Propane-fired high heat Performer


 
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Dave Alvarado

TVWBB Super Fan
I'm kicking around an idea and I'm wondering if anybody has any input.

I've got a Performer with the propane assist and a WSM. I'm considering buying a 26" OTG for more grill space, and that's giving me thoughts about what to do with the Performer.

I've always wanted a pizza oven, and I've also always wanted something that puts out really high heat for wok cooking and searing. I'm thinking I can kill several birds with one stone.

My thought is to get a high BTU dual-ring or wok propane burner and permanently install it in the Performer, probably sitting on the charcoal grate. Then I'd get the kettle pizza add-on and a gourmet BBQ system cooking grate with the hole in the middle and the searing insert.

That would give me the ability to do wok cooking with the searing grate removed, meat searing with the searing grate on, and the ability to make pizza, naan, etc. with the pizza kettle attachment.

A large propane tank would easily fit under the Performer cart with the charcoal bin removed, so the whole thing can stay self-contained.

What do you guys think? Am I missing some obvious reason not to do this?
 
This thought has also been kicking around the back of my head. I think it could be done, but I'm not sure how effective it would be. I'd be interested in your results if you attempt this.

Propane burners can be had on ebay or amazon. Just search for "propane stove" But you are going to need to be careful to make sure that you get one that you can center in the 22.5 and still have the gas line safely outside the kettle. Don't try to include the gas line inside the kettle or you may have a big big fire.

Another idea is to tear apart a Q100 or a Weber Gas GoAnywhere to use that burner. I think that might be easiest.

Many people don't quite understand pizza stones. Yes, pizza stones can handle like 2000* of heat. But many people still break their stones. Why? Because even though they can handle high heat, they cannot change temperatures very quickly. If you apply flames directly to a stone, you are going to break the stone. You need a buffer under the stone. I suggest cast iron. Cast iron can take more direct heat than a pizza stone. Then put the pizza stone on the cast iron and you should be able to slowly raise the temp on the stone up to pizza making range.

Weber used to (maybe still does?) sell a kettle to propane conversion kit on Australia where propane is plentiful and charcoal is not. I looked into importing once, but it was too costly.

The best pizza oven idea I have witnessed was a guy who mounted an 18.5 kettle into a 22.5 kettle and then filled the space between with oven insulation. He then had a 18.5 pizza oven with 2" insulated walls, and could cook a pizza in a minute or two at 1000*F.
 
That's a good point about the stone. Instead of stone, I might go with a concept like a pizza steel, but round. That would also give me a hibachi with the top off. :)

I'm definitely not wanting to run the fuel line into the kettle. I may go with a custom burner, I've seen how they're supposed to work with cast iron parts sticking into the heated area and the line and valve outside the heated area.

I like the idea of nested kettles too, seems like that would be safer for anything outside the blast furnace, I mean cooking area. Kettles aren't made of the thickest metal.
 
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There may be a video on that too. I know I have seen something on that little black egg before. Looks like a great little setup.
FYI (Robert McGee, Dale 53) has posted a lot about his set up for pizza and it makes a lot of sense about getting up into the kettle to get the heat from the lid cooking the top and the heat from beneath cooking the bottom. He used fire brick on their edge set on the cooking grate and the stone on top. We have made pizza once using his method and it worked well.

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?35951-Grilling-pizza-using-MamaMary-s-Pizza-Rounds

Lodge also makes a beautiful looking pizza pan. Up here about $85.00. It would serve many purposes too.
 
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