Why did my cast iron seasoning turn red

[Dj Jimmy]

I decided to experiment on a cheap 12 inch skillet by using a blasting cabinet with glass beads to smooth out the rough factory finish. The surface looked great after blasting but when I seasoned it with grape seed oil at 400 degrees the bottom of the pan turned a strange reddish color. The sides of the pan stayed black because I did not blast them. I know many people advise against blasting iron but I wanted to see if it would help the seasoning stick to the smooth metal. It is possible the glass beads changed the surface texture or caused a reaction that changed the oil color during the bake. I am trying to figure out if this red tint is just a thin layer of early seasoning or if I did something wrong to the metal itself.

 

[night game]

Did you wash the pan with high pressure water or soap to remove all glass dust before seasoning?

 

[Alan]

It will look better the more you use it.

 

[BigBob75]

Make sure you wash thoroughly prior to use! Glass beads (broken) have a bad habit of staying on whatever they hit. I have experience with glass beaded aluminum intake manifolds, which if uncleaned after beading, will grind engine internals. Be safe! God Bless. Bob

 

[sweetsands]

I decided to experiment on a cheap 12 inch skillet by using a blasting cabinet with glass beads to smooth out the rough factory finish. The surface looked great after blasting but when I seasoned it with grape seed oil at 400 degrees the bottom of the pan turned a strange reddish color. The sides of the pan stayed black because I did not blast them. I know many people advise against blasting iron but I wanted to see if it would help the seasoning stick to the smooth metal. It is possible the glass beads changed the surface texture or caused a reaction that changed the oil color during the bake. I am trying to figure out if this red tint is just a thin layer of early seasoning or if I did something wrong to the metal itself.

Thin layers of grape seed oil can often look bronze or reddish before they darken with more use.

 

[BigBob75]

Thin layers of grape seed oil can often look bronze or reddish before they darken with more use.

Thanks for this info. I was just going to try grape seed oil and you saved me from flipping out!

 

[badGamer]

Try increasing your oven temperature to 450 degrees to see if the oil darkens into a traditional black finish.