KevinD Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 (edited) The following are pictures from Saturday which was my first cook of pizza on Pele. The next post will have my second cook from today, Sunday... The first cook was was just OK and I'm sure it was the way I started the fire and the fact that the fuel/fire was on the decline by the time I put the pizza on. I used fresh mozzarella on the first pizza cook and I found it made the top of the pizza just a bit too moist when combined with the grease rendered from the pepperoni. Lastly you will see no side shot of the cut pizza slices because I got too close to the edges and that prevented a nice crunchy puffed up crust on the outside rim. The taste was fine but from an overall perspective the pizza could've been better...Though what else are first attempts for, if not for learning? Edited August 1, 2016 by KevinD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted August 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 (edited) 2nd cook... For the second cook I added a little bit more fuel but rather than start everything wide-open, I set my bottom vent halfway open while giving the top vent four complete turns. That brought it up to 500° over the course of one hour, and the 2nd hour gave the top vent two more turns which is almost wide open for Pele. With the cotter pin in the top vent shaft I get about 6 1/3 turns to complete open The bottom vent left control was set to 80% open and the right control was open to the largest aperture. getting two more turns which is why that for and open the top vent for turns. During the last half hour of my two hour heat up/soak, brought the temperature to roughly 650° and then put my pizza on for the cook. I used a reduced moisture mozzarella on this pizza and found that it was just right. Edited August 1, 2016 by KevinD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstr8 Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Nice! Welcome to the "...becoming increasingly difficult to eat pizza out" club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyfish Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Pizza's are looking good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 That's the fun part of this journey - trying different things and seeing what works. Looks like you are well on your way to cranking out great pizza. That 2nd one looks damn good. Enjoy the ride, just like the rest of us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 One thing, one can always eat the mistakes, even they taste great on a KK. Very soon you won't be buying pizza out. I can't tell you how long since I bought one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stile88 Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Nice looking pies looks delicious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Ora Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Look pretty good to meOutback Kamado Bar and Grill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xraydoc Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Looks good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Pizza is looking good. . Two things I noticed in your post - . 1) you mentioned starting the second cook with more lump then the first cook. I start every cook with a completely full lump basket, then there is never a question of running low during a cook. . 2) on the second cook you opened the top vent to over 6 turns in the end. By doing that you burn a hotter fire and use a lot more lump to maintain 650* since a lot of heat is rolling out the top vent. Instead what I would have done is in the end set the top vent to 2-3 turns. This traps more heat in the KK and allows you to maintain the 650* while burning a lot less lump. Just adjust the bottom vent accordingly. . Anyway just a few observations for doing high heat pizza cooks on a KK. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve M Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 I think they both look pretty dang good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Pearson Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Those pies look yummy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted August 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 5 hours ago, ckreef said: Pizza is looking good. . Two things I noticed in your post - . 1) you mentioned starting the second cook with more lump then the first cook. I start every cook with a completely full lump basket, then there is never a question of running low during a cook. . 2) on the second cook you opened the top vent to over 6 turns in the end. By doing that you burn a hotter fire and use a lot more lump to maintain 650* since a lot of heat is rolling out the top vent. Instead what I would have done is in the end set the top vent to 2-3 turns. This traps more heat in the KK and allows you to maintain the 650* while burning a lot less lump. Just adjust the bottom vent accordingly. . Anyway just a few observations for doing high heat pizza cooks on a KK. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk@ckreef Thanks for your comments! I should have mentioned fuel type rather than quantity as both started with a full basket of fresh unburned fuel. The first cook was all Fogo hardwood lump, while the 2nd fire was about 60/40 Fogo and KK CocoChar. On my first cook my fuel was reduced completely to ash which ties to your comment about vent settings and fuel consumption. Since the 2nd cook didn't start with all vents wide open I used much less fuel, though by your comments I still can do better. Today I will use the last of the pizza dough I made up though I will do a calzone instead and also bake a loaf of "no-knead bread" that I normally bake in my oven using a ceramic bread dome. That bread calls for a 475° oven and a 45 minute bake. I'm thinkIng that the calzone probably needs to be baked at a similar temperature rather than higher for pizza and will need to determine time. I will look up a calzone recipe to confirm baking temps and time. Presuming similar temperature requirement I'll bake both at the same time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Your plan for today sounds good and one thing I might mention is that I use and IR thermometer to check the temp. of the baking stone. I'd want it pretty close to the 475 F you mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted August 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 Hi MacK - I have an IR temp gauge that I did use on my first pizza cook and found the stone about 75°F below dome temp gauge even though the stone was in Pele the whole time. I'm pretty sure that part of the difference was my temps fluctuated during the last 45 minutes of heat soak due to my top vent adjustments and dying fuel. I don't know why but I forgot to check the stone on 2nd pizza cook though suspect subconsciously it was due to even temp levels during my last hour of heat soak. I will be sure to check it for today's cook . Just lit Pele about 15 minutes ago and have a target bake start time in @90 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted August 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 (edited) So then, 1 for 2 on the success factor of today's bake... Bread wasn't an epic fail but an unexpected rise of 40°F after I'd stabilized (or thought I had) Pele partially burned the top of the bread. The bottom crust was fine so I know my fail was totally temp control related. I will slice the burned part of the loaf and cut off the top crust hoping the flavor of the bread is ok. If not, the other half does appear to be salvageable. Unfortunately I forgot to cut the top of the bread dough prior to placing in Pele so that as well didn't help the final results. The calzone would have been an unqualified success but for the leakage caused by my minor over-stuffing that stretched the dough too thinly along one small portion along the fold. But for that leakage everything was great, the crimped crust was wonderfully crunchy and chewy at the same time and the bottom crust was thoroughly cooked as well. I used a combination of previously cooked pork and beef sausages, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, onion, pimento stuffed green olives, capers, Gruyere & mozzeralla cheeses, topped by the last of my pizza sauce. - YUM!!! Edited August 2, 2016 by KevinD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted August 2, 2016 Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 I was going to ask for a slice of that tasty looking calzone but I don't think there is enough to share.:( That extra temp didn't help your bread any. I hope you can at least salvage some of it. If it were me I'd aim for 450F and see what happens. The KK won't fluctuate up and down like a kitchen oven so a steady 450F might just work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted August 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 I was thinking along the same lines given the efficiency of our refractory cement...the stone wasn't an issue since it would be slow to react to a changing temp, but not the case high up near the top of the KK... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted August 2, 2016 Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 Major calzone there, man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyfish Posted August 2, 2016 Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 That calzone looks fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
