Help me design a Drum Pizza Cooker

[damascusmaker]

The best pizzas I have ever had have been coming from my UDS and Acorn. The only improvement I see is a need for more heat on the toppings. I think the high dome on both smokers aren't reflecting enough heat to make the best of the toppings.  After doing some research on what is available Kettle Pizza, etc. I started thinking about what I could build. Here is a rough sketch of what I'm thinking. Picked up a barrel today. Looking for suggestions from the more experienced before the cutting and welding starts? I know the sketch is rough and the numbers are subject to change as I see what looks right. Should I think about a vent/vents in the top or just let the heat spill out the front opening? Other thoughts? Right now I don't have a proper place to consider building a genuine masonry dedicated pizza oven.

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 26, 2016

 

[daveomak]

Let the heat come out the front opening....     Can you direct the heat to the back part of the pizza cooking oven then have it "wash" over the pizza as it exits out the front opening....   

Don't know for sure what you plans are...   how the air flow is planned..  etc.. 

I eat pizza....   haven't built any pizza ovens...

 

[timberjet]

Dirtsailor built one and it seemed to work well.

 

[damascusmaker]

Thanks Dave, 

Good thought, I guess one could just fuel the back 1/2 to 3/4 of the bottom ring and achieve flow. I may be re-inventing the square wheel 

, but it's works in my head.

 

[damascusmaker]

Yeah, timberjet,  Are you thinking of the one based on his mini-WSM, really neat job. I'm kinda wanting capacity for larger diameter. 

 

[damascusmaker]

Build Photos, Close to a test burn. 

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 28, 2016

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 28, 2016

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 28, 2016

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 28, 2016

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 28, 2016

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 28, 2016

 

[daveomak]

 

[dirtsailor2003]

In my mini za I just wrapped a terra-cotta planter tray in foil and placed it above the cooking surface. Also building your fire in the back and placing your exhaust at the front will direct the heat up and over the top of the pizza

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/167416/mean-green-pizza-machine

 

[damascusmaker]

Yeah, my top is kinda heavy. 1/4 inch is what I had on hand. Non-contact thermometer should be here tomorrow. I might need to make a small basket in the center to get even heat on the 1/4 X 18" plate. 

 

[damascusmaker]

Test burn, 1 chimney Kbb and some small chunks. About an inch off the top center 690F, about a 1/4 off the plate center around 500. Hotter at the back and cooler near the front. But I put most of the fuel in the back. Learning curve may require more fuel and further around the ring to front.

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 29, 2016

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Is your only exhaust the opening in the front?

Putting one in the top near the front will help draw the heat up and out.

 

[damascusmaker]

Is your only exhaust the opening in the front?

Putting one in the top near the front will help draw the heat up and out.

Yeah, no exhaust in the top, but the front opening is made large due to my poor peel skills. Above Dave and I were thinking just let the heat spill out the front as it washes over the pizza. I like your suggestion because the fire I saw last night was sorta gentle. It might be better if it were more accelerated. I'll probably cook on it as is first then add a chimney near the front and cook again. If the exhaust pipe isn't an improvement one could always just plug it. And you're right all the commercial units I've been looking at had a pipe exhausting the front, I just didn't understand why. Thermometer gun on order will help with experiments. 

Have any of you looked at or own the Uuni oven or the Roccbox? Really neat units but quite pricey imho. The Uuni had a front door, something else to consider?

 

[dirtsailor2003]

A door doesn't make any sense, unless you plan on baking bread. Then you use the door. For pizza the oven is left open. It should take less than 5 minutes to cook a pizza. You need to turn the pizza 180° once during the cook. Keeping toppings light is key to good wood fired pizza. Too many and the crust will be done but not the toppings.

I would suggest you Google "earth oven designs" and do some reading. There are several really good reads that go into the theory of how these work and how to use them. Since my wife has forbid me from building one in the backyard I built the mini-za.

On the mini-za I always have the lid vent at the front of the smoker to draw the heat that direction. Because of the small space I build the fire all around in the charcoal basket. It gets cranking hot. After adding the diffuser at the top it works really good.

 

[damascusmaker]

Thanks dirt sailor, too much topping may be a contributing factor in the pizzas I've done on the Acorn not finishing the top with the crust. It'll be hard to cut back, I naturally overbuild most things  

. I'll check the source you mentioned. 

 

[damascusmaker]

It'll cook a pizza! 

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 29, 2016

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 29, 2016

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• damascusmaker
• Dec 29, 2016

Used way too much fuel for 1 pizza. I'll reduce the basket by half. 2 hours later it is still ready for another one. I'll reduce the height of the opening since I still didn't get enough browning on top. I know DS too much topping.  Still this was as good a pizza as I've ever had.

My non-contact therm didn't come today, so I don't know what the numbers were. But I feel the concept of a drum pizza oven is proven.

 

[daveomak]

I think you surely have a winner there.... the pizza looks awesome.. 

 

[rabbithutch]

Looks great!

I want to try a pizza mod on one of my Webers but haven't found the roundtuit yet.

I've read a lot about pizza ovens but never made or cooked on one; so take this for what its worth - damned little.

The chimney in the front for the convection action Case described is one of the things I've seen mentioned most often in pizza oven design. Another is a domed or semi-domed ceiling, the theory being that the concavity somehow 'focuses' the heat. In fact, I've read that forming up a foil plate and putting it above the cook surface will help reflect heat.

Please keep posting your results!!!

 

[damascusmaker]

 
I think you surely have a winner there.... the pizza looks awesome.. 

Thanks Dave, I hope some others will build one and we can develop it into a "thing", I'll need to cook on it some more and consider some modifications. Right now I think the top plate needs to be a little closer to the food and the opening is a little too tall. Maybe trim 1/2 inch off the skirt of the top. 1/4 inch plate in the top made it heavy to handle, was what I had here and I was thinking thermal mass. I might need to make a new top with thinner plate for comparison. All the stuff was here except the barrel which I found for $10, so it has been a cheap experiment so far.

Looks great!

I want to try a pizza mod on one of my Webers but haven't found the roundtuit yet.

I've read a lot about pizza ovens but never made or cooked on one; so take this for what its worth - damned little.

The chimney in the front for the convection action Case described is one of the things I've seen mentioned most often in pizza oven design. Another is a domed or semi-domed ceiling, the theory being that the concavity somehow 'focuses' the heat. In fact, I've read that forming up a foil plate and putting it above the cook surface will help reflect heat.

Please keep posting your results!!!

Thanks rabbithutch, I have a lot to learn about cooking pizza. So far my UDS and Acorn both have dome tops and made great tasting pizza with toppings that could use a little more heat. A future experiment may be an aluminum or steel plate fitted into the dome of the Acorn. I think DS is correct too about thinning the toppings, just couldn't do it last night. I've just learned basil is a fantastic thing on a pizza. Now I have to see about growing basil 

 

[crankybuzzard]

That was/is a great build! Darn good looking pizza as well.

Looking forward to seeing any mods you do.

 

[damascusmaker]

Thanks CrankyBuzzard, 

I'll remember to take a photo as I monkey with it. Maybe someone else will take the idea to the next step.