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A warning to all about LPG grills and stones
To All,
I thought I would share my most recent experience with an LPG grill and pizza stone. In hindsight, what I did was incredibly stupid and I accept that completely. I just want to be sure anyone who reads this forum does not duplicate my mistake.
I don't have a fancy wood fire oven like you folks. I live in a six unit apartment building on the top floor. I do have an LPG (liquid propane gas) grill on my deck. I have always used my pizza stone in my conventional oven. That is, until I started reading this forum and found that some of you are putting it into the grill. I thought that was a great idea... and so I tried it. My first two pizzas went off without a hitch. The pizzas came out looking better than anything I have done before.
Until last night...
Last night was probably the most frightening experience I have ever had when it comes to close calls. I had filled the 5 gallon LPG tank that afternoon. It was after 5:00 when I fired up the grill and placed the stone on the grates. I had just formed my dough and thought I would go inside to put the toppings on while the stone heated up. The burners were set to high. It took no longer than 5 minutes, the time it took for me to put all the toppings on the pizza, before I started to smell a "hot stone" through closed windows and doors. Keep in mind it is after 5:00 and, even with a porch light turned on, the sky was black and the reflection in my sliding glass door prevented me from seeing what was happening on the deck. I went to check on the stone because of the hot smell and opened the door to a nightmare. There was thick black acrid rolling smoke everywhere and it was sinking to the ground in my little deck area. Something was burning... was it the stone? I immediately turned off the two gas dials and went back in side quickly, as the smoke was so thick. I turned around to see the glow of flames still inside the grill... with the lid closed and smoke pouring out! How could there be fire with the gas off and the lid closed? I went out the door again and lifted the lid only to find the fire was coming from the bottom of the grill. All the accumulated junk, grease, and food particles were on fire.
I turned off the main gas valve on the tank and ran back inside to grab my fire extinguisher. I kept the lid closed and fired three shots through the side vent holes. The fire went out, but them immediately flashed over due to the intense heat inside the grill. I emptied the extinguisher on this beast! No luck... it still flashed all the while I am holding my breath so I don't choke on the smoke. I grabbed an oven mit and removed the stone from the flames... must have been something close to a million degrees and burned a hole in the mit just missing my fingers. So... my mind raced as fast as it could all the while having visions of fire trucks, flames on the roof, how am I going to explain this one, etc. I ran back inside and filled a large bottle with water... pured it over the flames and bottom of the grill to get rid of all the heat... and it finally went out. I figure it took me several minutes before I got it under control.
So then, I go back inside shaking like a leaf. It occured to me, after the fact (naturally), that my pizza stone was too large for my grill. I had blocked the heat from escaping and reflected it directly downwards onto whatever junk was in the bottom. I should have known better. I should have kept it very clean and obviously failed to do so. I learned a very important lesson last night and now my grill lies in shambles. The heat was so intense that it "burned" the venturi tubes and covers. It was like the China Syndrome only for an LPG grill. I should take a photo of it... you wouldn't believe the damage.
So, as a warning to others who want to try a pizza stone on a gas grill, learn from my mistake and be sure your pizza stone leaves enough room for heat to escape and that the grill does not have combustibles in the bottom. I would even go so far as to say don't even try it. My stone fit from front to back with maybe 1/8" to spare. I had probably 5" on either side from left to right. That's how tight it was... and no idea why I got away with it twice before with no fire.
Needless to say, the pizza was baked in my oven and came out fine. As for the grill, it goes into the dumpster soon.
Just be careful if you want to try this idea.
I thought I would share my most recent experience with an LPG grill and pizza stone. In hindsight, what I did was incredibly stupid and I accept that completely. I just want to be sure anyone who reads this forum does not duplicate my mistake.
I don't have a fancy wood fire oven like you folks. I live in a six unit apartment building on the top floor. I do have an LPG (liquid propane gas) grill on my deck. I have always used my pizza stone in my conventional oven. That is, until I started reading this forum and found that some of you are putting it into the grill. I thought that was a great idea... and so I tried it. My first two pizzas went off without a hitch. The pizzas came out looking better than anything I have done before.
Until last night...
Last night was probably the most frightening experience I have ever had when it comes to close calls. I had filled the 5 gallon LPG tank that afternoon. It was after 5:00 when I fired up the grill and placed the stone on the grates. I had just formed my dough and thought I would go inside to put the toppings on while the stone heated up. The burners were set to high. It took no longer than 5 minutes, the time it took for me to put all the toppings on the pizza, before I started to smell a "hot stone" through closed windows and doors. Keep in mind it is after 5:00 and, even with a porch light turned on, the sky was black and the reflection in my sliding glass door prevented me from seeing what was happening on the deck. I went to check on the stone because of the hot smell and opened the door to a nightmare. There was thick black acrid rolling smoke everywhere and it was sinking to the ground in my little deck area. Something was burning... was it the stone? I immediately turned off the two gas dials and went back in side quickly, as the smoke was so thick. I turned around to see the glow of flames still inside the grill... with the lid closed and smoke pouring out! How could there be fire with the gas off and the lid closed? I went out the door again and lifted the lid only to find the fire was coming from the bottom of the grill. All the accumulated junk, grease, and food particles were on fire.
I turned off the main gas valve on the tank and ran back inside to grab my fire extinguisher. I kept the lid closed and fired three shots through the side vent holes. The fire went out, but them immediately flashed over due to the intense heat inside the grill. I emptied the extinguisher on this beast! No luck... it still flashed all the while I am holding my breath so I don't choke on the smoke. I grabbed an oven mit and removed the stone from the flames... must have been something close to a million degrees and burned a hole in the mit just missing my fingers. So... my mind raced as fast as it could all the while having visions of fire trucks, flames on the roof, how am I going to explain this one, etc. I ran back inside and filled a large bottle with water... pured it over the flames and bottom of the grill to get rid of all the heat... and it finally went out. I figure it took me several minutes before I got it under control.So then, I go back inside shaking like a leaf. It occured to me, after the fact (naturally), that my pizza stone was too large for my grill. I had blocked the heat from escaping and reflected it directly downwards onto whatever junk was in the bottom. I should have known better. I should have kept it very clean and obviously failed to do so. I learned a very important lesson last night and now my grill lies in shambles. The heat was so intense that it "burned" the venturi tubes and covers. It was like the China Syndrome only for an LPG grill. I should take a photo of it... you wouldn't believe the damage.
So, as a warning to others who want to try a pizza stone on a gas grill, learn from my mistake and be sure your pizza stone leaves enough room for heat to escape and that the grill does not have combustibles in the bottom. I would even go so far as to say don't even try it. My stone fit from front to back with maybe 1/8" to spare. I had probably 5" on either side from left to right. That's how tight it was... and no idea why I got away with it twice before with no fire.
Needless to say, the pizza was baked in my oven and came out fine. As for the grill, it goes into the dumpster soon.
Just be careful if you want to try this idea.
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