Yeah I forgot to say something when you first posted but Dang dude! That's some cool "Macgyver"/ "Bill Nye The Science Guy" kind a stuff. Very cool to know. I'm actually gonna start hitting some garage sales so I can find some old neglected cast iron to try this.
I know it's basically just science but you a very good job of describing it in such a way that most everyone can understand. You made a very good contribution to the Pit and its members and I thank you sir!
Last edited by jbeck1986; August 24, 2016, 01:10 AM.
Thanks for the kind words my friend. I had read many instructionals online, I tried to write this one the way I would want to read it. I just tried to fill the holes the others failed to mention to make it more user friendly.
Last edited by Spinaker; August 24, 2016, 12:22 PM.
I did this about a year ago. I had a perforated steel sheet I bought at mcmaster for another project that I used as the sacrificial anode(? or is it cathode? its been a while!) I used a dough tray like pizza joints used and some pencils for stand offs in the bath. Works like magic! Thanks for sharing! I wish that I could do this on my SS grill grids without damaging them!
For stainless steel, try something caustic. Like oven cleaner or caustic soda. (WEAR GLOVES) That will clean stainless. Then rinse with an acid, like vinegar, to remove the caustic.
Thanks. The lid is HUGE and would need to spray treat as opposed to submerge. I'm not entirely familiar with caustic soda. I think breweries use a lot of that stuff to clean their tanks. Maybe I should look into that.
TrickyDick Breweries, dairies and a lot of other places use it to CIP (clean in place) their stainless tanks, lines and pumps. Just be careful, Caustic will burn if not handled properly. It will clean stainless like a dream but you have to be care carful. It the active ingredient in most oven cleaners.
W.A. I just got done restoring a 17" Lodge griddle. Those are great. I wish they would go back to making them that way instead of the griddles they make now. The models now don't have the handles or the grease catch. Here is where mine is so far. I still have some cooking to do on it before she is fully restored. But its has a really nice sheen on it at this point. Just gotta thrown some fatty steaks on there to put on the finishing touches to the seasoning!!
Atalanta
Thanks!!! I am really happy with my results with this one. It came out really nice.
The bath isn't hazardous. as you can imagine, Its a bit iron rich after the treatment, or course, but its not hazardous. They use sodium carbonate as a booster for your laundry detergent. So anywhere your washer dumps should be just fine. I would imagine you can flush it.
Last edited by Spinaker; March 30, 2017, 10:34 PM.
I am at it again. I have a Lodge Griddle that has been neglected by a friend for years. I was asked to re-season it for him and I obliged. Well, he did pay me in the form of hard to find boxes .22 ammo. So I guess I am not working for free this time!
For this one, there is some surface rust among other things on the surface of this griddle. I gave it a light scrub then put it into the Lightning Bath last night. I am going to check it this evening, it should be totally stripped down and ready for its first round of Flax Oil.
I plan on rinsing it tonight and getting at least one layer of Flax Oil on before bedtime. I like to bake the oil into the Iron for at least two hours then let it cool naturally in the oven. So I run the oven at 500 F for two hours, then turn it off and let it cool over night. It pretty cool to open that oven in the morning. Flax Oil puts a gorgeous bronze color onto the Iron after the first coating. Its pretty fun opening that oven to see what magic has happened over night.
I wish Lodge still made the griddles with the external handles. I think those are soooo much better. These older griddles (Like the one I posted above) were much easier to handle, especially while hot. It is true, you do get more cooking area with the internal handles like this one, but I don't think the limited added, space is worth it. Call me old school but I wish they would go back to the older style. Although they did retain the grease pan at the bottom of the griddle, which is handy.
Well I have the griddle finished. This one came out really well. I think I did 6 rounds of seasoning on this one. I just love the color Flax oil gives you. Anyway, the results are below. Tell me you wouldn't want this baby as apart of your cooking arsenal!
* - Weber 26.75" OTG
* - Weber 22.5" Premium cloaked in Crimson
* - Slow 'N Sear
* - Smoke E-Z - 26.75" (The Grain Silo)
* - Lodge Sportsman Grill
* - Weber Rapid Fire Chimney Starter
* - Thermoworks ThermoPop
* - Thermoworks Mk4
* - Thermoworks Dot
* - iGrill2 - 4 probes
* - Favorite Beer - the cold one in my hand (craft beers of all flavors; haven't had a blue yummy in over 6 years) my tastes change with the season so it is difficult to name just a couple. However, I will occasionally have a vanilla porter float in the summer (Empyrean Vanilla Porter w/a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream) as I usually drink stouts & porters in the colder months, pale ales & IPAs in the warmer months. I have to add Not Your Father's Root Beer to beers I use for floats.
* - Booze - I don't really have a favorite, but lean towards single malt Scotch & Irish whiskey
* - Wines - Reds: mainly the heavy stuff mixed in with the occasional pinot noir ( I have yet to meet a malbec I didn't like); Whites: German & Nebraska (hey, I have to support the home team)
* - Favorite Spice outlets - Volcanic Peppers - Bellevue, NE
* - Current butchers: Cure - Ft. Calhoun
Thanks so very much for your post on this one I use cast iron for almost all my cooking inside and some outside this is very simple and easy to understand I think I can do this
Your welcome. You will be amazed with the results. Let me know if you have any questions. There is more than just BBQ in The Pit! Let us know how it goes.
Spinaker, This is a Great Post I wish I would have had the Advantage of Reading and Studying it before Descaling My Model T Gas Tank!
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan
I recently finished a round of seasoning with my Griswold #9. I have many vintage pans but this is my favorite piece. She sits flat, has no cracks and the surface is as smooth as can be.. Plus, she cooks like a dream. I recently stripped it down to bare iron. Now I am working on a few more rounds of manual seasoning, after some initial cooking with potatoes and the like.
I love these pans. They are a work of art and a piece of American history. This particular pan was made in the 1930's by Griswold. They are smooth as can be and thin walled. I think every cooking arsenal should have at least one vintage pan. They are a joy to own.
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