your rushing to take the whole grill apart add some wood and put it back together).
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I've never cooked enough pizzas to need to add fuel. One chimney hot, covered by one chimney of unlit, and the grill get to 725-750. I've done 3 pizzas, and it kept raging over 700 for another 35 minutes (or 2 more pizzas). Five 12-14" pizzas is a lot of pizza.
Definitely my next accessory will be the MoJoe griddle, or one that I build myself out of stainless along the lines of the MoJoe.
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Those pizza spinners look cool! It's easy for me to just pull a pizza out with my aluminum peel then spin it by hand, but the spinners would let you leave it in the entire time. You are right about needing a fully lit chimney then another fully unlit chimney. A neighbor just gave me some mesquite logs so I might give those a try on top of a fully lit chimney when I make some pies today. Hopefully it will be a good combo to slow down my charcoal consumption.
As far as the comment about the KP working better on a 22 vs a 26er, after doing a few pizza cooks on my 22, I think the 26er might be better. With the 22 you have lots of flames in the back of the grill and it's easy to scorch that side of the pizza. I think the 26er would give more room so that either the back of the pizza doesn't burn as easily and or the front of the pizza is further into the grill and gets more heat. I'd be interested to see how the coal consumption changes when going from a 22 to a 26er though.
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I really want to try a chimney of blue, and then a chimney of unlit lump...see if I can get the temps over 800. I don't know why, but more heat sounds more cool. Lol
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Anyone have any thoughts on running the gas ignition in a performer while cooking (using the kettle pizza)? I'm thinking it would provide a heat boost and put some heat under the stone instead of having to put some coals there. Just not sure if it is safe. If I can see that it's lit, then it should be fine, but if I can't tell, do I risk the flame going out then having the gas ignite again all of the sudden? I'd think since there is so much flame in the kettle that shouldn't happen.
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I really want to try a chimney of blue, and then a chimney of unlit lump...see if I can get the temps over 800. I don't know why, but more heat sounds more cool. Lol
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Or maybe Kingsford Competition in the first chimney then KBB for the unlit chimney? Competition is just too smokey when lighting to use in the unlit batch in my opinion.
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Maybe so...I haven't seen the Competition at any local stores, so I'll try my lump first.
If you do the Competition, keep us posted.
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How do you guys spread your dough out? Spread by hand or toss? I do a hand spread then a hold and hang whil rotating kind of deal. It doesn't make for very even thickness. The last pepperoni pizza pic I posted in this thread looks round because I trimmed it with a pizza cutter after I laid it out.
I just googled how to toss pizza and came across this video. http://youtu.be/VIJlRXMfW50 (http://youtu.be/VIJlRXMfW50) As I was watching I was saying to myself, ok, I can do that, I can do that, I can do that too, then he explains how to toss it and becomes a Harlem Globetrotter. Kind of cracks me up how it went from being very informative to me thinking I'll just keep trying to spread my dough on a flat surface. Let me know how do yours and if you had the same thought on the video as I did.
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I spread mine with a roller on a lightly flour-coated countertop. I don't worry about round, just the size.
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...and I sincerely feel that guy is a wizard.
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How do you guys spread your dough out? Spread by hand or toss? I do a hand spread then a hold and hang whil rotating kind of deal. It doesn't make for very even thickness. The last pepperoni pizza pic I posted in this thread looks round because I trimmed it with a pizza cutter after I laid it out.
I just googled how to toss pizza and came across this video. http://youtu.be/VIJlRXMfW50 (http://youtu.be/VIJlRXMfW50) As I was watching I was saying to myself, ok, I can do that, I can do that, I can do that too, then he explains how to toss it and becomes a Harlem Globetrotter. Kind of cracks me up how it went from being very informative to me thinking I'll just keep trying to spread my dough on a flat surface. Let me know how do yours and if you had the same thought on the video as I did.
Tossing dough is pretty easy. Doing it fast... is hard. You can try with a damp wet washcloth (square one).
I do like that guy does... But he seems kinda hard on the dough when he jams his fingers into it. Most things I have read/seen suggest not using your finger tips like that, more kinda your like your first knuckle from the tip/the area between first and second knuckle and not pressing too hard so that you don't squeeze the air out, rather push the dough and air gently out towards the edge to form a rim.
You put the dough over the back of your floured hands, making fists with one fist in front of the other not side by side (as in on fist is further from your chest...)
You then kinda widen your fists, while using them to rotate the pizza moving them from one in front of the other to side by side while tossing the dough up.
Man... I think I did a bad job explaining, kinda hard, lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWL__9yDu8I
Notice how he uses his fingers in the first 20 seconds. I wouldn't be that frantic with it to start with.
Using a rolling pin I dissagree with... Kinda seems like after all the fermentation, gluten development, building up of gasses with in the gluten matrix... Just to smash it out with a rolling pin.
I don't do the throw back and forth from this (~35 second mark) video either.
He also holds his hands differently... But you can see how while he recommends starting with hands side by side, when he goes to toss he dips down and puts one in front of the other like i recommend.
The important part is how he spins his hands around each other while moving upwards.
Tossing dough is kinda a party trick though IMO.
I tend to just rest it over my knuckles like I was going to toss it, but stretch it out gently by gravity and gently pulling my fists apart, repositioning hands after each stretch to rotate the dough and stretch it evenly.
I also like this method, while I have not practice it much.... It helps stretch the dough by its own weight with out squishing it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L06JtWLd5c
Though this guy slaps it more then I think is needed in the beginning, you get the point that your left hand gently stretches the dough and then tosses it over the back of your right hand as you lift it up, then you flip your hand back down slightly rotating the dough and stretching the dough as its flung back onto the table.
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I used to work at Little Caesar's and tossed the pizza dough, but it was against company policy. I guess I was definitely a rebel back then. Lol
Maybe I'll try tossing the dough again with my own. I can see what you're saying about the rolling pin, but so far the results have been good. I'll try it this way, and see if the results turn out great.
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I tend to just rest it over my knuckles like I was going to toss it, but stretch it out gently by gravity and gently pulling my fists apart, repositioning hands after each stretch to rotate the dough and stretch it evenly.
^^^ ...this is how I do it.
Tossing dough is kinda a party trick though IMO.
I always do this at least once, friends and family love it!
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I can toss really well. Its just that second toss... lol. I gotta like catch, reposition, reset... then toss again. Looses a bit of the effect. Oh well.
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So this happened last night. Apparently I got the lid hot enough to melt the handle on my lid vent. Didn't get any pics of my pies. Had a friend over who is an executive chef at an Italian restaurant that does wood fired pizzas. He gave me a few pointers, but nothing ground breaking.
I haven't tried hitting the melted plastic on the lid with steel wool yet. Not sure if it will come off or if it actually messed up the lid. I did have the thermometer on the KP pegged out. Used a lot of KBB as well as a few mesquite logs, so it was really really hot. I also put a little too much coal under my stone. The first pizza burned to a crisp on the bottom. Starting to think 500 is a better cooking temp than the 600+ range.
My handle was gray prior to my cook last night.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/0c72c6e727c0b4f6978931769369daa8.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/bb62afb8b8ddb3d1d88aea338e088bec.jpg)
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Razor blade should take that off in no time 8)
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I cook pizzas at 725 in the Pizza Que all the time, but no coals under the stone...all coals around the back and sides.
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Thats been the thing that has worried me about getting one. All I have is my performer (well and a 14. WSM and JJ), so I worry about heat damage from getting it up to pizza temp... I like a neapolitan pizza cooked hot and fast, so keeping it to lower temps isn't a realistic option.
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Wow, whet did you have the lid vent positioned in relation to the coals?
When I get mine going, if the coals are at 12 o'clock, I usually have the lid vent at 9 o'clock and the thermometer at 3 o'clock.
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Wow, whet did you have the lid vent positioned in relation to the coals?
When I get mine going, if the coals are at 12 o'clock, I usually have the lid vent at 9 o'clock and the thermometer at 3 o'clock.
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Coals were at 12 o'clock and the vent was at 9 o'clock. I did three pies the other night....had a really really hot fire at one point then it died down a bit prior to my 3rd pie. I opened the vent at one point and flames were licking out of it, so that might be what melted it.
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And now my lid handle has a weld that broke loose! Not 100% sure if it was from high heat the other not when doing pizzas, the little bit of rust at the handles, using my vortex, or most likely a combination of everything. The strange thing is that it broke off last night while doing a cook where the lid themo never got about 400. Looks like my SS Performer is now going to be my dedicated high heat grill. I should be able to bolt the handle back on....there is already a hole worn through in the lid, so I don't even have to worry about drilling that out, just the handles. Once bolted on with SS bolts, it should hold solid for quite a while. I think this is why weber has gone to bolt on handles.....so many super high heat after market products out there. It has to be cutting their warranty lid replacements down by a very large percentage.
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Crazy, i'll have to watch the welds on mine over time. Though I haven't be able to get out and cook over the past few days (been away for work). Though I an going to attempt a quick rise dough tomorrow or Saturday to compare to last weeks pizzas. I'll let you guys know how it turns out
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Crazy, i'll have to watch the welds on mine over time. Though I haven't be able to get out and cook over the past few days (been away for work). Though I an going to attempt a quick rise dough tomorrow or Saturday to compare to last weeks pizzas. I'll let you guys know how it turns out
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Bobby Flays 1 hour rise dough has been doing pretty good for me.
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Bobby Flays 1 hour rise dough has been doing pretty good for me.
I agree, completely.
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Checked out that recipe of Bobby Flays and that's pretty much the same recipe I've been using these past many years, too. If you want to try something different, add a pinch of cinnamon to the ingredients before you mix 'em together. And I do mean a pinch! A little cinnamon goes a long way, but it does give it a nice little flavor that folks that try it seem to love.
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All these pies look good to me.
I really enjoy my kettle pizza. So far, my best heat method has been to do a chimney of either regular kingsford, or competition briquets, then add lump to that until it spikes above 600. A few chunks of hardwood right before I want to cook a pie to spike the temps.
I have the PK with the "tombstone" so there's a stone in a frame that has open sides so you can add coals without removing the stone. It's awesome.
I tried using that steel pan once and I just ended up cussing and burning a pizza to it. Now I use that steel pan to heat nachos when I have the pizza oven going and nothing else.
Everything I've read says the dough you should use for the fire ovens is more neopolitan/NY style which is more delicate. I don't toss it, for two reasons. First, it will just tear and I don't know what I'm doing. Second, everything I read says tossing can make the delicate dough tough.
I'm still learning, so take my comments with a grain of salt.
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I can vouch for using the Slow N Sear with a KP. It not only allows for easier refueling but the temps get higher quicker and last longer. Using coconut charcoal and a log I can get 900 dome temps and max the gauge on the KP in about 30 minutes and hold those temps for about an hour. If I do an "assembly line" we can get 8 pies done with a single fire. I never really hung around to confirm if temps held longer than an hour but next time I will.
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@Troy - Can you move this thread to the pizza forum.
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Wow, whet did you have the lid vent positioned in relation to the coals?
When I get mine going, if the coals are at 12 o'clock, I usually have the lid vent at 9 o'clock and the thermometer at 3 o'clock.
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Coals were at 12 o'clock and the vent was at 9 o'clock. I did three pies the other night....had a really really hot fire at one point then it died down a bit prior to my 3rd pie. I opened the vent at one point and flames were licking out of it, so that might be what melted it.
Wow. Best to put the vent on the side opposite the fire. I wouldn't use mesquite, either. Nothing burns hotter or has a stronger smoke flavor.
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Wow, whet did you have the lid vent positioned in relation to the coals?
When I get mine going, if the coals are at 12 o'clock, I usually have the lid vent at 9 o'clock and the thermometer at 3 o'clock.
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Coals were at 12 o'clock and the vent was at 9 o'clock. I did three pies the other night....had a really really hot fire at one point then it died down a bit prior to my 3rd pie. I opened the vent at one point and flames were licking out of it, so that might be what melted it.
Wow. Best to put the vent on the side opposite the fire. I wouldn't use mesquite, either. Nothing burns hotter or has a stronger smoke flavor.
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@kettlecook - I use nothing but mesquite for my wood when I do pizzas. It burns hot and it tastes great once the dough sucks it in. All of the pizza places out here in Pheonix use mesquite. I am agree with you that mequite generally is a very heavy smoke and I never use it for anything besides pizza. Maybe since its burning hot instead of smoldering the smoke isn't as strong when doing pizzas as it would be when smoking slow and low. I don't think I would even bother trying another type of wood for pizza because I like how the crust tastes with mesquite so much!
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Wow, whet did you have the lid vent positioned in relation to the coals?
When I get mine going, if the coals are at 12 o'clock, I usually have the lid vent at 9 o'clock and the thermometer at 3 o'clock.
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Coals were at 12 o'clock and the vent was at 9 o'clock. I did three pies the other night....had a really really hot fire at one point then it died down a bit prior to my 3rd pie. I opened the vent at one point and flames were licking out of it, so that might be what melted it.
Wow. Best to put the vent on the side opposite the fire. I wouldn't use mesquite, either. Nothing burns hotter or has a stronger smoke flavor.
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@kettlecook - I use nothing but mesquite for my wood when I do pizzas. It burns hot and it tastes great once the dough sucks it in. All of the pizza places out here in Pheonix use mesquite. I am agree with you that mequite generally is a very heavy smoke and I never use it for anything besides pizza. Maybe since its burning hot instead of smoldering the smoke isn't as strong when doing pizzas as it would be when smoking slow and low. I don't think I would even bother trying another type of wood for pizza because I like how the crust tastes with mesquite so much!
Sounds good other than the flames leaping out the vent part from your previous post, but I've been there and done that, too. Thankfully I was able to bend the vent handle back and hopefully I won't forget to keep it opposite the fire. I'm too not surprised about your mesquite burning unusually clean in the kettle. I run my offset smoker with the door wide open 3/4 of the time and don't dare use briquettes or inferior lump because I know it won't draft adequately for a clean burn with anything other than very well seasoned oak, hickory, of fruitwood. With the Kettlepizza though, I've been very impressed with how oak and hickory burns on just a chimney of regular old Kingsford. It's really something else, so I'm not surprised with the mesquite when I think about it. I wonder if the places in Phoenix you mention are using the mesquite because of availability and it's low cost of if they just prefer the flavor. Guess it doesn't matter, but anyhow, for true Neapolitan 900*+ your mesquite might just be the best choice. [emoji106]
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