Very timely. I used my Jr instead of the Big Joe for the first time in awhile last week while my wife was out of town and I was just cooking for myself and not her and/or friends. I had forgotten how much I enjoy using the Jr. The pizza looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it!
Amen on the single stone only. I have a thick pizza stone on my Joe 2 and I have not been able to get a fully crisped crust regardless of dome temp. Even in the kitchen stove with a 30 minute preheat, the thicker pizza stone will not burn the bottom before the top is overdone.
Great video! So the BGE MiniMax pizza stone will fit on the Joe Jr.? Would you still put the heat deflector and stainless grate before the actual pizza stone then?
Last night, I cooked 4 pizzas using a black stone 13” off of Amazon when I ordered the jr. It’s good to 1300 degrees and is pretty thin. I cooked them at around 5-600 degrees with just the diverted. The leopard skin on the bottom was perfect but I’d still love to get some char on the edges. I was going to try without the deflector, too but was scared of what happened to you.
Thank you for sharing James. I also been using big green egg pizza stone in my Joe jr, I also use deflector with my Joe Junior when I am using my Joe JR.
Hey James, do you typically use the grill grate under the soap stone when making pizza? I’ve heard of the stone cracking if it doesn’t have support under it
I had a customize soapstone made to fit my DoJoe, which I prefer much more than the ceramic stone it was sold with it. I would love to see you do a head to head video with a ceramic vs soapstone in the DoJoe.
How long till we see a review or cook on that North smoke offset? It’s probably the only proper Texas style offset available in canada! At least what I’ve seen.
A significant difference between the soapstone and the pizza stone is that the ceramic is porous and is able to absorb some moisture while the soapstone is nonporous/nonabsorbent. So in theory when you place the dough on the hot stone the pizza stone will absorb the released steam making the bottom crunchier. But that's just the theory, I'm wondering if that makes any difference in real life. I'd love to see you doing an experiment on that subject.
Are there significant differences in the maximum temperature the two surfaces can withstand. Is a soapstone better or worse or same then a pizza stone? Just curious about temperature because I have seen a popular brand of pizza stone crack in just a regular oven. Certainly a Kamado Grill can get to temperatures much higher than a regular oven. Just curious. Since I’m new to this channel, forgive me if this has already been Explained and I just haven’t gotten to it yet. I’m working on catching up
I have a question regarding frozen supermarket pizza, would that work too on the high temperature and reduce the cooking time? Or will it somehow burn? Cannot find any videos about this (yes i know, its not great, but for those "lacking time-moments")
I am new to the Joe Jr. and just set it up. I ordered the Joe Jr sear plate. I also have a Green Mountain Grill and I use pizza screens for my pizzas on that grill and they work fabulously. I’m wondering about using the same set up for my Jr. and maybe there’s no need for a pizza stone. Just place pizza with screen on my seat plate. “Iron proof.” ;) Thoughts?
James, I've search your channel for an artisanal bread or baguette video, but I haven't found one. Ever think of making some wood fire bread on the Joe with your soapstone or cast-iron?
James, what do you think about using this Jr Soapstone on a BJ using either the X rack or simply on top of the grates? Seems like more flexibility in that arrangement vs purchasing the intended BJ half moon version. Do you agree?
James, given the results and smaller diameter of soapstone. Any thoughts to going deflector plate, metal nuts to elevate and provide air gap, and then soapstone? Getting closer to dome might help with broil. Thoughts?
Would you use the parchment paper to start on the DoJoe too? I’ve sometimes struggled getting a clean release when throwing pizzas from my wooden pizza tray to the grill.
i was given a chef fulton brush a few years ago... stupid expensive but it works great. turn the heat up to 600, let it cool and then hit it with the brush and its like new clean
Thanks again James! I have noticed when you “fire it up” into inferno mode the kj’s change color! After using my joes for just over a year now, I’ve realized that this is a natural occurrence. I’m always worried that they might crack when they get up into those high temps.
I notice that you removed the parchment paper after just a minute or so, why is that? Just trying to prevent it from burning? I use parchment paper with my pizza stone but I never though to remove it.
yes so that it doesnt burn or add any burnt taste to the dough .... i really only like it for sliding onto the peel and off the peel... once its on the stone with some heat it doesnt need the help
Very cool. I've been curious about using soapstone for pizza and flatbread. Any guess whether you can use two soapstones to create a full circle in the classic II? I'm afraid that set up wouldn't leave enough airflow to maintain a good fire.
you can, and there is no airflow issue but there is a large gap in the middle, the way they sit on the rack with the knobs keeps the plates from sitting flush.... you would need to install your grids and then put the stone on the grids and push them together and hope the seem doesnt allow too much heat to burn a line in the middle
they are both ceramic so technically yes but you may run into trouble not overheating it as its taking the force of the fire directly and being used for pizza like my soapstone struggled with here
@@SmokingDadBBQ Why did I have such a hard time finding one before? Haha. Seems there are multiple sources for them now. Must have just had a Google misfire when I was searching before. Thanks!
Hi James, you've been my Kamado Joe guru ever since I got a great Black Friday deal for the Jr. Anyways, I've followed your pizza method several times and I haven't been satisfied with how the the top turned out (slightly undercooked). I've tried at 650 degrees and once pushed it to 850-900. Help! Thanks!
for top you really need the dome heat soaked to nuclear temps, try removing the deflectors for a bit during the warm up to make sure its getting hot enough. it should go purple like mine did
@@SmokingDadBBQ My brother-in-law bought his BGE a long time ago and has been very happy with it, although he pretty much only uses it the same way my dad used to use his Weber grill. I have to keep my lip zipped about how much better I think the KJ is. He's happy, I'm happy. I guess that's all that matters...
@@emmgeevideo TBH, I have the egg. Not a Joe. I've used it on average, one a week, in the snow/freezing conditions, and been having a ton of fun with it. Done briskets, pulled pork, ribs, burgers, potatoes of varying types. This channel has helped a lot, as there don't seem to be a lot of calm, concise TH-camrs with the eggs, that I've seen, even when searching. Maybe this is my calling?
I can't say I'm an expert yet in the real world, but I'm getting book-smart. I don't know what the hydration is of your dough nor do I know what kind of flour you used. 00 pizza flour and 70-ish percent hydration is supposed to be able to stand the heat of the stone/pizza oven floor and not turn out like yours. I'll bet that had something to do with your outcome. The top of the dome has to be hot enough to cook from the top. Either you dialed back too much on the overall temp because you were worried about burning the bottom or the Joe Jr. just doesn't have the mass to absorb and radiate enough heat.
the jr works with the double stone, i should have just stuck with that but i was curious if the extra airflow space around the stone would improve and with the thickness of the soapstone being what it is wondered if it might just work.... i have a 24hr dough recipe that would have performed better in hindsight for this test but pizza on Saturday just came together at the last minute
with the spare deflectors there is no difference on the pizza stone pizza to the soapstone ... but unlike the pizza stone you can do other things like scallops, sear steaks, smash burgers etc.
Hey James, no hate just giving constructive feedback... The constant rocking back and forth is very distracting. Not sure if it's a big deal to others, but for me it's hard to pay attention to you while you are rocking, I just want to make you aware of it. Other than that, pizza looks amazing!
Very timely. I used my Jr instead of the Big Joe for the first time in awhile last week while my wife was out of town and I was just cooking for myself and not her and/or friends. I had forgotten how much I enjoy using the Jr. The pizza looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it!
thanks so much
@Wudu definitely. I take it to air shows and cook for 5+ using a grill extender on the occasions when one is needed. Three should be just fine.
@Wudu I fed a family of 4 with a junior for years. Works great!
Amen on the single stone only. I have a thick pizza stone on my Joe 2 and I have not been able to get a fully crisped crust regardless of dome temp. Even in the kitchen stove with a 30 minute preheat, the thicker pizza stone will not burn the bottom before the top is overdone.
thanks
Great video! So the BGE MiniMax pizza stone will fit on the Joe Jr.? Would you still put the heat deflector and stainless grate before the actual pizza stone then?
Last night, I cooked 4 pizzas using a black stone 13” off of Amazon when I ordered the jr. It’s good to 1300 degrees and is pretty thin. I cooked them at around 5-600 degrees with just the diverted. The leopard skin on the bottom was perfect but I’d still love to get some char on the edges. I was going to try without the deflector, too but was scared of what happened to you.
ya i think i will be back to the double indirect normal pizza setup
Thank you for sharing James. I also been using big green egg pizza stone in my Joe jr, I also use deflector with my Joe Junior when I am using my Joe JR.
i should have stuck with that, i wondered with the thickness of the stone if i could get away with it but nope
Another great experiment with the JR ! Very informative! Love the JR videos!!
Thank you!
Good trial video. Wife just bought me a pizza stone for my birthday. I'll be trying it real soon. Can't wait!
awesome, happy belated bday
Hey James, do you typically use the grill grate under the soap stone when making pizza? I’ve heard of the stone cracking if it doesn’t have support under it
i use the deflector plate, then, 1/2" copper tees(as spacers), then pizza stone... in my primo.. will try in my new joe jr
I had a customize soapstone made to fit my DoJoe, which I prefer much more than the ceramic stone it was sold with it. I would love to see you do a head to head video with a ceramic vs soapstone in the DoJoe.
LOVE pizza on a Kamado, it's tough to beat! I typically do 450-500 for 8 minutes, I need to play with the higher temps one of these days :)
normally it works great, but i cheated with one stone and over heated it
I've had great success just using the heat deflector placed on top of the grill with the pizzas on a pizza screen. No burnt underside!
right on
James, I have two jr deflector stones, might that set up work as well, not opposed to soapstone, but figured I'd try with what I have, thank you Sir
Cool experiment James. So if I like my crust well done (on keto cheat days) the soap stone is the best choice?
haha it was a cheat day for sure
How long till we see a review or cook on that North smoke offset? It’s probably the only proper Texas style offset available in canada! At least what I’ve seen.
i am loving it, not much longer
Rocking the Junior! The soapstone is still on my list.
so fun
A significant difference between the soapstone and the pizza stone is that the ceramic is porous and is able to absorb some moisture while the soapstone is nonporous/nonabsorbent. So in theory when you place the dough on the hot stone the pizza stone will absorb the released steam making the bottom crunchier. But that's just the theory, I'm wondering if that makes any difference in real life. I'd love to see you doing an experiment on that subject.
great idea
Are there significant differences in the maximum temperature the two surfaces can withstand. Is a soapstone better or worse or same then a pizza stone? Just curious about temperature because I have seen a popular brand of pizza stone crack in just a regular oven. Certainly a Kamado Grill can get to temperatures much higher than a regular oven. Just curious. Since I’m new to this channel, forgive me if this has already been
Explained and I just haven’t gotten to it yet. I’m working on catching up
I have a question regarding frozen supermarket pizza, would that work too on the high temperature and reduce the cooking time? Or will it somehow burn?
Cannot find any videos about this (yes i know, its not great, but for those "lacking time-moments")
Nice technique with the parchment paper... I was throwing corn meal on my stone, and it kept buring..... I'll try it next time with my Akorn.
I am new to the Joe Jr. and just set it up. I ordered the Joe Jr sear plate. I also have a Green Mountain Grill and I use pizza screens for my pizzas on that grill and they work fabulously. I’m wondering about using the same set up for my Jr. and maybe there’s no need for a pizza stone. Just place pizza with screen on my seat plate. “Iron proof.” ;) Thoughts?
My jr heat deflector busted and it’s super hard to find a replacement. I’ve got a local potter making me one
Thanks James for the tip looks like Joe Jr is cooking pizza next Cheers.
Hope you enjoy
I love to pizza cooks on any KJ ! Great video
thanks
James, I've search your channel for an artisanal bread or baguette video, but I haven't found one. Ever think of making some wood fire bread on the Joe with your soapstone or cast-iron?
James, what do you think about using this Jr Soapstone on a BJ using either the X rack or simply on top of the grates? Seems like more flexibility in that arrangement vs purchasing the intended BJ half moon version. Do you agree?
I flinched at 56sec mark 😂
lol try being there hahaha… let’s just say I am glad my shorts were brown to being with 😂
James, given the results and smaller diameter of soapstone. Any thoughts to going deflector plate, metal nuts to elevate and provide air gap, and then soapstone? Getting closer to dome might help with broil. Thoughts?
thats a good idea
What about a soapstone for the classic 3? The one used here is for the joe jr. Do they make one as a complete circle for the classic?
Wich one of the roller do You use in the wideo? Is it for classic 2 or classic 3 ?
Would you use the parchment paper to start on the DoJoe too? I’ve sometimes struggled getting a clean release when throwing pizzas from my wooden pizza tray to the grill.
i do, just did some this weekend for friends and remove the paper after about 1 min
@@SmokingDadBBQ that seems so much easier than the way I’ve been struggling through it! Thanks!
What grill brush do you recommend cleaning a soapstone with? I have so much crust that I’ve been having trouble getting out.
i was given a chef fulton brush a few years ago... stupid expensive but it works great. turn the heat up to 600, let it cool and then hit it with the brush and its like new clean
weren't you afraid that soapstone would crack during rubbing with a wet rag just like pizza stone did at 0:56?
Thanks again James! I have noticed when you “fire it up” into inferno mode the kj’s change color! After using my joes for just over a year now, I’ve realized that this is a natural occurrence. I’m always worried that they might crack when they get up into those high temps.
the eggs i had did the same at high temps, its normal and goes back... the red is a little more noticeable
I notice that you removed the parchment paper after just a minute or so, why is that? Just trying to prevent it from burning? I use parchment paper with my pizza stone but I never though to remove it.
yes so that it doesnt burn or add any burnt taste to the dough .... i really only like it for sliding onto the peel and off the peel... once its on the stone with some heat it doesnt need the help
Very cool. I've been curious about using soapstone for pizza and flatbread. Any guess whether you can use two soapstones to create a full circle in the classic II? I'm afraid that set up wouldn't leave enough airflow to maintain a good fire.
you can, and there is no airflow issue but there is a large gap in the middle, the way they sit on the rack with the knobs keeps the plates from sitting flush.... you would need to install your grids and then put the stone on the grids and push them together and hope the seem doesnt allow too much heat to burn a line in the middle
@patrick - did you ever try this? would love to hear your experience before I try buying to soapstones :)
I have not tried it. Not sure if I will. A new pizza oven has overtaken this idea and made it moot
Could you use a deflector stone as a pizza stone?
they are both ceramic so technically yes but you may run into trouble not overheating it as its taking the force of the fire directly and being used for pizza like my soapstone struggled with here
Can I use the full circle soapstone for the Joe Jr. on my Classic?
yes for sure
Makes me want pizza
will save you some
@@SmokingDadBBQ YES!!!
What soapstone is that? No longer showing on Amazon... ☹️ Need one for my Joe Jr.
it looks like they took it off amazon for some reason, most dealers sell them as does the KJ site
@@SmokingDadBBQ Why did I have such a hard time finding one before? Haha. Seems there are multiple sources for them now. Must have just had a Google misfire when I was searching before. Thanks!
Why am I seeing this 2 years later?!?!?
not sure why YT didn't show it when it was new
Hi James, you've been my Kamado Joe guru ever since I got a great Black Friday deal for the Jr. Anyways, I've followed your pizza method several times and I haven't been satisfied with how the the top turned out (slightly undercooked). I've tried at 650 degrees and once pushed it to 850-900. Help! Thanks!
BTW I used the soapstone and the same BGE pizza stone
for top you really need the dome heat soaked to nuclear temps, try removing the deflectors for a bit during the warm up to make sure its getting hot enough. it should go purple like mine did
"My brother-in-law took the old one..." I'll bet there is a good story there 😆
Took it and his green eggs. (Probably.. )
yes exactly. the large and MiniMax and accessories
@@SmokingDadBBQ My brother-in-law bought his BGE a long time ago and has been very happy with it, although he pretty much only uses it the same way my dad used to use his Weber grill. I have to keep my lip zipped about how much better I think the KJ is. He's happy, I'm happy. I guess that's all that matters...
@@emmgeevideo TBH, I have the egg. Not a Joe. I've used it on average, one a week, in the snow/freezing conditions, and been having a ton of fun with it. Done briskets, pulled pork, ribs, burgers, potatoes of varying types. This channel has helped a lot, as there don't seem to be a lot of calm, concise TH-camrs with the eggs, that I've seen, even when searching. Maybe this is my calling?
Leave the paper underneath the pizza for longer until the paper is going brown.
i did that on the second one after i finished recording, same result on the crust ... i think it needed the spare stone
Soapstone contains talc and asbestos, dangerous to use, correct me if I'm wrong.
soapstone is like granite or marble and is cut from natural stone
Any kamado pizza is a great pizza!
100%
What about lean bread?
there is a ton of options when it comes to baking on the joe
I can't say I'm an expert yet in the real world, but I'm getting book-smart. I don't know what the hydration is of your dough nor do I know what kind of flour you used. 00 pizza flour and 70-ish percent hydration is supposed to be able to stand the heat of the stone/pizza oven floor and not turn out like yours. I'll bet that had something to do with your outcome. The top of the dome has to be hot enough to cook from the top. Either you dialed back too much on the overall temp because you were worried about burning the bottom or the Joe Jr. just doesn't have the mass to absorb and radiate enough heat.
the jr works with the double stone, i should have just stuck with that but i was curious if the extra airflow space around the stone would improve and with the thickness of the soapstone being what it is wondered if it might just work.... i have a 24hr dough recipe that would have performed better in hindsight for this test but pizza on Saturday just came together at the last minute
Did my question prompt this video? 🤣
it might have, i didn't write it down so if it was your idea this ones for you lol
@@SmokingDadBBQ despite putting no effort into the making or knowledge behind this video…..
I feel proud. 🤣
Buy the pizza stone!
with the spare deflectors there is no difference on the pizza stone pizza to the soapstone ... but unlike the pizza stone you can do other things like scallops, sear steaks, smash burgers etc.
This is all fine n dandy I guess... but..... where's the offset videos. 😄😁😅
not much longer before they come
Hey James, no hate just giving constructive feedback... The constant rocking back and forth is very distracting. Not sure if it's a big deal to others, but for me it's hard to pay attention to you while you are rocking, I just want to make you aware of it. Other than that, pizza looks amazing!
I think it’s just you.
my wife says now she can't unsee it lol.... will try harder, might take away my moon walker shoes to help as a first step
Keep on rocking James. Where you are located you will probably get frostbite if you don't keep the blood in your legs moving. 🙂
Don't use those emojis please.
i hate them, but i was blurred / out of focus and didn't realize until after we ate the pizza so this was my temp fix
@@SmokingDadBBQ ok you're excused. This time only.