Pequod

9 minutes ago, buzilo said:

Nice I usually make my pizzas closer to 18 or 19 inches.  

Perhaps you need a 42...it comes with a goat

1 hour ago, buzilo said:

That’s great, I am going to get two stones, I like to cook two pizzas at the same time 

Two 14” pizzas. One stone.

3 hours ago, Forrest said:

I'm more concerned with the fact that the pot goes right on top of the fire acting as a barrier for the heat to get around, kind of the same reason why no one recommends using the factory included KK heat deflectors down at the firebox.

The smoke pot is only used at temps from 225-275, so you’d typically be indirect regardless. At other temps your choices are the traditional wood chunks on charcoal or the cold smoker which can be used at any temp. 

6 minutes ago, Forrest said:

So the current proper method as I understand is three 1/8" holes in the center of the bottom (facing the charcoal). Is that right? Also I am curious what you smoke-potters think of the MSR pot with the holes in the locking lid and then inverting it upside down towards the charcoal? Do you think the stainless steel would work well or is cast iron required? Also is the volume of the smoke pot an important component to making it work well? I am wanting to get a small pot for my 21" with its smaller charcoal basket size I don't want the pot to take up too much space in the charcoal basket.

Yes on 3 holes. I've not seen anyone use an MSR pot, but can't think of any reason it wouldn't work. Lid or bottom...main thing is holes are down into the flame. Just make sure the hotter temps of the flame won't warp the clasping mechanism if you choose that side down. As for size -- 1-2 quarts works. It's just how much smoke wood you can get into it. A filled 2-quart pot will generate smoke for about 4 hours. A smaller one won't smoke as long. A 2 quart pot works well in my 23. At low and slow temps, I'd expect you'd have plenty of room for all of the charcoal you need + 2 quart pot. KK's are so well insulated they use less fuel than even other kamados.

Lots of us here are smoke-potters. Be sure to get the order of those words correct.   Many folks at Amazing Ribs have tried it and like it. There's another kamado forum -- Kamado Guru, I think it's called (haven't been there in years). The site's owner -- can't remember his name -- was encouraged to try it, but Meathead he's not. He did everything precisely wrong -- drilled the holes in the wrong place, etc., and then proceeded to pronounce it useless. It's like those people who review recipes on All Recipes: "I substituted 17 of the ingredients and decided to boil the meat and grill the pasta. This recipe sucks!" Get the holes in the right place (DOWN), make sure it's air tight and won't melt or off-gas noxious fumes. I think Syzygies' method for lighting is to use a weed-burner to preheat and then move it into the charcoal basket, but I'll let him fill you in. Don't ask him about shuffling cards. 

5 hours ago, Tony Simmons said:

Did you follow the temperatures recommended in the recipe or did you adapt them for use on the KK? How long was the cooking time?

Stick to the recipe times and temps. They are spot on.

I have a 23 and 32 and we are also empty nesters. Both are great and serve us well, but the 32 is on another level. It is almost always in a split basket configuration, perfect for 2-zone grilling with ample room. But it obviously also has room to accommodate the larger cooks. Really hard to beat the flexibility of a 32. If you're routinely grilling for 6-15, you can do it on a 21, but you'll be wishing you had a 32.

My primary chimney use case is Binchotan. Only way I've found to get it lit and go nuclear enough for the Konro.

6 hours ago, tekobo said:

That was fun to read Pequod.  Hero worship or what?  

As for being cool?  I always thought that "cool" required a level of insouciance that is hard for an obsessive or a nerd to fake.  Maybe one day I will be a cool aunt.  In practice I think I will always be a mad aunt.  

Mad and cool are two parts of the same elephant. Just a matter of perspective.

Well dang. I just conversed with Nathan freakin' Mhyrvold. 

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/753221-large-scale-mosaic-stitching-software-whats-your-favorite/?p=10885526

4 minutes ago, BOC said:

@Pequod, I have thought this since joining the forum and not a better chance than now. But this used to be my favorite chicago style when I lived there. The cheese ring on the cast iron effect is something I’ve since replicated many times.

https://m.yelp.com/biz/pequods-pizzeria-chicago


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Have never been to Pequod's, but know a lot of people rave about it. Detroit style does something sort of similar with cheese toasting on the edge of the pan, and I agree it is excellent. Real Deep Dish (an excellent site for authentic Chicago style deep dish) has a take on Pequod's here that I really need to try: The Quod - A Modern Take on Deep Dish Pizza - Real Deep Dish

Hmmm. So it seems Nathan Mhyrvold of Modernist Cuisine fame, and inspirer of the baking steel, is also an astrophotographer. I discovered this by perusing one my astronomy forums on mosaic processing. See subject post: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/753221-large-scale-mosaic-stitching-software-whats-your-favorite/?p=10843001

Obvious conclusion: to be truly cool one needs to be both a food nerd and an astrophotographer. 

2 hours ago, tekobo said:

And anatomically correct i.e. square cut.  I have not followed your South Side Thin recipe in at least a year, if not more.  Mouth watering.  On the to do list.    

Of course. Wedges are for...coastal elites. 

More data. The bottom of a NY thin crust baked on a steel. Note the leopard spotted goodness. 

And here’s the bottom of a south side thin baked on stone. Exactly what it is supposed to be. Brown. Crispy. No leopards.

8 hours ago, buzilo said:

On a side note, if anyone has experience with steel and stone it would be nice to have some input. I read online but information is inconsistent.


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I have both for different reasons as above. Here’s a thin NY style on steel:

Here are two Chicago style south side thin pizzas on stone in my 32. Each is 14”. I wouldn’t do these on steel due to different style of crust and longer, lower temp cook. 

Detroit style on stone:

Another use for steel: smash burgers. Again, need the high heat transfer to get the right char.

8 hours ago, buzilo said:

What’s the benefit of the steel? Also when you say depending on the pizza type, what type is it good for and what’s not good? Thank you


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Steel is about 15x higher heat transfer than stone. Very high initial thermal “punch.” It’s best for thin crust NY or Neapolitan style pizzas where you want a leopard spotting on the bottom. Put another way, pizzas that you’d normally do at high temps (think 650+) work well with a steel at lower temp (500-550). Pizzas that you’d do at 450-500 — e.g. deep dish - don’t benefit as much from steel.

Depends on the type of pizza, but I usually use steel, not stone: https://bakingsteel.com/collections/steels/products/baking-steel-round

Sunbrella cover

Low and slow, lest you end up with a thick grey band of over cooked meat. 250’ish indirect.

It also depends on what you mean by “heat up”. If you mean heat soaked, then due to mass it will take longer. If you mean ready for direct grilling, my 32 is ready faster than my 23. Larger top/bottom vents means more airflow. It’s surprisingly agile for a big guy. 

Olive/Gold is a great choice. You clearly have superior taste. 

More fun. A two panel mosaic of three (3!) nebula. The Spider (upper right), Tadpoles (middle), and Flaming Star (lower right). In spite of appearing co-located, Tadpoles is about 12,000 light years away and Flaming Star is right next door -- only 1500 light years away.

2 hours ago, tekobo said:

I thought you were pushing it, getting your wife a konro for her Christmas present.   You appear to have gotten away with that one but I am pretty sure she will notice someone building an observatory in your back garden.

Is it your new home location that has brought all of this on or were you already into space photography before you moved?  The whole idea of a time machine reminds me of how we represent the deep past in broken English in Nigeria: before-before.  What could be older than before-before?

Oooh. You’ve sparked an idea. My wife. She needs a shed...with a roll off roof...and high speed internet. 

Chicken and egg. I was a space nerd decades ago. All of my degrees are aerospace engineering. There’s a period of my life when I worked on big rockets that launched people into space. I couldn’t indulge my astronomy interests much in DC due to light pollution. We chose our new location, in part, by consulting light pollution maps, in addition to local food scene and wineries. 

49 minutes ago, tekobo said:

Really beautiful @Pequod.  Thank you for sharing.  That is, literally, a whole other world.  And rabbithole.  

Exactly right on the rabbithole. I though KK'ing was an obsession. Pfffft! That's nothing compared to astrophotography. Now I daydream about my next scope, mount, camera, filters...and whether I can sneak an observatory past my Homeowners' Association...and wife. 

350 indirect is far too long. Probably no more than 30 mins, but really need to temp it (140-150) or it will become not-so-tender-loin.