Cleaning a Cast Iron Pan - Using water and electricity

[sundown farms]

Like BBQ forums, where there are many ways professed as the best way to make Q "the right way", there are also CI cookware forums where they also debate how things should be done. I suggest you find one of them you like and learn there. I would not go to one of them and ask how to smoke meat.  I suggest you dive into the deep end first with this lady's work. http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/   A well recognized group is here - http://www.wag-society.org/  Then go to ebay and look for one of the old Griswold, Erie, Wagner or Wapacks and buy a beautiful sand-cast, old-world skillet that someone's Grandmother used for years.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

This method of cleaning CI and other metals works great for removing rust.  I wouldn't use it for removing food or seasoning. A good hot fire, or an oven on clean will take care of that.

 

[tripleq]

So how did it come out?

 

[millerbuilds]

 
This doesn't seem like the right way to tackle the problem because it is the dirt you want to remove, not the metal. Electrolysis will remove metal, not dirt (old bacon bits will not be attracted to the anode).

The usual way to clean a cast iron pan is with some sort of chain mail scrubber (there are lots of them sold for this express purpose). You then simply re-season.

Castings (this is true of any metal) tend to have rough surfaces compared to metal that is rolled, extruded, forged, and other ways of fabricating metal products, and electrolysis may tend to accentuate that roughness. This is not a good thing for cookware.

So, let us know how it turned out.

Using direct current, the current is trying to escape the metal to travel to the other surface, the rust and dirt is in the way, so as the current continues to push through the dirt and rust it takes it with and leaves it in the water.

- Jason

 

[millerbuilds]

 
This method of cleaning CI and other metals works great for removing rust.  I wouldn't use it for removing food or seasoning. A good hot fire, or an oven on clean will take care of that.

Fire works great many times, however in this case, this pan had both food, oils, and rust (and who knows what since it was not my pan).  Check out the results in a bit.

- Jason

 

[millerbuilds]

Here it is just out of the "bath".

IMG_2105.JPG

• millerbuilds
• Jan 21, 2017

Nearly all of the debris is gone.  A little scraping with an old plastic credit card and it all came off.

IMG_2106.JPG

• millerbuilds
• Jan 21, 2017

I will wash with mild detergent and start the seasoning process.

Total time of electrolysis 16 hours.  

This is a much better way than lye and does a better job than a hot fire.

Smoke ON!

- Jason

 

[gringodave]

WOW!

 

[myownidaho]

Huh. Would you look at that.

 

[millerbuilds]

 
WOW!

Huh. Would you look at that.

I know, I was surprised at how easy it was and how well it turned out.

Smoke ON!

- Jason

 

[ab canuck]

Turned out good.

 

[daveomak]

Flax oil treatment now ????   My D.O. only had 3 coatings in these pics....  6 coatings is recommended....   Flax oil dries to a hard polymer coating when baked at 350-400 ish degrees...   It's an awesome coating...   use edible flax seed oil for the coating.....  

I think it's SQWIB that has a marvelous thread on how cool this coating is...   frying eggs and they don't stick...

  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...lo-cast-iron-frying-an-egg-in-a-cast-iron-pan

DO lid.jpg

• daveomak
• Jan 21, 2017

DO tub.jpg

• daveomak
• Jan 21, 2017

 

[millerbuilds]

 
Flax oil treatment now ????   My D.O. only had 3 coatings in these pics....  6 coatings is recommended....   Flax oil dries to a hard polymer coating when baked at 350-400 ish degrees...   It's an awesome coating...   use edible flax seed oil for the coating.....  

I think it's SQWIB that has a marvelous thread on how cool this coating is...   frying eggs and they don't stick...

  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...lo-cast-iron-frying-an-egg-in-a-cast-iron-pan

DO lid.jpg

• daveomak
• Jan 21, 2017

DO tub.jpg

• daveomak
• Jan 21, 2017

Dave, 

Yep, started using flax seed oil a few years ago, create a great coating.  Since I took it down to bare metal, I am seasoning it at least 5 times, maybe more. Doing it in 30 minute intervals.  

- Jason

 

[daveomak]

You turn the pans upside down when you do that ???  so the oil will not puddle ??

 

[millerbuilds]

Dave, I have it sitting upside down in the oven right now!  I also covered a cookie sheet with foil to catch any drips.  Oven is at 450 and I will keep cycling it through at 30 minute intervals.

- Jason

 

[millerbuilds]

 
I have cleaned quite a few old CI cookware pieces using electrolysis and a 6amp battery charger. Your using the 20 amp will make it go faster. I found that if I turn the skillet so both sides get to face the plate then it seems to be more evenly cleaned. But, that could be due to my lower amp power source.  Try it on an old rusty tool. I have enjoyed cleaning various rusty things.

20 Amp is the lowest my battery charger goes.  I did put it on 200 AMP (starting setting) for 10 minutes, but did not want to leave it that high and was worried to leave it alone on the setting.

- Jason

 

[atomicsmoke]

Using direct current, the current is trying to escape the metal to travel to the other surface, the rust and dirt is in the way, so as the current continues to push through the dirt and rust it takes it with and leaves it in the water.


- Jason

Hi Jason,

I am not trying to be a smarta$$ but the electrical current doesn't "push" like a water in a gardenhose. The rust electrolytic removal works by reducing rust (ferric oxide) to ferrous oxide by the oxygen ions freed from water by electrolysis. You can think of it as electrochemical cooking.

Solid process, thanks for posting it.

 

[atomicsmoke]

My experience with flaxseed oil: it looks super nice right after seasoning but doesn't last. I only did a few pans, maybe I didn't do it right .

 

[millerbuilds]

I found that it takes more cycles with flax-seed oil.  But IMHO it is better at creating a non-stick surface.  I guess I have not really counted my cooks in between seasoning cycles to see if it lasts longer or not.  I can tell you that I can fry an egg and it will not stick.  Some people say they like it better as they do not get the "rancid" flavor from flax-seed that you do from Canola.  I really never noticed a difference in taste, maybe my palette is not as educated as theirs!

Smoke ON!

- Jason

 

[atomicsmoke]

You are correct. Flaxseed coating is as non stick as it gets. At the temps we season I don't think rancidity is an issue. Will give it another try with more coats .

 

[ab canuck]

That is good to know.... Thx.