Seasoning Cast Iron cookware

[nunyaz]

Greetings!

Wasn't sure where this question really belongs on the forum ... glad to be corrected if needed

I have a 15" Lodge Cast Iron pizza pan from Amazon. It 'got away from me' (read: got rusty/nasty and had to be deep cleaned ) and needs to be re-seasoned. The question I have for the Pit is this: Can I use my Akorn Kamado for the seasoning 'bake'?
(Lodge recommends baking at 450-500 for an hour, Kamado manufacturer recommends NOT using the diffuser at temps above 450.) So ... is 425-450 hot enough? And is the extended cool-down inherent in a Kamado going to be a help or a hindrance?
Intention is to use bacon grease and concern is flare ups without the diffuser.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas?

Peace,
Nunyaz

[jfmorris]

nunyaz I've seasoned cast iron on my Weber kettle in the past, with an indirect fire (in the SNS).

I find it surprising they say not to use the diffuser above 450F, as many folks use their kamado like a pizza oven. I've run mine to 700F and higher before, with the ceramic diffuser in place.

Regardless, for seasoning, I think you can get away with 450F depending on the oil you use. The trick is you want to take it PAST the smoke point of the oil, and let the oil smoke until it stops smoking, then cool it down. For seasoning my cast iron and my flat top (griddle), I use avocado oil, which has a smoke point of 520F. So that wouldn't work.

I am paging Spinaker to this discussion to see what oil he recommends for seasoning at 450F max kamado temp. I am also pretty sure he has seasoned in a BGE and can recommend a process for you.

[Spinaker]

Yep, that is what I use.

[jfmorris]

Spinaker thanks - I'll have to pick some up next time I see it. I had a small bottle of flax oil I received from the Wok Shop when I got a wok last year, but didn't realize that I was supposed to refrigerate it, and am sure it went rancid by now sitting in the pantry.

[Spinaker]

Yeah, you gotta let it sit in the fridge. Which I always found odd. jfmorris

[Oak Smoke]

You can do a great job seasoning your cast iron in your Acorn. Spinaker has showed us and spoken about seasoning in his kamado several times. He gets great toughness in the seasoning from the very slow cool down in a kamado. He’s the one who kindled my interest in collecting cast iron. He’s never steered me wrong.

[jfmorris]

nunyaz Here is the web page for the Akorn "Smokin' Stone / Heat Deflector":

https://www.chargriller.com/products/smokin-stone

They say:

• Transforms your grill into an outdoor Convection oven, Cordierite material withstands temps over 1200 degrees

Where did they tell you not to go over 450F?

[nunyaz]

With the Auto-Kamado which, sadly, comes with a steel diffuser and might be why they say >450 is no/no. I was gifted the smokin' stone and that may make the difference
Saw Spinaker 's comment about his use of the BGE for this process and look forward to any additional helps he (or others) can provide.
Many Thanks jfmorris (and @oaksmoke ... and others)!!

Peace,
Nunyaz

[Spinaker]

You can and should use your kamado for seasoning. I would use the diffuser and long as it is not a cheap metal pan. If it is, fillet with play sand and put the cast iron on the grate your kamado came with.

You should not worry about flare ups. You will not be using that much oil/gresae to season your pan. Here is what I do.......

For the initial rounds of seasoning. I use Flax oil. It is considered a "drying Oil" so it perfect for seasoning cast iron. And it has a much lower smoke point than most other oils that are used. When I start, I put the CI in the oven at 200 F for about 15 mins to make sure the surface is bone dry before I add any oil. This also allows the pours in the metal to open up and accept more oil.

Once the CI is heated, I drizzle some Flax Oil in the CI and wipe the whole thing down, inside and out, handle and all. I make sure that all of the oil is wiped out. Even though you've wiped it out, there is still a very thin layer of oil on the surface. This is what you want. Any excess oil will cause a sticky surface to the CI. Bad News. Although the really high heat should prevent any stickiness.

After you have everything wiped down, take it out to the kamado and run it at 400-500 F and put the CI on your cooking grate. (if you have a skillet flip it over to avoid any pooling of oil) Let it go for at least an hour, I will go for 3-4 hours, at 450F, then shut the dampers and walk away. DO NOT open the lid or anything, simply choke the fire out and let it cool and let it cool as slowly as possible. This will allow the seasoning lattice to form, slowly and completely at the molecular level.

I repeat this 2-3 times. But I am a nut, so you do not have to do this. After one round you can cook with it. Just be carful. Use plenty of oil and do not over run your heat. If it sticks, you either have too much heat and not enough oil. Or simply Not enough oil or too much heat. Cast iron retains heat, when food is added you do not need to blast it to keep the heat up like you do with steel pans.

You can use lard, bacon fat, or any oil you want. I find that Flax is best but animal fat is great too. There are many options. Even canola oil works too.

Make sure to check out this thread too. There is a lot of seasoning and cleaning tips contained with in. (Beyond using Electrolysis.)

[nunyaz]

Spinaker - a VERY thorough and MUCH appreciated response!

Many Thanks 🙏🏼

Peace ✌️
Nunyaz