TRYING OUT MY NEW KETTLE PIZZA ATTACHMENT

[mike5051]

Great write up and awesome pizza Al! I've got one and it's just me and my lady so we make two pizzas. I use charcoal and wood chunks and cook at 700 degrees. It takes fuel to keep it that hot! I'll use splits next time, I have to reload chunks for the second pizza. You can't beat the flavor that this thing creates! Hop on that carousel!

Mike

 

[Ishi]

Beautiful pizza! Those pics are worth a thousand words

 

[bdskelly]

Thanks for this post Al. Being a lover of the kettle I’ve had my eye on this accessory. Looks like it works great!

 

[bmudd14474]

Al that is awesome and looks awesome. I have been thinking about this unit as well. Thanks for the review

 

[forktender]

Very nice look'in pie!!!
Heck, a guy could cut a 10'' or 12'' cross section out of a 55 gallon drum and then use the regular weber lid. The lids work great on a UDS why not on a pizza oven? All that would be left to do is cut out the door opening with a grinder, torch, plasma cutter or jigsaw. It would be a quick and simple redneck engineering project as long as you had a pizza stone and a peel you'd be set.
Now I have to hunt down another 55 gallon drum to make one for my yard.:cool:

 

[zippy12]

Great write up and review of this pizza attachment!
Great pizzas!
Next time 3 pies ... the 3rd for breakfast...

Thanks

 

[SmokinAl]

WOW that's a very cool attachment. Maybe you can experiment with some different fuels. It may not even be necessary to use as much as you put in there the first time around. Try some Royal Oak lump with no other wood. It is an oak wood only product and does impart a very light oak flavor without any extra chunks or splits. You could even try some chips to produce smoke on demand with the lump at a pretty low cost since you only need to cook for a few minutes. Enjoy your new gizmo.

George

Lookin' good. Did the pie pick up any wood smoke flavor?

That's some nice kit for making homemade woodfired pizza.
Nice looking pies!
What, no anchovies?

Stainless steel is very pricey, just the sheet metal used to make it, before cutting, rolling and finishing was worth way more than $10.00.

Awesome write up and the pizzas look amazing! You know, I’ve always wanted one of those attachments. And until you explained it in terms of fuel usage, I never would have thought about that.

I guess for now it’s a moot point, I’m on a low/no carb diet these days!

Like!

Love me some wood fired pizza. Great write up and pictures. Thanks for sharing. I think I know what we're having for dinner tonight.

Congrats on the new toy Al,it appears to work very well!
I'd let Judy make me a pie any day,I'd even let you fire it :D
I think some measurements might be in order for that stainless ring with a cutout.

That is a great idea somebody made up for this type cook....Al mam those look good, and well like George was wondering if yo really needed that much fuel. I am sure you will play with that factor some as time goes, and probably even on creating or making up other dish using it. Also was wondering if the pies had any smoke flavor. May a chunk on the the pizza stone were it would smolder. Hey hope you have more cold ones, cause that for me is the beverage of choice when having some pie.

Al that sure looks like a new toy that works like a charm. Fuel may be a little pricey but it’s not if you compare the cost to building a dedicated pizza oven that has few other uses. Like!

Weedeater

Looks good Al . I've been wanting one , and passed on a closeout at a good price . They make a couple models , and also have a " baking lid " That goes on top of the insert . Closes off the dome to help cook the top .

Great write-up Al! Very jealous actually. That sure has got me thinking about making a kettle pie myself.
Congrats on the new toy! In fact I vote you put yourself on the carousel!

Al that looks great, How was the taste? Great I bet!!! Like the write up as well. Definite point.. That is worthy of a carousel ride IMO.

That pizza looks absolutely fabulous Al. Pizza is one thing I've never tried on the Kettle. Now I have to put it into the rotation.

Point for sure.

Chris

That's Really Cool, Al !!
I see what you mean about the material used for such a short cooking time, but they Really Look Awesome!!
Bet that Smoke flavor is good too!
Maybe you just gotta have company more often!!A little too far from PA though!!!
Congrats!
Like.

Bear

Great step by step info al! That pizza looked great!

I bought the weber pizza stone, and grate for my genesis about 3-4 years ago and never used them. Still in the box in the barn. I’ve seen the one you bought and wondered how well it works. Seems like it works great!

The 2 minutes isn’t that crazy. A farmer out here has a pizza oven built into his fire place. We temp it with a gun and it gets up around 700+. He kept burning pizzas so one night we had a party at his place and made 2 dozens pizzas just experimenting with times. I got it down to just a few minutes as well. And it’s way easier the thinner you make the dough.

If you don’t have one of those temp guns ryobi makes one for about $25. It’ll help your temp different spots on your stone. Great tool for this type of cooking.

That is a lot of fuel for two pizzas. I’d be trying to cut back on the charcoal, and see how hot you can get it, and how the pizza cooks at a little lower temp.

I’m sure you’ll be having a blast experimenting with that all summer long and beyond!

You deserve a carousel nod for this one al. Stop being humble and put yourself up there!

Great job
Scott

Wow, 700+ degrees! That is crazy hot.

I love the idea of having a "wood-fired" pizza oven without having to do a special build.

+1 on getting temp gun. Amazon has models that are only about twelve bucks.

Great looking pizza Al! I didn’t even know that existed. I’ve been trying to find a used BGE or KJ on Craigslist to do pizza but this might be the way to go. Thanks for the write up def gave me some good ideas!

Nice. I would suggest using less fuel and getting the temp lower. While baking a pie in under 3 minutes is impressive, it's really not beneficial for the type of pizza you are making. Considering the thickness of the crust, you're better targeting 7-8 minutes, and probably running around 500-600F. Your dough will cook better at those temps and you'll save a lot of fuel.

You'll love the new toy, Al, I sure do mine! I'll share some tips from many cooks, take them or leave them, but it's the least I can do after learning from you!

Like Bregent said, I run mine at more like 500-600. I've had it over 1000, which freaked me out a little when my infrared thermometer topped out!

I spread the coals in more of a crescent moon shape that reaches around the sides so the stone doesn't overheat in the middle.

I also stand my splits up in the back, they are usually only about 6" in length and I start with 2 splits... and then add another split about every 2 pizzas.

Holler if you have any questions on what I said, be happy to help!

Great job, Al! Now I'm craving pizza!

I have that exact same stone and pizza attachment. You are definitely right about not putting fuel under the stone.

Head's up; I don't believe that exact stone is available any longer, anywhere. Great stone. I love it! I remember reading the company went out of business. The stone is now my in-house oven stone where I can control temps better to prevent cracking. In the Kettle Pizza oven I use a cast iron pizza pan that is indestructible.

Great write up and awesome pizza Al! I've got one and it's just me and my lady so we make two pizzas. I use charcoal and wood chunks and cook at 700 degrees. It takes fuel to keep it that hot! I'll use splits next time, I have to reload chunks for the second pizza. You can't beat the flavor that this thing creates! Hop on that carousel!

Mike

Beautiful pizza! Those pics are worth a thousand words

Thanks for this post Al. Being a lover of the kettle I’ve had my eye on this accessory. Looks like it works great!

Al that is awesome and looks awesome. I have been thinking about this unit as well. Thanks for the review

Very nice look'in pie!!!
Heck, a guy could cut a 10'' or 12'' cross section out of a 55 gallon drum and then use the regular weber lid. The lids work great on a UDS why not on a pizza oven? All that would be left to do is cut out the door opening with a grinder, torch, plasma cutter or jigsaw. It would be a quick and simple redneck engineering project as long as you had a pizza stone and a peel you'd be set.
Now I have to hunt down another 55 gallon drum to make one for my yard.:cool:

Great write up and review of this pizza attachment!
Great pizzas!
Next time 3 pies ... the 3rd for breakfast...

Thanks

Holy cow Guys!!
Thank you so much for all the responses!
I'm kind of overwhelmed.
Yes the pizza did take on a smokey flavor & next time I will start with less charcoal.
And no charcoal under the stone.
But you need to burn splits to get the temp up, so I may adjust the size & placement of them.
I think with practice I will be making some killer pizzas!
And BTW Adam was kind enough to put me on the carousel, I would never do that for myself.
I like to see you guys up there!!
Thanks again!!
Al

 

[ammaturesmoker]

Al.....That looks wonderful....I too have one like that....all I can say is....YUM!! I never like pizza in the kitchen oven again unless it is winter.

 

[zippy12]

I will be getting one of these! Work just authorized an extra 8hrs a week for the next 6 weeks!

Thanks Al you hooked me on this one...

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Really cool toy to experiment with and now something to put on the wish/build list for me. I would imagine you could figure out temps for doing other types of food as well such as breads or roasting veggies.

 

[NamVetJoe]

Al, I have the same setup. A little trick I use when the crust is done to your liking put the pizza on the peel and hold it up under the dome. It will quickly cook the top so keep an
eye on it
JOE

 

[SmokinAl]

Al.....That looks wonderful....I too have one like that....all I can say is....YUM!! I never like pizza in the kitchen oven again unless it is winter.

I totally understand, but here in Florida I will be making pizza on it year round. As a matter of fact we are gonna make one tonight!!
Al

I will be getting one of these! Work just authorized an extra 8hrs a week for the next 6 weeks!

Thanks Al you hooked me on this one...

You won't be disappointed Zippy!!
Al

Really cool toy to experiment with and now something to put on the wish/build list for me. I would imagine you could figure out temps for doing other types of food as well such as breads or roasting veggies.

Yes you are right, I'm sure that there are lots of things you could use it for. The first thing that comes to my mind is a calzone.

Al, I have the same setup. A little trick I use when the crust is done to your liking put the pizza on the peel and hold it up under the dome. It will quickly cook the top so keep an
eye on it
JOE

Thanks Joe, yes we did that with the second pizza. I'm going to give it a go again tonight & see how we do.
A little less charcoal, no coals under the stone, & try to keep the temp around 600 degrees. I'll probably make 2 or 3 pizzas & then just reheat them for the next couple of days. Although I did skip lunch so I would be really hungry!!
Al

 

[Smkryng]

Well I may have to go looking for a kettle now. I love my wife’s homemade pizza but a 550 degree oven in the middle of summer sure heats the house up bad. Great looking set up and pizzas. Congrats on the carousel!

 

[mike5051]

Al, I have the same setup. A little trick I use when the crust is done to your liking put the pizza on the peel and hold it up under the dome. It will quickly cook the top so keep an
eye on it
JOE

I end up with way too many toppings everytime, this will help me get them cooked fully! Thanks,

Mike

 

[SmokinGame]

That looks so good!!

 

[daricksta]

Gee Al, If we were still giving points I don't think there'd be enough on the entire SMF site to award to you. I've been looking at this pizza insert for my 22.5" Weber OTS so thanks for auditioning it for me. Judy and you make an outstanding grilled pizza making team! And it's not crazy that your pizza cooked in just 2 minutes. Restaurant wood-fired pizza ovens running between 800-1000 degrees can turn out a pizza in 90 seconds or less. I'm impressed you used those wood splits inside the kettle.

Like Judy, my wife has been making pizza from scratch for years. We've teamed up in the past to grill it on the Weber.I've used pizza stones on my grill with extremely mixed results. So far both direct and indirect heat haven't fully worked. My daughter just bought me a new on that I will try out this weekend. But at some point I think I'll buy this pizza oven. Your grilled pizza results sold me.

 

[SmokinAl]

Well I may have to go looking for a kettle now. I love my wife’s homemade pizza but a 550 degree oven in the middle of summer sure heats the house up bad. Great looking set up and pizzas. Congrats on the carousel!

Thank you!
You won't regret getting one, as a matter of fact we had pizza last night & were going to have it again tonight!!
Al

I end up with way too many toppings everytime, this will help me get them cooked fully! Thanks,

Yea this sucker will boil the crap out of the toppings, and if the crust gets done too soon you can put the pizza on the peel & lift it up to the dome where the toppings will get done in about 30 seconds.
Al

Mike

That looks so good!!

Thank you my friend!!
Al

Gee Al, If we were still giving points I don't think there'd be enough on the entire SMF site to award to you. I've been looking at this pizza insert for my 22.5" Weber OTS so thanks for auditioning it for me. Judy and you make an outstanding grilled pizza making team! And it's not crazy that your pizza cooked in just 2 minutes. Restaurant wood-fired pizza ovens running between 800-1000 degrees can turn out a pizza in 90 seconds or less. I'm impressed you used those wood splits inside the kettle.

Like Judy, my wife has been making pizza from scratch for years. We've teamed up in the past to grill it on the Weber.I've used pizza stones on my grill with extremely mixed results. So far both direct and indirect heat haven't fully worked. My daughter just bought me a new on that I will try out this weekend. But at some point I think I'll buy this pizza oven. Your grilled pizza results sold me.

We too have been making pizza on the kettle with a stone, but this thing takes it to a whole new level. I have had pizzas in a restaurant with a wood fired pizza oven & this one we made is every bit as good. I don't know if you remember Scarbelly (Gary), he had a custom wood fired pizza oven built in his backyard & I bet it cost $4-5 thousand dollars. And I guarantee you that this little unit does just as good a job as his did. It just amazes me that there are so many attachments you can get for a Weber kettle!
Al

 

[daricksta]

Al, where do you buy wood splits? All I can find at Lowes is wood chunks, which I think would work fine with the Weber.

I priced the kettle pizza attachment and it's affordable...for my wife to buy it for me next year as my Father's Day gift. And I don't understand the guys who advise to keep the temp down to between 500-600°. My understanding is the Italians developed the wood-fired pizza oven as a way to fully cook a pizza in two minutes or less. As I wrote in my other post, cooking at 700-1000° is almost universal among wood-fired pizza restaurants. But I've been in a couple of those and their pizzas didn't look nearly as good as yours.

 

[SmokinAl]

Al, where do you buy wood splits? All I can find at Lowes is wood chunks, which I think would work fine with the Weber.

I priced the kettle pizza attachment and it's affordable...for my wife to buy it for me next year as my Father's Day gift. And I don't understand the guys who advise to keep the temp down to between 500-600°. My understanding is the Italians developed the wood-fired pizza oven as a way to fully cook a pizza in two minutes or less. As I wrote in my other post, cooking at 700-1000° is almost universal among wood-fired pizza restaurants. But I've been in a couple of those and their pizzas didn't look nearly as good as yours.

Our Walmart has big bags of hickory wood splits, the price varies from time to time, but I would say the average price is about $13 for a bag. I'm guessing that the bag weighs around 60+ pounds. I think your right about the wood fired ovens in restaurants being at 700+ degrees, and I think that once I get the hang of using this thing I will be able to cook at that temp too. I used it again last night & it was hovering around 650 degrees & the pizza came out really good again. Were going to try it again tonight with more toppings on it & see if they will get done before the crust burns. Tomorrow we are going to try a calzone. That should be fun!!!
Al

 

[noboundaries]

Our Walmart has big bags of hickory wood splits, the price varies from time to time, but I would say the average price is about $13 for a bag. I'm guessing that the bag weighs around 60+ pounds.

Dang it! We have those exact same bags out here, but they're filled with mesquite. Got one in the garage. I've never seen any other wood, which is the difference between west and east coast wood availability.