How to remove carbon buildup?

[crazytracy66]

My aunt is moving out of state and just gifted me her old cast iron skillet since she knows how much I like to cook. It's a #8 Wagner with the stylized logo, so probably from the 50s. She's had it forever, made delicious meals that make some of the best childhood memories with my cousins. My problem is that it's got some serious seasoning on it and I've been trying to clean it up. The inside cooking surface has some carbon buildup that is not budging. I've asked my aunt about the best way to deal with this but despite saying she'd teach me, she's been busy with last-minute appointments before her move.

I joined this forum to ask for advice. I've tried using steel wool, a stainless scrubby, and a lye bath, but it's still there. Well, the lye bath has done a pretty good job on the rest of the skillet, but the inside seems to be resistant. I'm wondering if I should try a fresh lye bath or just keep scrubbing. I'm also wondering if it's even worth it? The skillet isn't a rare piece, and it's not dead flat, but my aunt loves it and it's gonna be my first cast iron skillet. I'm pretty obsessive about getting my pieces to bare iron, but I don't want to mess it up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[str8.4rm.the.heart]

@crazytracy66 If the carbon is stubborn, a second lye bath can help. But sometimes a long soak in oven cleaner overnight works wonders too. Make sure to reseason thoroughly afterward so it doesn't rust.

 

[Howard Pippin]

If you have a propane fired barbecue grill, outside, Remove the charcoal And whatever it sets on, lay your Cast iron frying pan upside down directly just above the burner preferably about an inch or two if you have a grate there, Lite your barbecue and run it on high for probably an hour. It will burn all the carbon off. I have also done so with propane fired branding torches but you have to heat almost dark red and it will self clean. It won't hurt a cast iron frying pan if done properly. You must let it cool gradually. Preferably just leave it in the barbecue after it is shut off until you can handle it by hand. Then take it to the sink and wash the heck out of it and then coat it with whatever you want to coat it and re temper it. I have probably done 40 different pieces of cast iron that were all crudgy.

 

[KenH]

Yep, that's what Dad would do for Mom's heavy carbon coated cast iron - take to shop and using a torch burn the carbon off so it was bare metal. Mom would start from scratch seasoning the cast iron. Of coarse that was more years ago than I like to remember.

 

[BigBob75]

This is very interesting. I'm glad it was posted here.

 

[Howard Pippin]

I should add to that post I made about cleaning cast iron, it might be necessary to turn the frying pan right side up and cook that side too to get it Plumb clean. I used to do it always with a big propane torch but I discovered that this might take a little longer but it's actually simpler and doesn't cost anymore.

 

[Lloyd Miller]

We always burned it off. Dad had an old hand forge that did a great job. Just don't get it hot enough to break. Don't ask how I know, please.

 

[old_corps]

@crazytracy66 If the carbon is stubborn, a second lye bath can help. But sometimes a long soak in oven cleaner overnight works wonders too. Make sure to reseason thoroughly afterward so it doesn't rust.

Can you tell me how long the lye bath should be? I just purchased two old Lodge frying pans at a garage sale, pretty rough looking.

 

[Alan]

My aunt is moving out of state and just gifted me her old cast iron skillet since she knows how much I like to cook. It's a #8 Wagner with the stylized logo, so probably from the 50s. She's had it forever, made delicious meals that make some of the best childhood memories with my cousins. My problem is that it's got some serious seasoning on it and I've been trying to clean it up. The inside cooking surface has some carbon buildup that is not budging. I've asked my aunt about the best way to deal with this but despite saying she'd teach me, she's been busy with last-minute appointments before her move.

I joined this forum to ask for advice. I've tried using steel wool, a stainless scrubby, and a lye bath, but it's still there. Well, the lye bath has done a pretty good job on the rest of the skillet, but the inside seems to be resistant. I'm wondering if I should try a fresh lye bath or just keep scrubbing. I'm also wondering if it's even worth it? The skillet isn't a rare piece, and it's not dead flat, but my aunt loves it and it's gonna be my first cast iron skillet. I'm pretty obsessive about getting my pieces to bare iron, but I don't want to mess it up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

What did you end up using?

 

[BigBob75]

For very heavy build up, I would try a fine wire wheel in a cord or cordless electric drill. If buildup isn't too bad, use a scotch brite pad (Harbor Freight) in a drill. The wire wheel should be fine, not coarse. The scotchbrite pad doesn't much matter. Go slow, take your time, wear a dust mask and safety glasses/goggles. Good luck. God Bless. Bob

 

[Howard Pippin]

What did you end up using?

I have did several of them, and I use my barbecuer which sits outside and I take off the top grill and lay the frying pan right down just above the burner and then turn it on wide open, and leave it for at least an hour or an hour and a half. You might have to turn it over and do the other side separately as it might my not be clean. When you do it in a barbecue after you shut the barbecue off just leave it set until it's cool enough to handle by hand Do not attempt to cool it in any other method. You will then have to scrub it with a little bit of steel wool because it'll even look rusty because it'll takes it right down to bare metal. Then you're going to have to retemper it. You do so by coating it with whatever you like, I use Crisco which I have for years, Then you put it in your own personal stove oven at about 350 degrees for an hour upside down after coating both sides previously with Crisco that should take care of it for food sticking. Be sure and have it good and clean and dry before you coat it with Crisco or peanut oil, Or any kind of actually oil you like seems to work. And if you're not satisfied with the first time, you can redo it a 2nd time just be certain to cook it upside down. You could do this in your cook stove but it would create quite a stink as it burns the carbon off. When I first started messing with this probably 50 years ago I used to use a big propane torch and heat it up out in my garage until it had turned almost dull red and then just left it set on something to keep it off of the cement floor and cover it with a cardboard box and leave it set till it cooled off. This does really work good but if you don't have the equipment to use you can't do it that way.