Pizzas gone wrong


 
T

Tim Harcoff

New member
I'm hoping someone here can tell me what I did wrong...as I obviously did something wrong.

I BBQ'd some pizzas the other night on my Weber Performer for the first time. We had pre-made/cooked crust from the grocery store. I hadn't researched this much before as it was kind of a last minute thing, but I assumed that I could use my regular pizza stone on the charcoal grill.

I fired up the charcoal, and made an even base of coals on the charcoal grate, getting the temperature to about 425. I put the pizza stone on the hot grill (I think this is a no-no, but I didn't have too much choice, as I needed my cooking grate off to re-arrange the charcoal after lighting)...anyway, I didn't think it would be that big a deal. Anyway, I left the stone on for a couple minutes with the lid closed to get warm, while I brought out pizza #1. Cooking with the lid closed, and temps hovering around 425ish, I checked pizza #1 after about 8 minutes. It looked pretty good, and the bottom was browning up nicely. I left in on for a couple more minutes. When I checked again, the crust was charred. Like BLACK. I figured I had just left it on a little too long...oh well, failed pizza #1.

Then I put on pizza #2, using the same pre-heated stone. I checked after about 3 to 4 minutes, and the crust was REALLY CHARRED. The temp never got over 425 with the 2nd pizza, so I really have no idea what I did wrong. The stone was always on the cooking grill, directly over the hot charcoal.

Should I have tried indirect cooking with the stone? Should I just use indirect cooking with the pizza right on the cooking grill? I know some people here use a metal pizza tray for cooking...I guess I'll try that...also, should I elevate the tray/pizza stone off the grill a little?

Thanks.
 
Tim,

I only have 2 attempts under my belt on pizza, however, I will take a stab at it.

I think your problem is that you had too many coals underneath the stone. When I have done my pizzas I have just put the coals around the ring of the kettle, leaving the middle underneath the stone empty of coals. I leave the stone on there for 15 minutes to preaheat. This way the convection of the grill heats the toppings while the stone cooks the crust.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JSMcdowell:
Tim,

I only have 2 attempts under my belt on pizza, however, I will take a stab at it.

I think your problem is that you had too many coals underneath the stone. When I have done my pizzas I have just put the coals around the ring of the kettle, leaving the middle underneath the stone empty of coals. I leave the stone on there for 15 minutes to preaheat. This way the convection of the grill heats the toppings while the stone cooks the crust. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I think next time I'll make the coal-ring around the outside, and not have them directly underneath the stone.
 
I only have one pizza cook under my belt but I put the uncooked crust without toppings directly on the grate with direct heat. Let it brown for 3-4 minutes popping air bubbles. Took it inside and put the toppings on the side that was facing the coals. Put back on the grill for another 3-4 minutes. Was absolute perfection.
 
I made my pizza on parchment paper and arranged my fire bricks to support the pizza. I had a half chimney of k blue and a few hand fulls of half used k blue, MY first pizza took for ever about 20min and the 2nd and 3rd done togather only took about 12min. I used boxed jiffy mix and they came out great.
 
Fortunately I've had some pretty darn good success making pizza, but on my WSM.

I use a BGE extension to raise the pizza higher so it can be at it's hottest point. I use a cordierite stone for my pizzas and they work excellent, better than my primo pizza stone that was $45. Go to your local pottery supply store and ask for Kiln shelves, the salesperson was aware of them being used for pizza making and it is no secret to them.

Just make sure you sprinkle some corn meal on the stone before placing your dough on it or else it will stick and burn.

I didn't see circular stones so I just used my belt sander to shape it into a circle. It didn't look like the stone can take cutting off of a band saw or something similar.
 
I have made dozens of pizzas on my performer and make sure you do not have to much coals under the stone... I make an upside down U and then add a few chunks of wood right before I put the pie on. I also use the kettle pizza deal, so I do not have to take the top off. I use a peel, with a little corn meal and it slides right off onto the stone. I bought a heavy duty stone as well..works great!.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by M Beutler:
I only have one pizza cook under my belt but I put the uncooked crust without toppings directly on the grate with direct heat. Let it brown for 3-4 minutes popping air bubbles. Took it inside and put the toppings on the side that was facing the coals. Put back on the grill for another 3-4 minutes. Was absolute perfection. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>THat's how I do it; have for years. I bring the toppings outside, so it's cook one side, flip, top, cook, done. Only takes 7-9 minutes, tops.

Yes. Too many coals under the stone. The temp you read above the stone is not the temp under it.
 
Tim,

When I make pizza on my 18.5, I typically use about a 1/2 chimney of lit spread out around the outside of the bowl with whatever unlit was in the kettle on the outside as well. Then 3 firebricks on top of the grate with the stone on top of that. On my early attempts, I found that the stone was getting over 600 degrees and the crust was black before the cheese melted. This set-up gets the top of the pie closer to the heat reflecting off the lid and will cook the top as quickly as the bottom.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by M Beutler:
I only have one pizza cook under my belt but I put the uncooked crust without toppings directly on the grate with direct heat. Let it brown for 3-4 minutes popping air bubbles. Took it inside and put the toppings on the side that was facing the coals. Put back on the grill for another 3-4 minutes. Was absolute perfection. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>THat's how I do it; have for years. I bring the toppings outside, so it's cook one side, flip, top, cook, done. Only takes 7-9 minutes, tops.

Yes. Too many coals under the stone. The temp you read above the stone is not the temp under it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Would one of you mind sharing your technique along with a couple pictures? I would like to see the finished results. I have been using a raised stone indirect lately. I really don't think the issue is with there being too many coals used. I think the pie needs to be turned once or twice and watched closely. When I smell the crust I check it and give it a quarter or or half spin. I have seen a few guys here make a fresh crust pizza in under three minutes. I don't think you can have too much heat, but it takes practice.
 
I use a stone on my gas Genesis. I preheat the grill to 500 degrees with the stone on the rack. Before I put the pizza on, I turn it down to medium and use a heavy dusting of cornmeal on the stone prior to placing the dough on it. I cook the dough (freshly made)for about 2-3 minutes and then pull it off and put the sauce and toppings on it. I brush the stone clean, throw on some more cornmeal and then put the pizza back on there for about 8-10 min.
For store bought pre-cooked dough-(Boboli or similar) I would be more inclined to not use the stone and just cook it on hot well oiled grate over a medium indirect fire.
Good luck!
 
All great advice from the pros. However,In your opening statement Tim you said you used a "pre baked crust". All of these wonderful suggestions are for dough. I feel your disappointment. I put an unbaked crust on my small gas grill and had the same results BLACK, before I can ever put the toppings on.
Go to your local pizza shop or the grocery store they will have pizza dough, it will turn out differently next time. Also check out Don Cash's post on how he did pizza.
L
 
Or you can just make it in no time.

Unlike many, I'm not one for measuring dough ingredients down to the gram and worrying about hydration. It's pizza dough. No fuss, no muss.
 
Kevin, same here. Measure or weigh out all ingredients in my dough. If you want consistency it's the only way
 
Perhaps. But I am not into all that. Too fussy for me. After a few at most it is easy to feel if the dough is right or not.
 
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