FamilyManBBQ
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2009
- Location
- Redmond, WA
Moose, how is this working out for you? Any pics of your pie?
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Just Finished My FrankenWeber Pizza Kettle
- Thread starter Moose
- Start date
Moose, how is this working out for you? Any pics of your pie?
bigabyte
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- May 10, 2006
- Location
- Overland Fark, KS
Wow! This is the first i have seen this! Veery nice!
I haven't fired it up yet, but very well may do so this weekend...when I do, I certainly will post pics and results.
FamilyManBBQ
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2009
- Location
- Redmond, WA
Great!! Have been looking at making a dedicated pizza oven/grill. Having trouble settling on a 22.5" kettle (wood fired like PizzaHacker/kettlepizza.com, or gas a la little black egg) or an extra drum I have laying around.
Can't wait to see how yours works for you.
A while back, someone posted asking about the pizza kettle, which led me to more research and finding info on the LBE. You might want to reconsider the pizza kettle insert after you read this review:
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/09/slice-tests-the-kettle-pizza-grill-insert.html
Seems like it has two problems:
1: The kettle top is too elevated for the top of the pie to cook as evenly as the bottom.
2: It uses a TON of fuel!
Have you found any good plans for a pizza hacker build? If so, I'd be interested in learning how to build one...
Anyway, I am committed to firing up the FrankenWeber on Sunday, so will keep everyone posted. I will be using the www.grilledpizzastone for the Weber as my cooking surface, BTW.
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/09/slice-tests-the-kettle-pizza-grill-insert.html
Seems like it has two problems:
1: The kettle top is too elevated for the top of the pie to cook as evenly as the bottom.
2: It uses a TON of fuel!
Have you found any good plans for a pizza hacker build? If so, I'd be interested in learning how to build one...
Anyway, I am committed to firing up the FrankenWeber on Sunday, so will keep everyone posted. I will be using the www.grilledpizzastone for the Weber as my cooking surface, BTW.
landarc
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2009
- Location
- sAn leAnDRo, CA
sbramm
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2009
- Location
- western MA
what a great idea! i have a 22.5 rolling around in the shed and a large propane burner for brewing beer. This could be a fun project for the weekend!
i wonder if you could make a small version of this out of a smokey joe for use on a gas range top? might be a bit much smoke unless you have a decent range hood for venting.
i wonder if you could make a small version of this out of a smokey joe for use on a gas range top? might be a bit much smoke unless you have a decent range hood for venting.
gtsum
Babbling Farker
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2003
- Location
- Richmond, VA
quite a few people use the smokey joe as a SBE (small black egg). Heat up is much quicker obviously...pies are limited in size to 11-12 max...I kind of wish I used my smokey joe to do it instead of the 22.5 I used
landarc
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2009
- Location
- sAn leAnDRo, CA
As it happens, I saw his website when he stupidly had the plans posted. One of the key things he does is he cast a lid, using the Weber lid as his form. He originally cast the lid on the outside of the original lid, which made the handle somewhat useless, but, allowed for an insulated top that operated very much like a beehive-type wood oven. If you look at most wood-burning ovens, they have a beehive oven upper chamber, this creates a very hot air space above the floor. You can really think if these in the same manner as a coal-fired indoor oven.
He also has changed from this configuration, I have noticed that his original design has a series of thin cast blocks that formed the wall. His most recent ovens seem to have a more refined cast wall that surrounds the cooking stone. If you look at the photos now, and very much like when he started, the fire is at the back or side of the kettle, with a gap that appears to me to be at least 4" wide. He seems to be using a standard stone, pushed to the front of the chamber, i would bet it is probably a 16" round stone.
His original plans mentioned that he made the side and top castings from lightweight aggregate mixed into high temperature mortar, I suspect he is now using a lightweight high temperature refractory concrete. The finish being so clean, his working times suggest he is now using the proper materials for making the parts.
I think the real key is the insulated lid, figure out a way to create that very not air cushion above the pizza and you have a big part of the problem solved. I personally have been thinking along the lines of making a combination lid, 22.5 outside, 18 inside with the vents aligned and the 22.5 vent still working. Then using a high temperature foam insulation or light weight refractory cement with a perlite or petrified elk poo aggregate between the lids, all you would need is to weld a bottom flange to seal the insulation.
He also has changed from this configuration, I have noticed that his original design has a series of thin cast blocks that formed the wall. His most recent ovens seem to have a more refined cast wall that surrounds the cooking stone. If you look at the photos now, and very much like when he started, the fire is at the back or side of the kettle, with a gap that appears to me to be at least 4" wide. He seems to be using a standard stone, pushed to the front of the chamber, i would bet it is probably a 16" round stone.
His original plans mentioned that he made the side and top castings from lightweight aggregate mixed into high temperature mortar, I suspect he is now using a lightweight high temperature refractory concrete. The finish being so clean, his working times suggest he is now using the proper materials for making the parts.
I think the real key is the insulated lid, figure out a way to create that very not air cushion above the pizza and you have a big part of the problem solved. I personally have been thinking along the lines of making a combination lid, 22.5 outside, 18 inside with the vents aligned and the 22.5 vent still working. Then using a high temperature foam insulation or light weight refractory cement with a perlite or petrified elk poo aggregate between the lids, all you would need is to weld a bottom flange to seal the insulation.
