I just picked up a 28" Blackstone Griddle (great deal, I'll post it later) and it has surface rust on all sides. Every video I've looked up has people grinding/sanding the rust off, but I have had great success restoring old metal with a vinegar & water bath. So I'm planning to soak the griddle top over night, wipe it down and season it.
My question is: is there anything unique/different about the Blackstone griddle tops that would make a vinegar & water soak a bad idea?
I see nothing wrong with your vinegar & water soak of the entire plate. However rust forms large fissures so I would also sand the cooking surfaces down with 440, 880 and on up to 2200 sand paper to get a smooth surface. Then season it as you would any cast iron.
My suggestion is just be sure you have no craters or clumps of old food or old seasoning layers and be sure you have removed all the rust with whatever you have that works for you and start the seasoning process.
Been cookin on flattops, an commercial griddles since 1976, but please feel free to take it, or leave it, as ya wish.
I'm jus fine with that, Yall.
IF vinegar an water doesn't completely git it to where yer wantin it to be...
Easiest/peasiest, Least Damagin!!!!!!! way to bring it back to bare would be a grill brick. Strangely enough, they were made fer jus such things.
Here's an example: Though kinda blurry, an I do it in a different order, th essential techniques are all there, an it takes Carlos what, mebbe 10 mins? Please, watch, an bear with it. Seek out better ones, if ya wish
I usedta often run 2- 2' x 8' flattops, Cook To Order, feedin between 600-2500 mouths, per meal, if th other cook called in. Two meals a day, sometime three, when th cook from th next shift called in...
I also guaran-dang-tee ya that I could/can clean a BADLY encrusted 2 x 8 in likely half th time they took on this 2 x 2 demo video. Ain't sayin I'm cooler than Carlos, jus ain't makin no video...
Bein's how th Eagle flew today, my rabbit ears are gone fer a minute, an I'm all kinda Flush with ¢a$h', why ahm'a even offer another Pro Tip:
Please, purty please, DO NOT take a sander, or grinder to no griddle, nohow, nowhere, even if it was brought up offa th kitchen on th Titanic, okay?
If ya decide a grill brick might be fer ya, Caveat Emptor; some folks charge exorbitant, exotica prices fer what is a regular ol, everday expendable commodity in food service, so shop around, don't git yerself bumfuggled fer a buncha money.
They's like toilet paper; use, when they gone, git a new one.
Any questions, hit me up...always willin to share
If there is any interest indicated, cause I know we have a Boatload of griddle owners / users up in here, I would be Most Happy to post a tutorial, in th appropriate channel, here... please, LMK....
After a horribly food crusted cook, we always started with Ice, dabba water
I would very much be appreciative if AR Resident Chef, an My Brother HouseHomey would weigh in on current practices...mebbe they have a Griddle Roomba, nowadays??? Some kinda Laser thang, with Blue Tooth??
My Best Guess is that it's still, to this day, some poor, worn out cook, tryin to git cleaned up, an go home to His/Her Loved Ones...
Last edited by Mr. Bones; September 21, 2019, 05:48 PM.
Cool beans Bones. Thanks. Only one more weekend till I shut my griddle down for winter, it lives at my summer cottage. I will give it a good cleaning before final shutdown.
Equipment
Primo Oval xl
Slow n Sear (two)
Drip n Griddle
22" Weber Kettle
26" Weber Kettle one touch
Blackstone 36†Pro Series
Sous vide machine
Kitchen Aid
Meat grinder
sausage stuffer
5 Crock Pots Akootrimonts
Two chimneys (was 3 but rivets finally popped, down to 1)
cast iron pans,
Dutch ovens
Signals 4 probe, thermapens, chef alarms, Dots, thermapop and maverick T-732, RTC-600, pro needle and various pocket instareads. The help and preferences
1 extra fridge and a deep chest freezer in the garage
KBB
FOGO
A 9 year old princess foster child
Patience and old patio furniture
"Baby Girl" The cat
Yeah. I had enough of that video about 30 seconds into it.
I use a spat and soda water to get the crusty off then the grill brick. This guy cleaned the grill twice by adding a high temp grill cleaner from the package. We buy 32oz squeeze bottles by the case.
Bonsey is right. We basically trip over those grill bricks at the chemical storage so DONT PAY UP.
Its like paying up for a dry sponge. They are like loofah for the grill.
im exhausted just watching that guy. Attached is a photo of my hesatn grill and i do exactly as Mr. Bones says.
Please take Bonseys other advice by not doing. Attjack is on it too.
The grill in the main kitchen up front (I’m the Banquet troll in the back, my food goes out the back and side doors) is AMAZINGLY NON STICK by following the same direction.
let the product work for you and no vinegar won’t hurt but as a rule I don’t soak metal in water.
I was trying to find a decent shot but I’m not really sure I have one of just the grill top. So have some fruit instead. And yes that my cutting board at my station in the middle of the controlled chaos.
When one has successfully done this type, an volume of cookin, at an Elevated Quality Level, not jus Quantity, while gittin SLAMMED, day after day, year after year, it adds a whole nuther dimension to yer cookin reportoire, leave us safely say...
I'll readily bow to HouseHomey 's experience, on accounta he's still out there, doin it, each an every dang day!!!!
Last edited by Mr. Bones; September 21, 2019, 06:00 PM.
Equipment
Primo Oval xl
Slow n Sear (two)
Drip n Griddle
22" Weber Kettle
26" Weber Kettle one touch
Blackstone 36†Pro Series
Sous vide machine
Kitchen Aid
Meat grinder
sausage stuffer
5 Crock Pots Akootrimonts
Two chimneys (was 3 but rivets finally popped, down to 1)
cast iron pans,
Dutch ovens
Signals 4 probe, thermapens, chef alarms, Dots, thermapop and maverick T-732, RTC-600, pro needle and various pocket instareads. The help and preferences
1 extra fridge and a deep chest freezer in the garage
KBB
FOGO
A 9 year old princess foster child
Patience and old patio furniture
"Baby Girl" The cat
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
Nice job, JPGators17 ! I've used vinegar before too and it works like a charm, as you discovered. Looks like you're set to go for some pretty delicious cooking. Enjoy!
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