Pizza-Que

[EricD]

I don't know if anyone has posted this yet....But there is an Amazon Prime deal for the Pizza-Que.   Only $55!

[Travis]

Yeah, there's a post in the online section already, but good heads up, bud!


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[swamprb]

Can I see a show of hands from the PizzaQue users??

How do you like it?

Pro's - Con's - Mods needed??

[EricD]

Okay, My first attempt on the PizzaQue was...okay.  I split a ball of dough in two= two small pizzas
I was all set to make a Hawaiian pizza, but my fresh pineapple was....let's just say over fresh.. and trash bound.   DAMN!   Okay, pepperoni pizzas it is.

Lit a full chimney of RO briqs, spread it around the cheap mesh charcoal ring that came with the kit.  then dumped a little over half full of unlit briqs on that (as per instructions).   Waited till that acrid gray nasty smoke stopped and put the stone in.  It actually got hot fast.  I could feel the heat coming off the kettle from 5-6 feet away.

First pizza, tossed dough and placed on the wood peel dusted with cornmeal.   Went to put the pie in the oven and half of it stuck to the peel and I ended up with half a pie on the stone, the other half falling off into the inferno in there!   A whole litany of curse words, a second degree burn, and I got 'most' of the pie back on the stone.  Came out looking more like a calzone but tasted like....chit.

Second pie.  same process as first.  slightly more cornmeal on peel.  slid into oven no problem!!   Cooked for 4-5 min (? i didn't time it, went by looks) turned it and cooked another 2-3 minutes.  Came out almost perfect.

Need some minor tweaks, like practice using the peels.  Ya think it'd be easy enough, slide it under the pizza, pull it out, slide it onto a plate.   NOPE!  Raw, it kept sticking and wasn't smooth getting it in the oven.  More cornmeal?  Flour?  Any ideas?
cooked, the pie would slide to the back of the oven until something stopped it, then the peel would slide under.  Maybe if the opening was bigger and you could get a better angle that would help.  Otherwise I'm at a loss.

Trying again tonight.   Will try to photo document this one.   So far, even with the issues....I Love it!!!   A fraction of the price of delivery.  Not cardboardy like frozen, about the same time as phone call to door,  assuming you remember to let dough rise.
If you like pizza, and enjoy cooking, I would highly recommend the PizzaQue as a new toy!

[EricD]

I forgot the charcoal....   
when your done cooking, the coals have to burn themselves out.  There is no way to close the vents and let it die out.  With so much charcoal in there, it would take forever.   My big gasser is right beside the kettle so I just opened it iup and threw the PizzaQue attachment on the grill, and closed down the kettle normal.   Saved a lot of charcoal ( in fact, I made some chicken breasts the next night with just the leftover briqs)

If your planning on doing one or 2 pies, one chimney may be enough.   If making more, then I'd follow the instructions again.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

@EricD -  I use a combination of flour and cornmeal on my peel.  Not as much flour as cornmeal.  The more sauce and toppings you put on your pizza the more likely it is to stick.  Also, when you are spreading your dough, make sure you are doing it on flour....that will help your dough not be a sticky on the bottom.  Before you take your pizza out to the grill, while it is still on the peel and sitting on the counter, give it a quick back and forth to make sure it is loose.  Another little trick is to lift the edge of the dough closest to you and give it a quick blow to lift the pizza off of the peel to make sure its loose.  Also, when trying to get the pizza off of the peel use short but quick forward and backward motions.  If the pizza is stuck a big yank will result in disaster.

As far as removing the pizza, are you using a wood peel or a metal peel?  Metal peels are much thinner and make it easier to quickly slide under a pizza without pushing the pizza back.  I only had peels for the first handful of pizza cooks I did, then got a set of spinners.  You can use the spinners to hold the back edge of the pizza when sliding the peel under it to prevent it from sliding back.

[EricD]

Thanks Mike!   I use the wood peel to make the pizza on, and take it off with a metal one.   Never thought about the heavier toppings causing problems!  Good point.
I'm gonna have to check out these spinners.   And I thought I was fancy have two different peels!  lol

[MikeRocksTheRed]

Thanks Mike!   I use the wood peel to make the pizza on, and take it off with a metal one.   Never thought about the heavier toppings causing problems!  Good point.
I'm gonna have to check out these spinners.   And I thought I was fancy have two different peels!  lol

Just wait until you get things dialed in and the bug really hits you.  I have three wooden peels, a metal peel, spinners, and a bundle of 50 pizza boxes so I can send friends home with leftovers!  Multiple wood peels is great if you are going to be doing more than one pizza.  You can get them all made up so you can put them on one after another without having to stop to spread, sauce and top.

I generally like a over-topped pizza....used to add almost a bag of cheese to store bought frozen pizzas, but I have learned that I like the pizzas I've been making with less toppings than I would usually use.  If you have a pizza with thick crust, of course lots of toppings and cheese is needed, but with the thinner pizzas I'm making they really don't need it, especially with sauce.  Plus, a nice thin crust with just the right amount of toppings allows you to have a few pieces from a few differently topped pizzas since you don't fill up as fast.  I always do a minimum of three pizzas when I make them.  A red for me, white for my gf, then usually another red...all with different toppings.

As far as making your pizza....are you working and spreading your dough ball on the peel?  If so, I would do that part somewhere else, then fold your pizza over a few times and move it to the peel then unfold and make your pizza.

[Jason]

Another thing to consider, is the amount of time the uncooked pizza sits on the wooden peel, before going in the oven. The longer it sits, the more likely it will stick to the peel (at least with the dough I make and use). I've used corn meal under the dough and it works really well, I just don't care for the subtle taste it can add. I have switched to Semolina flour now (under the pizza dough, not in it) and am much happier with the results. Pies still slide right off of the peel, with no added flavor. I 100% agree with Mike about not overloading a thin crust with too much weight, because it will most likely end up a big mess! 

[swamprb]

usually if the dough is sticking, the stone isn't hot enough

[smokster]

As I am still a beginner -
I use parchment paper.
This will not work on a screaming hot stone, but is fine up to ~600(maybe a little more).

I toss/stretch my dough on to a lightly floured sheet of parchment, then set it aside and repeat until all the dough is stretched.
I trim the parchment to maybe 1/2 inch from the dough.
Then add toppings and cover with plastic wrap (like Papa Murphy's).
Light the coal and wait for the stone to heat up.
Wooden peel to launch pizza still on parchment.
Metal peel to dome (if required) and remove.
The edges of the parchment may blacken or even flame but it is has no effect on the pie.


Cheers

[EricD]

Thank you all for your tips! 
Friday was my second attempt.   Just made one pie,  a 1/2 pepperoni 1/2 plain.  I've actually gotten pretty good at tossing the dough in the air and stretching it like that.   I took @MikeRocksTheRed advise and tried cornmeal and flour on the peel.   It worked great!  Pie slid right off onto the stone.  This time, i tried using just one full chimney of RO briqs.  It worked, but didn't really get up to temp.   Pie's took a bit to cook, but came out okay.   For future cooks, I will follow the recommendation and use 2 chimneys worth.
I've almost got this pizza making thing down.  The only hitch this time.....somehow, I overshot the stone and a bit of it was hanging off.  Worst of it is, I try not to eat carbs during the week.  So no practice again until Friday.
@Jason, the amount of time it sits is a good point.  I wonder if the temp of the peel itself would make a difference.   Put the peel in the fridge, spread your dough, then put it on the cool peel and top.
@smokster, Parchment paper is good to.  I used that before I got the pizzaque, and was cooking on the gasser.  The edge burnt one time and ended up in my pie.  Tastes like crap!  I haven't used it since. lol