Electrolysis Setup Amps? Seasoning?

[elisa]

Good Day Everyone!

I know my wife posted a little about us in the Hello and Welcome section. After reading every post in the cleaning and restoring section I decide to make an Electrolysis Setup, which consists of a large plastic tub, an 11"x 22"  piece of stainless steel shelf, Plastic grid (For vent systems) two pieces of threaded steal rod. One rod is bolted to the stainless, I then placed two pieces of the plastic grid over the Stainless plate. The other threaded rod is hooked thru the handle of the pan and held steady with stainless nut, 2 washer and a stainless wing nut.. I am using PH+ as an electrolyte  It's working great but I have a couple of questions...
 
(1) My charger is a Diehard 2/40/200,amp  when my charger is set to 2 amps the charge gage reads 25 amps, if I set it to 40 amps it jumps up into the red Start area of the gage and read's about 100 amps.. Is there a optimum amperage range that is best for cleaning CI?

(2) Using the seasoning recipe from the WAGs home page, After the electro bath scrubbing with steel wool. Everything was fine up to the point of where a light coat of Crisco was baked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.. when we took the pan out of the oven it looked great everywhere but the bottom on the inside where it's spotted like a leopard, does it need to be seasoned again? did we do something wrong? any suggestions?

Thank you
Phil

[Roger Barfield]

Phil, I try to keep the amps around 20.  Any more and the negative lead gets hot, and if the amps are too high then it can make a shadow of the plastic grid in the pan you are cleaning.  As far as the seasoning, I had a pan do that too me once before.  What I do is after the electro and cleaning with soapy water to get the grey stuff off, I then get the pan dry and heat with nothing on it to 450 for 30-60 minutes.  Let it cool down, then season as described above.  As for the one you have, I would clean again and start over if you want the even color.  If it's one you're going to use, you can try seasoning again and over time and use it should fix the problem.

[Fusion_power]

Messing up the seasoning is something even seasoned veterans do at times.  The most common problem is putting too much shortening on the pan to start with.  Another common mistake is to start with a cold oven.  Always pre-heat the oven before putting cast iron in it.

1. Cook the pan at 450 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes with NO shortening applied.  This tends to even out the color of the iron to a very dark gray.
2. Once its cooled off, coat the entire pan with a thin layer of crisco and bake it at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes.
3. Using thick pads, remove the pan from the oven and rub it down thoroughly to remove pools of oil and to smooth down the finish.  I use old cotton rags. (Don't do what someone I know of did by using a synthetic cloth that melts onto the iron!)
4. Put the pan back in the oven and raise the temp to 400 degrees for 30 more minutes.
5. Take it out and let it cool, then put on a second coat of shortening and repeat the seasoning process.

Conventional wisdom says to season pans at 300 degrees.  My experience is that this leaves a pan with a very soft coating that is easily damaged by utensils.  But I found that if I started with 400 degrees, I got too much striping because the oil tends to pool when it gets hot.  So I cut the heat back to 300 until the first rub down, then raise it to 400 for the final baking.  Please note that these temps would not work properly if you used lard since it requires even higher temps than crisco to set up properly.  I usually season a pan 3 times to get it ready to use.  This gets a fairly thick and even coat over the entire pan and it will be in layers that are resistant to damage.

[elisa]

Thank you both for your replys, for my electro set up, I removed a gallon of the soup and added a gallon of rain water this dropped my amps to just under 20... We plan on using almost all of the CI we have so far, as for the piece in question it's going back in the soup as soon as the griddle thats in the soup is done. And I will try seasoning it again starting at 300 degrees.

Phil

[Al Andrews]

After the electro cleaning and follow on scrubbing and drying, I place the item in my preheated oven (about 200 degrees) to cause a final "quick dry" which prevents any rusting.  I then raise the temperature to 450 and let the pan "bake" for 30 minutes.  At that point I reset the oven for 400 degrees and remove the item to my "oiling" bench and coat with Crisco using a brush.  I then wipe all the excess oil off with a soft rag and return the item to the oven for a final 30 minute bake.  I have been very happy with the results and have had good even coatings.

Al

[C. Perry Rapier]

Al, it sounds like you got it down to a science.

Sometimes I have pieces that turn out with the striped tiger effect. What do you think I'm doing wrong? Also, do you think it is necessary to strip one back down and start all over if you get the tiger effect or can you season it again and take it out, what is your opinion on this?

Also, I bought a piece at the convention from Roger Barfield. That piece is seasoned so good that I have it hid. I only look at it when there ain't nobody else around. I don't have it next to my other cast iron cause it makes mine look bad. I wish I hadn't of bought that off of Roger. Either I'm going to have to get better at seasoning or I'm gonna have to strip Rogers piece  so I can seanson it and screw it up too, so I can show it with the rest of my cast iron.

[Al Andrews]

I have not had a problem with any iron that has cleaned up properly.  I have had a couple of pieces that had marks on then that did not come off during the electro-cleaning and my follow on cleaning.  In each case they were pieces that I use so I did not worry about it.  

You could resell Rogers piece, or just use it until it matches you other pieces!!!

Al

[Paul Hummel]

Perry I have a matched set to your Tiger striped seasond set. I was begining to thing that Griswold did somethng to the metal so it would turn out like that, but could not figure out what then did to cause that.     AS I guess from what  was said befor I'm not heating it hot enough befor I put the crisco on. I did get one skillet to come out really smooth. I thought I was getting this seasoning down at last. I cooked some bacon in it to get more seasoning in that skillet. Then some country sausage, hamberger any thing with a fat content. It was turning a real nice black and looking good. Then I fried some chicken in it and with the drippings I threw in some flour to make some gravey. After dinner I put the skillet in some water to rinse out the gravey that was left in the skillet. When I looked at the skillet that seasoning that I though was so good ended up in the gravey cause it wasn't on the skillet anymore. So I guess I will have to try what Darrel has said:  After the first seasoning turn up the heat for the next coat of seasoning to bake on harder.  But it was good gravey!!

[elisa]

Well, It sounds like I not the only one that has/had a problem with seasoning CI. I'm not worried about it to much I am sure I will get the hang of it. I figure if It does not look right I will just toss it back in the soup and start over.

Now I have another question. My wife has been wanting a crispy corn stick pan so I bid on this one on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6222215718&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1 My question here is there a trick to seasoning these pans or just treat all CI the same?


Thanks
Phil

[Roger Barfield]

Also, I bought a piece at the convention from Roger Barfield. That piece is seasoned so good that I have it hid. I only look at it when there ain't nobody else around. I don't have it next to my other cast iron cause it makes mine look bad. I wish I hadn't of bought that off of Roger. Either I'm going to have to get better at seasoning or I'm gonna have to strip Rogers piece  so I can seanson it and screw it up too, so I can show it with the rest of my cast iron.

 [smiley=hysterical.gif]  Perry, just don't cook in it because I think spray paint is bad for you.  ;D  That one did turn out really nice.  I promise it's just Crisco.

Phil, treat them all the same.  Some of the detailed pieces are hard to get the seasoning into the nooks and crannys, but I use a pastry brush and be sure to wipe off all the excess oil you can.  You can't get the first coat of seasoning too thin.  I season my users 3 times then cook with them.  That's just the way I do it.  Steve Stephens does it different and then just uses his to season them.  I saw his at the convention and they look darn good to me.  My reccomendation is to do whatever works for you.   Keep at it until it is the way you want it.

[Dwayne Henson]

I slightly modified the usual seasoning recipe found here. After heating mine to 400, I pull them out HOT, and wipe a very thin layer of Crisco on it, it really smokes, then back to the oven at 350, after 1 hour I pull it out and put another thin layer of Crisco on it, I then repeat, I do this every hour for 3 to 4 times, then shut off the stove and let it cool down on it's own. I found just one layer of seasoning just did not do the job, it needs 3-4 thin layers. I did one two nights ago, and this AM the skillet was used for hashbrowns and nothing stuck. To put the Crisco on I use a section of clean, old t-shirt. I get the leopard spots at times as well. It seems worse on the smoothest pans, like Griswolds, or Wagners, sorta like water on a waxed hood, it just beads up. Like others have said, either repeat the seasoning or just start using with fatty foods and that will take care of it's self.

[miniwoodworker]

For user pans, I've found that frying potatoes does a good job of finishing the seasoning process. For the first batch, I add grease, oil, or Crisco (whatever I have on hand), slice a potato and fry it until over done. A little smoke and burnt potato bits are good!  Toss the potato and the grease. This removes any lingering metallic taste and odor. Add another batch, this time for eating and fry them up.

After frying those taters, don't wash the pan. Pour out the excess fat. Use a paper towel to wipe out the rest. Then, use that same towel to wipe the outside of the pan. Doing this a few times yields a hard finish that'll handle gravy. It'll take a quick washing in hot soapy water, too. Just dry it, heat, and oil, if the seasoning shows any sign of breakdown. After a while, there won't be any.  ;)

For cornstick pans I do something similar. After seasoning, the first batch of cornbread is thrown away. I overcook that batch, too. Sometimes it takes a fork to break loose the bread that's stuck. Soak it in plain water for the minimum amount of time it takes to free the bread residue. (Put water in the pan, don't put the pan in water.) Heat the pan and oil it again. Make another batch of bread. (I bake mine at 450*, BTW.) After a few times, the seasoning is set.

In each case, the more the pan is used, the better it gets. I try to use a "new" pan as much as possible over the course of a few weeks until it looks like it's been used for 10 years. And, then for seldom used pans, they get pulled out for a potato fry now and then to keep them well seasoned. FWIW, I've found that method to be the easiest and most economical way to keep them looking good.

Hope some of this is useful.
Lee

[miniwoodworker]

Thanks for the discussion on spotted pans. I've been running into that problem, too.

The other day I did a new Lodge wedge pan for myself and an old wedge pan for my neighbor, at the same time. (I use a gas grill for seasoning, BTW). My pan turned out just the way I wanted it. My neighbor's pan turned out with spots.  :-[ In addition, his pan had streaks on the top caused by the grill grates. Seasoning stuck to the grates and pulled off the pan. A second round of seasoning of his pan helped some with the spots, but didn't do much for those grate stripes.

Based on that experience, the smoother, better quality pan suffered more from the tiger disease.

Lee

[C. B. Williams]

I think an oven is better than a gas grill because the heat is more even and it can be controlled by the temp. setting. I think the spots are too much crisco. I place items in such a way that they will drain when seasoning. A skillet, upside down with a little lean to it, say a spoon under one edge. This seasoning with crisco needs several treatments. You are immitating actual cooking in the items. Steve S. and I agree on this: To get the best seasoning, cook in it after the seasoning several times with a food that has a natural grease in it. I get mine just hot enough to handle before applying the crisco. This melts the crisco and it reaches all the little nooks. Then wipe off any excess.

[miniwoodworker]

I use the gas grill because of the smoke. We have both battery and hard-wired smoke detectors. They drive me crazy when I'm trying to season cast iron in the kitchen. It's fairly simple to disconnect the battery ones, but lots more work to get to the connection on the hardwired versions.

I have a gas stove in storage that I'd like to setup for seasoning castiron in my shop. Need to pick up a 100# LP cylinder and the fittings to hook it up. Hope it still works. It's about 40 years old and has been in storage for about 20 years.

The spots that I encountered were on the outside sidewalls of an upside down wedge pan. Looked like someone had spit at it.   :( Yet, the other one had a perfectly smooth unblemished seasoned surface.

Suspect you're right in that too much oil (yes, I should have used Crisco  :) ) on the better quality wedge pan led to the problems.

Lee

[Greg Stahl]

Well I can't season with an oven..... I don't have one currently during the remodel, but I will say that Marty gave me a great idea.  I have a HUGE hood that I'm putting in for my cooktop.  Marty told me about a small oven that she uses and that she uses it sometimes for seasoning too.  THis thing is the perfect size for smaller pieces and about all waffle irons.  I'm going to use it for seasoning under the hood after the kitchen is done, as we are using it as our main oven now.  The cost..... $70!!!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=4012129&sourceid=0100000030660804902498

[C. B. Williams]

I have never created more smoke from the oven while seasoning something than normal cooking does. The piece is clean, the crisco is as thin as possible, and the temp is no higher than normal cooking. I don't understand the smoke. The "self cleaning " mode smokes some, depending on how dirty the oven was, but not seasoning a piece of iron. I am not trying to argue here, but if you have a lot of smoke, you either have too much crisco or the temp. is too high, or both.

[miniwoodworker]

That's a good idea!

My sister has one that she uses for baking all the time. According to her it's less expensive to operate and is convenient, especially when she has her full sized oven tied up with something else.

I already have a 2 burner gas cooktop operational in my shop. So, if I get one, I could take it out to the shop to use for small pieces of CI.

My hubby is sure to think that I'm increasingly insane.   :o Already have gas and electric stoves in the kitchen. Gas stove in the RV along with 4 Coleman camp stoves. Already have a cooktop in my shop. Just bought the Griswald cooktop. In the backyard there's a gas grill, offset smoker, vertical smoker, 2 turkey fryers, and a cowboy style fire pit under construction. There's a wood burning stove in my shop, a wood cookstove in pieces for restoration, and another one waiting to be restored.

Now, I'm talking about buying something else to use for cooking and/or putting that old full sized gas stove back into operation.  ;) Plus, I've already told him that I'm sending in a membership here and ordering books.

If I disappear from the forum, you'll know he's had me committed.  ;)

Lee

[Greg Stahl]

That's a good idea!

If I disappear from the forum, you'll know he's had me committed.  ;)

Lee

[smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif] [smiley=roflmao.gif]

[miniwoodworker]

CB, I've always had problems with those smoke detectors. Part of the problem is the location. I have one bedroom door that's just off the kitchen. Code requires the detector replacement there. I get that thing to trigger during routine cooking. A splatter of grease on an adjacent electric  burner will set it off the next time that burner is used.. Too many lit candles will set it off.

Part of my problem is that I don't have a very good exhaust vent over either stove. Thought I was buying a decent one when I installed my gas stove. If I had the budget, I'd yank both out and put in commercial hoods.

While I don't disagree with you about too much seasoning and/or too high a heat, in my case the best solution is to keep anything out of the kitchen (that I can) to keep those detectors silent. For example, I don't light candles for the dining room table anymore.

Lee