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polishdon BBQ Pro

Joined: 05 Aug 2009 Posts: 580 Location: Hamburg, NY
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Posted: Oct 20 2010 Post subject: My try at a Weber kettle pizza cooker thingamajig....... |
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Here's my version of the "frankenweber". After doing a bunch of online research and seeing how other people have made these I borrowed the ideas
I liked, made a few tweeks and here's what I ended up with.
The goal of this project is to make a wood burning pizza cooker that will cook pizzas at a high temp using materials I had lying around and as little fabrication as possible.
Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.
Start with 2 Weber 22.5" kettle bottoms. One will remain the bottom and hold the fire, the other will be used upside down as the top. The bottom I decided to use was one I had already cut the legs down on to use as a fire pit. I think the shorter legs are a must when you take into account the amount this weighs when done.
Decide which one you will use for the top and remove the grates. Remove one of the factory grate holders and mark out your opening hole, mine is
about 15 inches wide by 4.5 inches high. Cut the opening, I used a cutting wheel on a 4" grinder. Clean up the opening to remove any frays or
sharp corners.
Bend the factory pieces that hold the charcoal grate so that you can put the grate below them, instead of on top. This will become the roof of the oven.
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Here's a shot of the charcoal grate in place as the roof. My first idea was to attach fire brick to the grate to flatten the top and provide heat. Due to weight though I think I am going to replace the fire brick in the top with a 16" round pizza stone. Should fit right in.
Add hardware around the kettle to hold the cooking grate in place from falling out as the factory mounts are now on top of the grate. I added
extra hardware around the kettle to account for the weight of the fire brick on the cooking grate.
With the grates in place it will look like this
THen I laid out the fire brick for the base on the cooking grate. Only had a chisel and hammer to work with so I was pretty happy with my
corners. Still have to cut 1 more brick for the front. THere will not be brick along the back edge, I am leaving that open to put a hot log.
I reassembled everything and put the fire brick in. I like the way it's coming along. There's about 4.5 inches between the top of the fire brick
and the roof of the cooker. My hope is that I can get a nice hot fire going in the bottom, then put the top on and put a burning log right on the
fire brick to help heat the cooking area. After letting it all heat up I will push the log to the back on the grate and as it burns out it will fall back into the bottom kettle.
Now I need to name it.
Things to finish:
Add cooking stone to top
Add some kind of support to make sure the top doesn't slip off the bottom while using. I'm thinking some steel around the inner and outer lip of the lower kettle.
Test cook |
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mbellot BBQ Super Fan
Joined: 16 Aug 2010 Posts: 429 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Oct 20 2010 Post subject: Re: My try at a Weber kettle pizza cooker thingamajig....... |
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polishdon wrote: |
Now I need to name it. |
Paint it bright yellow and call it PacMan. |
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biker.chef BBQ Pro

Joined: 28 Jun 2010 Posts: 558 Location: Burnsville Minnesota
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Posted: Oct 20 2010 Post subject: Re: My try at a Weber kettle pizza cooker thingamajig....... |
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mbellot wrote: |
Paint it bright yellow and call it PacMan. |
Let us know how it works. _________________ -------
Every Day, Thousands Of Innocent Plants Are Killed By Vegetarians.
Help End The Violence.
EAT BACON |
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mtnside Newbie
Joined: 30 Sep 2009 Posts: 51
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Posted: Oct 20 2010 Post subject: |
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That will work ,just dont try a high temp cook,410 420,and a few flaming wood chips on the side to cook the top. |
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polishdon BBQ Pro

Joined: 05 Aug 2009 Posts: 580 Location: Hamburg, NY
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Posted: Oct 20 2010 Post subject: |
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mtnside wrote: | That will work ,just dont try a high temp cook,410 420,and a few flaming wood chips on the side to cook the top. |
Why not high temp? |
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BluDawg BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 30 Jul 2009 Posts: 2071 Location: Jonesboro,Tx.
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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Heres mine
 _________________ Never met a cow that I didn't like with a little salt and pepper.
My Blog: http://acountryboyeats.blogspot.com
Char Griller Super Pro w/SFB
Webber 22 OTS
Memorial UDS "Big Jim" |
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polishdon BBQ Pro

Joined: 05 Aug 2009 Posts: 580 Location: Hamburg, NY
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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BluDawg wrote: | Heres mine
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Now that's one hell of a stoker system bludawg. |
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Texas Golfer Newbie
Joined: 20 Oct 2010 Posts: 69 Location: near Houston Texas
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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polishdon wrote: | mtnside wrote: | That will work ,just dont try a high temp cook,410 420,and a few flaming wood chips on the side to cook the top. |
Why not high temp? |
Yeah, I was wondering that too. Don't the commercial wood fired brick pizza ovens run at about 700 degrees? Gets the crust nice and crispy and cooks a pizza in about 7 minutes. |
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polishdon BBQ Pro

Joined: 05 Aug 2009 Posts: 580 Location: Hamburg, NY
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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Texas Golfer wrote: | Yeah, I was wondering that too. Don't the commercial wood fired brick pizza ovens run at about 700 degrees? Gets the crust nice and crispy and cooks a pizza in about 7 minutes. |
Yes, not sure I can get it that hot, but I'm hoping for around 500+. |
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Teleking BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 26 Sep 2007 Posts: 4139 Location: Maine
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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Texas Golfer wrote: | Don't the commercial wood fired brick pizza ovens run at about 700 degrees? Gets the crust nice and crispy and cooks a pizza in about 7 minutes. |
700 to 800 and will cook a pie in more like 90 seconds to 2 mins depending on the crust.
YMMV  _________________ “Franken Smoker”
“The Bride of Franken Smoker” |
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ggarner BBQ Fan
Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Posts: 322 Location: San Diego, CA
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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Nice looking build! Thats a really cool idea.
I remember watching a show on travel channel or something where they went to NY to what was believed to be the first couple pizza places in the US. One of the places used (and still does) a coal fired oven. I think there oven was somewhere in the 500-600 degree range. |
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killswitch505 BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 3921 Location: Hobbs, NM
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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i like it. but i would like it better if had a pizza in it  _________________ Club Disco
Mrs. K.A.M. wrote: | Those are some of the best looking wieners I've ever seen  |
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Soapm BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 06 Aug 2010 Posts: 2087 Location: Mile High City
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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BluDawg wrote: | Heres mine
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Who thinks of this stuff? |
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BluzQue BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 28 Jun 2009 Posts: 3820 Location: Kentucky
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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Mighty Fine Job on the Pizza Cookin' Mod polishdon
Post some pizza pics!
 _________________ " A Touch of Hickory and a Taste of the Blues "
GOOD MUSIC GOOD FOOD GOOD BEER GREAT FRIENDS
OLE BOY OFFSET SMOKER
WEBER PERFORMER GRILL
WHISKEY BARREL SMOKER |
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polishdon BBQ Pro

Joined: 05 Aug 2009 Posts: 580 Location: Hamburg, NY
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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More progress to report.
I bought a 15" pizza stone to use as the roof. I attached it to the top grate using a nut, bolt and some washers. I purposely positioned the stone so it was closer to the back edge. I'm hoping I can create some draft up and over the stone near the front where the opening is larger.
Here it is installed in the kettle. I put the stone on the upper side of the grate just because I like it being held in there. If I can't get a hot enough temp on the top, the grate can be flipped over so the stone is on the bottom and closer to the pizza.
Then I finished cutting in the fire brick so there's not a big gap in the front:
And here's what it looks like inside the completed "oven".
To make sure the top doesn't fall off during use I fashioned some clamps around the rim of the bottom kettle.
With just the 2 clamps in place the whole unit is much sturdier, but I plan on adding 1 more clamp. I am able to pick the entire thing up and move it around. It's heavy, but not much worse than my UDS with the grates and charcoal basket in it.
Only thing left to do now is try it out, Friday night is lookin like her maiden voyage.
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mbellot BBQ Super Fan
Joined: 16 Aug 2010 Posts: 429 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Oct 21 2010 Post subject: |
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Soapm wrote: | BluDawg wrote: | Heres mine
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Who thinks of this stuff? |
I've got a buddy who uses a shop vac to turbo charge his fire pit when things start to slow down later in the evening.
I thought it was pretty cool until I got me one of the weed burners from Harbor Junk. Best $20 I ever spent.  |
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AltoonaFlyer BBQ Fan

Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 143 Location: Central Florida
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Posted: Oct 24 2010 Post subject: |
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Nice job and a lot of work polishdon !
This is a pic of how my friend turns out some nice pizzas...
No stones, his pizzas are cooked in cast iron fry-pans...sourdough crust with various tops are as good as any I've eaten!!
He says he can get to 700° with lump charcoal and the increased airflow from the kettle bottom vents. It CAN be a little "wiggly"...and he's tall enough to make it all work Work with what you got!! _________________ Weber 22" Kettle
UDS 2 under construction
WSM...Thanks Steve for the Christmas Present!!
Best welding and cooking advice given me...
Don't set yourself on fire ! |
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Soapm BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 06 Aug 2010 Posts: 2087 Location: Mile High City
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Posted: Oct 25 2010 Post subject: |
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mbellot wrote: | I've got a buddy who uses a shop vac to turbo charge his fire pit when things start to slow down later in the evening.
I thought it was pretty cool until I got me one of the weed burners from Harbor Junk. Best $20 I ever spent.  |
I just wonder who first thinks to hook his shop vac to his grill? How many beers are necessary before that seems like a good idea?
It's like this turd coffee, who thinks of grinding up civets turds to make something you'd drink? Or making tea from cow patties... |
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Teleking BBQ Super Pro

Joined: 26 Sep 2007 Posts: 4139 Location: Maine
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Oregon smoker BBQ All Star
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 6246 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Oct 25 2010 Post subject: |
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Soapm wrote: | mbellot wrote: | I've got a buddy who uses a shop vac to turbo charge his fire pit when things start to slow down later in the evening.
I thought it was pretty cool until I got me one of the weed burners from Harbor Junk. Best $20 I ever spent.  |
I just wonder who first thinks to hook his shop vac to his grill? How many beers are necessary before that seems like a good idea?
It's like this turd coffee, who thinks of grinding up civets turds to make something you'd drink? Or making tea from cow patties... |
I have never seen anything growing in cow chit.
We always found em in other places, a particular favorite that always had plenty was a graveyard.  _________________ #3 LIAR
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