Author Topic: Little Black Egg (Read 275357 times)

jasonmolinari · « **Reply #460 on:** August 28, 2008, 06:53:45 PM »

Sweet looking dome! Especially the window on it

Essen1 · « **Reply #461 on:** August 31, 2008, 12:47:43 AM »

My LBE is finally back in business...

I fired it up less than 10 mins ago and can already tell the difference.

I'm going to give it another 30 mins to see how hot it will get.

Essen1 · « **Reply #462 on:** August 31, 2008, 01:44:41 PM »

Okay...some thoughts/observations on the first test run and bake using the new lid.

First, I think I need to lower the top stone by an inch or so, to increase air flow a bit more. It did touch the sides a little so it took somewhat longer for the top to heat up all the way through. The top stone, however, got to a temp of roughly 750° in about twenty mins. The fiber blanket walls also heated up extremely well. The great thing was, though, that the outside of the lid was cool to the touch the entire time. The air flow out of the side vent was scorching hot, though. I couldn't leave my hand in front of it for more than a couple of seconds.

The bottom stone didn't get as hot as the rest of the LBE and maintained a nice temp between 680° and 700°. It didn't burn the bottom of the pizzas at all, but gave it a slight charring and crispness.

The first couple of pizzas took about three minutes to bake. I used a fairly high hydration, at least for me, of 64%. The crust was exceptionally crispy but didn't char as much as usual, which I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. The top of the pizza cooked evenly and very well. As a matter of fact, I had to pull the pies out before the crust had any chance to develop some charring to prevent the topping from burning.

Here are some pics. I would have taken some pics of the temp on my IR gun also, but my cam was already low on batteries so I just took two quick pics of the pies. I'll get fresh batteries and will give it another shot tonight.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the first test run and its outcome and with a little adjustment, I'm sure it will all work out fine.

Villa Roma · « **Reply #463 on:** September 01, 2008, 10:05:25 AM »

Essen.....Nice looking pies there. What kind of chesse did you use?

I activated the Ischia starter last week and made some pizzas with it. I also used it in the whole grain pizzas and added some extra HK flour but put in too much so they were a little tough to stretch. They came out pretty good anyway.

As you can see M1 is complementing M2 on a job well done. I have a different burner for M2 on the way, it's the same burner pizzacraver uses and is rated at 65,000 BTUs instead of 185,000.

Villa Roma

Essen1 · « **Reply #464 on:** September 01, 2008, 10:20:12 PM »

Villa,

It was Precious low-moisture, whole-milk Mozzarella. I should have used the regular fresh version.

In regards to the M2, I agree. 185,000 BUTs might be a tad too much for the little guy!

Off topic...

I was surprised I only had to pay the domestic postal fee when I sent out your LBE Tee! The guy explained it to me and it made sense. With that said, your Tee is in transit. Since the 21st of August, if I remember correctly. And so are the other two.

Just a quick..and I say.. quick update that is, Son!

Fingerstyle · « **Reply #465 on:** September 02, 2008, 01:03:45 AM »

Quote from: Villa Roma on September 01, 2008, 10:05:25 AM

Essen.....Nice looking pies there. What kind of chesse did you use?

I activated the Ischia starter last week and made some pizzas with it. I also used it in the whole grain pizzas and added some extra HK flour but put in too much so they were a little tough to stretch. They came out pretty good anyway.

As you can see M1 is complementing M2 on a job well done. I have a different burner for M2 on the way, it's the same burner pizzacraver uses and is rated at 65,000 BTUs instead of 185,000.

Villa Roma

Hey Ron, what did you think about the Ischia? Worth the $? I've been pretty happy with Goldrush, but am curious. BTW made my 3rd batch of WW this week. Turned out so so - my fault, added a bit too much salt and too soon (in water before flour) - think it killed the preferment. I salvaged at day 4 (no rise) by kneading in some ADY and let it go another few days.
Best regards,
Vic

Villa Roma · « **Reply #466 on:** September 02, 2008, 03:55:47 AM »

Quote from: Fingerstyle on September 02, 2008, 01:03:45 AM

Hey Ron, what did you think about the Ischia? Worth the $? I've been pretty happy with Goldrush, but am curious. BTW made my 3rd batch of WW this week. Turned out so so - my fault, added a bit too much salt and too soon (in water before flour) - think it killed the preferment. I salvaged at day 4 (no rise) by kneading in some ADY and let it go another few days.
Best regards,
Vic

Vic....I only made one batch with the freshly activated starter but the Ischia is very active. The first two pizzas above were made with only the Ischia starter and no yeast. I used 10 grams of starter per 100 grams of flour and this was way too much so next time I'll go with 2 grams. I can't comment on the taste as I haven't sampled any of the white flour pizzas yet. I'll give the starter at least a month to mature before I weigh in with the final verdict but so far it looks really promising. Below is the starter after 24 hours. I had to wash it once but it's doing fine now.

Villa Roma

pizzacraver · « **Reply #467 on:** September 02, 2008, 09:02:50 AM »

Hey Essen1
Great pies

and that LBE set –up of yours is looking mighty fine!!!!
It certainly looks as though you have put a tremendous amount of effort into the build, I’m sure you’ll be making lots of awesome pies with that baby for quite some time.
I received my Tee on Tue

, thanks heaps bro that was a really thoughtful gesture and I’ll wear it with pride!!!! At the moment family and friends round here are starting to think my obsession for pizza perfection is getting a little out of control

but that’s OK, at least you guys understand!
I’m still making a few adjustments to my latest version of the LBE (trying to achieve even better heat distribution) when I’ve tweaked it a little and satisfied with the results I’ll post some pics.

P.S. I'm a little camera shy myself, but a work buddy of mine was more than happy to model the LBE Tee

even if it was a bit of a tight fit $:-\$

Pizzacraver.

Essen1 · « **Reply #468 on:** September 02, 2008, 02:54:46 PM »

PC,

My pleasure.

Glad you like your Tee. I agree, it is a little tight on your buddy but does look good.

One down, two more to go.

Boy Hits Car · « **Reply #469 on:** September 02, 2008, 09:54:07 PM »

Essen1,

I got the tee, thank you so much. I'm usually a small in tee shirts so as you can guess, I swim in it, lol

Mike

Ps. Your new lid is ridiculously impressive. Did you get a more even bake - did you have to rotate the pizzas?

Essen1 · « **Reply #470 on:** September 02, 2008, 10:34:17 PM »

Mike,

I'm glad you got it.

I didn't know what your size was so I sent the XL out. BUT...when I washed one of mine for the first time (XL), I made the mistake to wash it hot and it shrank. So you might want to try that. And read the instructions on the label!

Or simply wear it as a nightgown!

I still had to rotate the pizza. But since I don't have to open the entire lid anymore, heat loss was minimal. I figured out though, that I have to lower the top stone a little since it touches the walls, which ended up in reduced heat flow. But other than that, the first test run was pretty good. I guess it needs a little tweaking here and there.

Villa Roma · « **Reply #471 on:** September 04, 2008, 12:20:24 AM »

Essen.....I picked up the tee shirt today. Long sleeves perfect for the long German winter that is right around the corner.

Thanks again, Villa Roma

Essen1 · « **Reply #472 on:** September 04, 2008, 01:08:36 AM »

Villa,

Glad you got it. Long sleeves are always good in Germany during the Fall and Winter months.

I only had six made, three for you guys - the hardcore LBE maniacs (myself included) - one for my buddy who helped me built the LBE after Villa's original design, and two for me. Well, it's only one now since one shrank. When that happened my girlfriend just shook her head. Should have washed it cold. But in BHC's case, I'd wash it hot.

Anyway, it was my pleasure to send them out and I hope you're enjoying them.

Mike

jasonmolinari · « **Reply #473 on:** September 05, 2008, 10:12:24 AM »

I love your new lid design Essen, it looks great. Especially like hte door system. I'm thinking of doing something similar with my LBE, but honestly it works so well, that i don't know if i want to putz with it!

Last night i baked up 2 nice margherita pies. 67% hydration dough, using KA all purpose flour, 0.15% IDY, 4% salt. I really like the way it handled. Very easy to stretch evenly and thin. I have to make the next batch using my sourdough as this dough wasn't super flavorful after 48hr cold rise.

i'm using an Old stone Oven 16" round pizza stone now, and so far it's holding up well.

Essen1 · « **Reply #474 on:** September 05, 2008, 10:48:42 PM »

Thanks Jason.

But like they say "If it ain't broke don't fix it". I still have my other lid just in case if something should happen to the new one.

Your pizzas look excellent!

You said the crust wasn't all that flavorful after 48 hrs. Have you considered using a starter?

Villa Roma · « **Reply #475 on:** September 05, 2008, 11:24:37 PM »

Jason....Your pizzas look fantastic and very authentic.

I must echo Essen in his recommendation in using a quality starter. I recently purchased the Italian starters from Sourdough.com and although I've only made one batch, my taste testers tell me this was the best pizza I have made yet, hands down. The Ischia starter is extremely active and only a small amount was needed and will literally take your pizza to new heights.

Villa Roma

jasonmolinari · « **Reply #476 on:** September 06, 2008, 08:30:52 AM »

Thanks guys. I do have a sourdough culture, but most of the time i can't use it because it is pretty dormant in my fridge. I feed it once every 1-2 weeks, and it takes 2-3 days to reactivate it when i want to use it. Most time i make pizza dough as a last minute thing.

Villa Roma · « **Reply #477 on:** September 06, 2008, 09:32:13 AM »

Here's how I keep my starters. I use the 1/2 cup round Glad storage containers so I don't waste a lot of flour. I feed the starter once a week by removing it from the fridge and tossing half of it and then add 1 tablespoon of water plus 1 heaping tablespoon of white flour.

When it comes time to use the starter for pizza I can increase the feedings to accomodate the amount of starter required. This starter is very active so you don't need a lot. Below is a pic after 2 feedings and 8 hours rise. I like to keep the starter fairly stiff so I can just add it to the dough and not have to adjust the hydration level.

Villa Roma

Essen1 · « **Reply #478 on:** September 06, 2008, 11:32:40 PM »

Villa,

I just activated one of my two starters that were dormant in the fridge for a couple of months for tomorrow's pies.

I stirred the hooch back in, took 1/2 cup of it and fed it 1/4 cup KABF and 1/4 cup water. It's an all KABF starter and the smell was unbelievably smooth and pungent but not sour. It had just a hint of sourness to it.

We'll see how it turns out. Jason, take heed!

Essen1 · « **Reply #479 on:** September 06, 2008, 11:43:39 PM »

By the way...I forgot to mention that I got two lazy susans in but forgot them at work.

Villa, refresh my memory and let me know how they worked for you in terms of lubrication and high heat?