Little Black Egg

[pizzablogger]

I am getting very close to starting my build....just waiting on the pizza stone to arrive from Amazon.

Looking through the LBE thread and other threads containing LBE pizzas, it is definitely my desire to have some sort of diffuser/directional piece in the lid to help aid in browning the interior of the cornicione.

Now as we all know, many LBEs have some sort of set up where there is a circular, metal plate placed over the grill grate and under the stone...with either the back portion of the circle chopped off as in picture A below, or with a semi-circle vent cut into the circle as in picture B below. Other people do not have the plate, but either cut a pizza stone to mimick this effect, buy a D-Shaped pizza stone, arrange firebricks in this fashion, etc, etc. for directing the hot air and flame up and over the pies.

It's been discussed and models of various vents proposed, but I wonder if having the actual flat, metal plate modified with a scoop might be better than worrying about the lid. A super-rough profile of what I am talking about is below...the scoop and plate in grey and the grill top in green.....obviously not to scale! (with the scoop being high enough to go over the pizza under it, obviously)

The scoop would require a welder and some fabrication, but I wonder if it could be an improvement. Just thinking out loud here.

Finally, is the sheet-metal circle something that can be cut at home or does a metal fabrication shop need to do it? Jackie, how did you construct yours....at home or at a shop?

Thanks a bunch! --K

[Mmmph]

@PB - You want all the hot air coming through the semi-circle vent and force it directly onto the back circumference of the pie?

[buceriasdon]

A varible speed jigsaw with a metal cutting blade should make short work cutting the vent. Rub a bar of soap on the blade as a lubricant. The lip edge is the most difficult. It will make quite a bit of noise. A drill with a cylinder coarse corundum bit although slow would work to smooth out the cut. i have a straight die grinder which worked quickly. I find that placing masking or duct tape over the area and then marking the cut line makes it easier to see where you are cutting, then pull the tape off. I used aviation metal snips, they cut in a curve, but my metal top was thin.
Don

Is anyone familiar with the material used to make the Weber Grills from the 60's, I'm reluctant to take a cutter to mine because of it's age but I also can't buy a 'new' one. I believe its a 1969 Weber Custom, really heavy material. Summer is slowly creeping up on me and I promised myself I wouldn't have the kitchen at 90f again this year   

[pizzablogger]

@PB - You want all the hot air coming through the semi-circle vent and force it directly onto the back circumference of the pie?

Good point....I'm thinking that the "scoop" would not be the entire width of the cutout in the metal plate....this allowing some hot air to go straight up and towards the front. Kind of like your bent dog-ear idea. --K

[Mmmph]

@Mick.C: I agree with Don. A jigsaw is the way to go. I picked up one from Harbor Freight for under $20USD.

Noise?? Holy cow...It's LOUD, but it's fast as H**L!

I spent more time taping up and drawing the pattern than I spent cutting with the jigsaw.

@pizzablogger: Gotcha...Could be good. I'll be watching your results.

[Mick.Chicago]

A varible speed jigsaw with a metal cutting blade should make short work cutting the vent. Rub a bar of soap on the blade as a lubricant. The lip edge is the most difficult. It will make quite a bit of noise. A drill with a cylinder coarse corundum bit although slow would work to smooth out the cut. i have a straight die grinder which worked quickly. I find that placing masking or duct tape over the area and then marking the cut line makes it easier to see where you are cutting, then pull the tape off. I used aviation metal snips, they cut in a curve, but my metal top was thin.
Don

Thanks Don, one of my concerns is the thickness of this metal compared to the newer materials used. I might take the lid with me to Home Depot to see just how different it is.  (Or I could take a tape measure) 

[Jackie Tran]

The scoop would require a welder and some fabrication, but I wonder if it could be an improvement. Just thinking out loud here.

Finally, is the sheet-metal circle something that can be cut at home or does a metal fabrication shop need to do it? Jackie, how did you construct yours....at home or at a shop?

Thanks a bunch! --K

Kelly I like the scoop idea quite a bit.   You can have it welded or just drill a couple of holes into the lid and attached it with bolts and nuts.   

The 2 sheet metal semi-circle air deflectors that I've made (1 for the mbe and 1 for the lbe) was cut at home with metal snips.  $14 from Lowes???

You can see how it's attached to the lid in my LBE thread.

Can't wait to see pies coming out of your LBE.

Good luck,
Chau

[pizzablogger]

Kelly I like the scoop idea quite a bit.   You can have it welded or just drill a couple of holes into the lid and attached it with bolts and nuts.  

The 2 sheet metal semi-circle air deflectors that I've made (1 for the mbe and 1 for the lbe) was cut at home with metal snips.  $14 from Lowes???

You can see how it's attached to the lid in my LBE thread.

Can't wait to see pies coming out of your LBE.

Good luck,
Chau

Thanks Chau. What I meant is how did you deal with the big sheet metal circle that rests on your grill grate and directs airflow to the back...did you have a maching shop do it or did you cut it yourself? What kinda sheet metal is it?

Definitely gonna have to borrow from WFOs and paint a wrapped "tile strip" with some lettering on the lid of the LBE for esses and giggles. Pizza Ruby coming soon!  

[Jackie Tran]

ahh.  I'll get a picture for you later if you want.  It is made from 3 pieces but you can use 2.   I use the grate to trace the outline on the sheet metal and cut it using the snips.   The main piece wasn't big enough to cover the majority of the space.  I had to supplement with 2 smaller pieces.  The cost was around $10 or so, much cheaper alternative to having a shop cut one solid thicker piece which would have cost around $100.  

[PizzaKatz]

A LBE has been laid in Houston, TX.

As a starting point, I went with the 18" Weber, side vent exhaust, 16" pizza pan + ash catcher oven dome, bayou classic SP-10 burner, and two 16" old stone pizza stones. The pizza stones will not be here until next week. Initially, I will use the standard grate to hold the pizza stones, but due to the high heat I understand it may not be a good long term option. For temperature readings I have a ThermoWorks IR meter.

I have a wooden pizza peel. I read read that a metal peel is recommended in addition to a wood peel. I plan to get a metal peel over the weekend at a local restaurant supply store.

The next step is to search the forum to find a dough recipe and pizza sauce recipe to try. I have made homemade bread a few times, but I have no experience with pizza dough. I welcome any recipe recommendations or comments on enhancements for my setup.

[skyno]

Hey PizzaKatz

Sounds like you're well on your way - good luck! 

As far as dough recipes, you'll find opinions all over the map in terms of flours, yeasts, ferment times & temps, etc. and it seems like a lot of people are getting good results w/ a lot of different methods and it may come down to personal preference and a lot of tinkering, but obviously higher hydration % is the way to go at high temps.

For me, sauce is a no-brainer if your looking for a basic, authentic tasting sauce - find the best, sweetest tomatoes you can find - use canned, imported, italian tomatoes if not in season or you can't get your hands on good, fresh, vine-ripened - then and salt to taste and blend - maybe a touch of sweetener if the natural sweetness of the tomatoes is not sweet enough for your taste or it tastes a bit too bitter after adding the salt - some people also like de-seeding and/or straining out some of the liquid from the canned ones to improve texture &/or  reduce the bitterness a bit, but I actually like a slight bitterness to balance w/ the other flavors.

[pizzablogger]

A LBE has been laid in Houston, TX.

Was it a happy Huskies fan looking for a handsome fella post NCAA Championship down there? Must be one happy LBE...Houston sounds like my kinda town. 

Looks like a nice build. Good luck with your pizzas....make sure to post pics. --K

[pizzablogger]

Crapola....I just realized on my grill that the lid does not reduce in diameter much at all....pretty much a straight shot up the sides, with slight reduction of diameter near the dome.

Even the 18" pizza pan I got won't reduce the ceiling height more than 1/2", while remaining flush to the edges.

Guess I'm going to have to custom cut a disk from sheet metal or something....hmmnn

[Mmmph]

Time for a 20" pan, or wrap foil around the edges to increase diameter.

Crapola....I just realized on my grill that the lid does not reduce in diameter much at all....pretty much a straight shot up the sides, with slight reduction of diameter near the dome.


Even the 18" pizza pan I got won't reduce the ceiling height more than 1/2", while remaining flush to the edges.

Guess I'm going to have to custom cut a disk from sheet metal or something....hmmnn

[pizzablogger]

Time for a 20" pan, or wrap foil around the edges to increase diameter.

The foil, yes....even a 20" pan doesn't do much. I would need a 22" pan to do it justice.....and would prefer as solid a seal around the top (smooth for maximum airflow lower in the chamber) as possible. --K

EDIT: I had no idea pizza pans were available in sizes larger than 18", which is really quite silly of me being that I've been served 20" and 22" pizzas in NYC. Duh!  Go up to 28" from what I can see.

http://www.foodservicedirect.com/product.cfm/p/99716/American-Metalcraft-CTP-Series-Anodized-Pizza-Pan-20-x-18-inch.htm

http://www.foodservicedirect.com/product.cfm/p/99715/American-Metalcraft-CTP-Series-Anodized-Pizza-Pan-21-x-19-inch.htm

I like the lipped edge.....flat portion is 2" smaller in diameter than the lipped outside circumference....that sloped side should really aid in helping to get a snug fit! --K

[Mmmph]

That's where I buy my pans...or eBay.

[darule]

Ok, sorry, first post...got to get this off my chest. I just stumbled across this site after far too many years wishing I had the time/money/skill to build a brick wood oven to make me some real pizza...I could friggin kiss you all right now for this ingenious LBE hack (well, in a manly kinda way ).  My wife is sick of hearing me talk about doing it, but never getting around to it...well, now I finally can as the LBE mod feels so much more achievable

I just picked up a 22.5 weber on craigslist for $15 (it's a bit older, has some surface flaking inside...will this be ok with the high heat?)  I ordered the bayou classic (be here Monday), still have a few things to get though. I've read all the posts, I'm building mine based off mmmphs that was posted a few pages back. 

So, based off the build...is there anyone that has a thought/wish to incorporate a mod that hasn't yet (because of either money/time/motivation) that he/she wants to throw out there.  I read a few posts about ways to get a heat source at the top...I haven't seen this in the posts but is there a way to build a gas burner into the lid?  Can a burner mounted upside down work (will the propane flow)?

I'm a noob, so sorry for the questions especially if it's already been addressed but I read a ton and hadn't stumbled across this mod...

Again...huge thanks to all you MBE/LBE pioneers!!!

[buceriasdon]

darule, Welcome to the forum and the LBE thread. Tucked away in the maze of posts are some discussions about using a secondary burner in the lid. Here is my take on the subject. The burner in the lid concept, though on the surface seems promising leads to quite a bit more complexity to the build, not insurmountable, but may be a bit of overkill as a properly constructed LBE can bake some great pizza as is. I can't think of a single high pressure burner suitable for use in the lid, primarily because of size, it would place the burner too close to the pizza being baked. One could use a low pressure burner but that method requires a second low pressure regulator being split off the line from the tank adding to the expense of the build. Again not that great of an expense. Then comes the problem of how to mount the burner in the lid or above the stone, if you attach the burner to the lid you have to use a flexible gas line and then deal with the awkwardness of removing and replacing the lid while baking unless hinged, which is an option. A solid mounted burner requires some sort of way to attach also leads to more complexity. Properly set up a LBE works very well on it's own. Just my take on it.
Don

Ok, sorry, first post...got to get this off my chest. I just stumbled across this site after far too many years wishing I had the time/money/skill to build a brick wood oven to make me some real pizza...I could friggin kiss you all right now for this ingenious LBE hack (well, in a manly kinda way ).  My wife is sick of hearing me talk about doing it, but never getting around to it...well, now I finally can as the LBE mod feels so much more achievable

I just picked up a 22.5 weber on craigslist for $15 (it's a bit older, has some surface flaking inside...will this be ok with the high heat?)  I ordered the bayou classic (be here Monday), still have a few things to get though. I've read all the posts, I'm building mine based off mmmphs that was posted a few pages back. 

So, based off the build...is there anyone that has a thought/wish to incorporate a mod that hasn't yet (because of either money/time/motivation) that he/she wants to throw out there.  I read a few posts about ways to get a heat source at the top...I haven't seen this in the posts but is there a way to build a gas burner into the lid?  Can a burner mounted upside down work (will the propane flow)?

I'm a noob, so sorry for the questions especially if it's already been addressed but I read a ton and hadn't stumbled across this mod...

Again...huge thanks to all you MBE/LBE pioneers!!!

[Ronzo]

darule, you're in for some fun. Welcome to the party pal!!!!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIfNtUttcYk" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIfNtUttcYk</a>

[darule]

Thanks Bruce for the info...I think I'll just pass on the top burner route!  That's a great welcoming Ronzo...a little die hard welcome fits the theme

We're going to be doing a party here in a few weeks...hopefully I can get up to snuff by then with my cooking technique and dough.  Has anyone figured out the approximate cost per pie?  I'm having approx. 40 people (half are kids)...how many pies do you think I should need and how big of a pie can you get on the 22.5 weber (even with the 20" stone, how much does the D shape stone take away from your diameter)?

Again, thanks for the help...I feel like the pointer sisters right now.