BBQ grill set-up, another attempt to make pizza June 2010

I tried another pizza in the BBQ grill with firebricks.  I decided to go about letting the firebricks heat up differently.  I also set-up the BBQ grill differently with the firebricks, side bricks, back bricks and no bottom bricks.  I then could just let the top firebricks heat up first, before I would then place the bottom firebricks in, when the temperature of the top firebricks got hot enough.  I only decided to let the top firebricks go so high for this test.  The top firebricks were 536 degrees F and the steel pan under the firebricks temperature was 560 degrees F.  Then I placed the bottom firebricks in with long tongs.  I went inside to get things ready to prepare the pizza.  I thought I should give the firebricks on the bottom one more quick check with the IR thermometer, before opening the dough. Well the BBQ grill ran out of propane.  At least I checked it before opening the dough.  I had to then move the one end of the BBQ grill with all the firebricks in.  It was hard to move it with those firebricks inside.  At least I had another full tank of propane.  Until I fiddled around changing the tank and opening the BBQ grill to light it again, (there were problems lighting it), the top temperature of the firebricks in the steel pan had fallen to 400 degrees F.  Not to be deterred, I was still going to try this set-up, even if I didn’t get decent results or they might be inconclusive.  I then let BBQ grill heat-up for about another 10 minutes.  What I found interesting was the top firebricks had then gone up to 446 degrees F and the bottom was only 350 degrees F.  I waited about another 10 minutes, then I opened the dough ball and dressed the pizza.  After I put the pizza in the BBQ oven set-up, I was gladly surprised that by watching this pizza, the rim was getting brown against the back firebricks. I measured the temperature of the back wall of firebricks and it had a higher temperature than the top and side firebricks.  I saw how nice and brown the pizza got from touching those firebricks.  I rotated the pie different times against the back firebricks and it really seemed to help, to get the rim browned.  I was satisfied with this pie and the way it baked. Some experiments seem to work out better than expected, even with problems.

The dough ball was one I had save since the last time, when I tried to make a pizza in the BBQ oven set-up.  I wanted to see if the dough ball that was frozen for two weeks, would perform well. It weighted 270 grams and the pie was 9".

The pizza was dressed with 6 in 1 sauce (which Steve gave me a small can), Foremost blend of cheeses, first three grape tomatoes I got to pick from my garden (that were then mixed with sauteed garlic in olive oil and some fresh Greek oregano, also picked from the garden) I topped the pie with some dark opal basil and regular basil, both from my garden.

Norma