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The Midniter
Jul 9, 2001

Also, how heavy is that motherfucker?? Awesome find.

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funkatron3000
Jun 17, 2005

Better Living Through Chemistry
Probably around 75 pounds. I can carry it by myself, but it's easier with two people.

Nephzinho
Jan 25, 2008





Soooooo are you just going to boil a few gallons of bacon grease to season that thing ?

CannonFodder
Jan 26, 2001

Passion’s Wrench
I vote for frying a whole chicken. Maybe a turkey, I can't tell how deep it is.

funkatron3000
Jun 17, 2005

Better Living Through Chemistry
I'm planning on slathering the whole thing in as much bacon grease as I have with crisco filling in the remainder. I've tried flax seed and other oils, but I really think the saturated/hydrogenated oils work best. I've got a 100,000 BTU propane burner I'll use to get the whole thing up to around 450F for 30 minutes to an hour. I bet the heat capacity of all that iron will keep it pretty hot for a long time after.

It's 27" across by 18" tall, definitely big enough for a small to medium sized turkey.

Paper With Lines
Aug 21, 2013

The snozzberries taste like snozzberries!

funkatron3000 posted:

I'm planning on slathering the whole thing in as much bacon grease as I have with crisco filling in the remainder. I've tried flax seed and other oils, but I really think the saturated/hydrogenated oils work best. I've got a 100,000 BTU propane burner I'll use to get the whole thing up to around 450F for 30 minutes to an hour. I bet the heat capacity of all that iron will keep it pretty hot for a long time after.

It's 27" across by 18" tall, definitely big enough for a small to medium sized turkey.

This is going to end in the mother of all Thanksgiving disasters. Exploding turkey fryers ain't got poo poo on funkatron3000.

Drifter
Oct 22, 2000

Belated Bear Witness
Soiled Meat

Paper With Lines posted:

This is going to end in the mother of all Thanksgiving disasters. Exploding turkey fryers ain't got poo poo on funkatron3000.

Thanksgiving: ...so my cat fell into the turkey fryer.

ColdPie
Jun 9, 2006

Don't forget to open the kitchen windows.

funkatron3000
Jun 17, 2005

Better Living Through Chemistry
Lets get 30 gallons of oil up to it's smoke point, light it on fire, then dump in 5-10 gallons of water for the words biggest grease fire... for science?







In other news, this is the result after the first sodium hydroxide bath. I'm letting it soak overnight again to get the last bits off the outside. It's pretty tenacious stuff. The inside isn't near as bad.

For regular sized pans and stuff I prefer electrolysis, but the lye/sodium hydroxide method works great too.






Just to share, here's an electrolysis example. I got the pan cheap, cleaned it up, and resold it for 5x the money. This was the gen 1 tank, the newer one is a lot more capable with some extra safety features. (Hooks to hang the pots from, graphite anodes, and reenforced the structure)









Lastly, the personal set. There's no culinary reason to have all the sizes, it's just collecting at this point. I'm still looking for a good deal on a flat #10. I doubt the #2 will ever happen, way too expensive. I've got some other odds and ends like a slant logo dutch oven that's great for roasting chickens and a popover pan that makes great cornbread. The #9 is my go to for cast iron cooking, eggs will slide right off of it. Although honestly, 80% of the time I just use my stainless pans.

Hexigrammus
May 22, 2006

Cheech Wizard stories are clean, wholesome, reflective truths that go great with the marijuana munchies and a blow job.
That's impressive. (All of the above - grease fire, electrolysis and pan collection.) The lettering seems a lot sharper after electrolysis than other cleaning methods.

I get a similar feeling looking at my nesting stack of 5"-16" skillets and assorted sauce pans and dutch ovens. It's not like a set of wrenches where you need a precise size for the job at hand.

ON THE OTHER HAND....

I still need/want a rectangular skillet for tamago (Japanese scrambled eggs) and a stove top waffle iron. It's a disease, I tell ya.

door Door door
Feb 26, 2006

Fugee Face


Literally looks like a WWII naval mine.

Nostalgia4Dogges
Jun 18, 2004

Only emojis can express my pure, simple stupidity.

Drifter posted:

Abundant as in 1/4 cup total, or abundant like you just finished deep frying a turkey? A little grease you should pour it into a container and keep it in the fridge or countertop and scoop the grease out as needed for when you oil up your pan and cook on it.

So long as you don't get past the smoke point of whatever oil or grease you're using it will be mostly down for reuse for a while.

When I cook bacon you can be goddanged sure I'm saving that fat for later.

If you want to throw grease away either pour it into a tin can, cover it/wait for it to solidify and junk it, or put the pan in the fridge for an hour and scoop out the now solid grease into the trash.

Black soot might be normal if it's just the season flaking off, the iron/rust grinding smooth with use, or burned bits of food. It's not bad if you eat that. It's inert.

I'd scrape out the stuff that can be scraped out with minimal effort, and then leave the rest to be removed during cleaning/wipings after use.


Sorry for the late response. Abundant as in yeah, 1/4 - 1/2 cup of grease. I'm new to this whole skillet thing. I have a 8" lodge cast iron I haven't touched yet as I haven't had a need. I've seasoned it as well as I can before actually cooking with it, I think.


I know this is elementary as gently caress but I'm new to skillets and cooking in general. Just want to make sure because I have a ton of frozen chicken breast that I'm about to cook for a weeks worth of meals. Any advice with the ideal way to cook it using my skillet? Or should I just throw them all in the oven?


Do you guys mind walking me through your routine depending on what you're cooking?

From what I understand

- Warm skillet up
- Apply small bit of oil if it's not well seasoned
- Cook
- Pour grease, if applicable, into trap
- Wipe residue with paper towel
- Scrape (or scrub with soft bristle brush) and wash with warm water what's left in the sink
- Dry with paper towel
- Apply small bit of oil inside and all around skillet and throw it on the burner for a bit? (I have a gas strove, fwiw)


Say I fry 2-4 strips of bacon and I'm in a rush and there's just a small bit of grease. Am I cool to leave it in there? Pour it into a trap and not bother cleaning it? Etc?

Again sorry but I really do need it broken down like this

Nettle Soup
Jan 30, 2010

Oh, and Jones was there too.

Put a little oil in, heat it up until a drop of water sizzles nicely, turn the heat down, swish the oil around so it covers everything, cook, eat, wipe the pan out and replace until next time.

Honestly I skip the sink step and just wipe it hard with paper towels until the towel comes away clean, then I use that towel and some salt to give it one last scrub. then I tip it out and it goes back on the hob until the next time I need it. You shouldn't leave grease sitting in there longer than you really need but it doesn't damage it either. The pan should be dry and clean to the touch when you're done cleaning it.

The pan I posted on the previous page hasn't been "washed" in about a month, and that one time really screwed it up until I reseasoned it.

Everyone has their own way of doing it though. :v:

Nettle Soup fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Mar 10, 2015

Gorgar
Dec 2, 2012

Nostalgia4Dicks posted:

Sorry for the late response. Abundant as in yeah, 1/4 - 1/2 cup of grease. I'm new to this whole skillet thing. I have a 8" lodge cast iron I haven't touched yet as I haven't had a need. I've seasoned it as well as I can before actually cooking with it, I think.


I know this is elementary as gently caress but I'm new to skillets and cooking in general. Just want to make sure because I have a ton of frozen chicken breast that I'm about to cook for a weeks worth of meals. Any advice with the ideal way to cook it using my skillet? Or should I just throw them all in the oven?


Do you guys mind walking me through your routine depending on what you're cooking?

From what I understand

- Warm skillet up
- Apply small bit of oil if it's not well seasoned
- Cook
- Pour grease, if applicable, into trap
- Wipe residue with paper towel
- Scrape (or scrub with soft bristle brush) and wash with warm water what's left in the sink
- Dry with paper towel
- Apply small bit of oil inside and all around skillet and throw it on the burner for a bit? (I have a gas strove, fwiw)


Say I fry 2-4 strips of bacon and I'm in a rush and there's just a small bit of grease. Am I cool to leave it in there? Pour it into a trap and not bother cleaning it? Etc?

Again sorry but I really do need it broken down like this

Warm pan up
Oil or butter, depending
Cook
Let sit until cooled off, maybe next day or whenever
Remove grease with paper towel if there's much of it (there usually isn't, but maybe if bacon)
Wash with hot water, vegetable brush, maybe a bit of soap if it was burgers or otherwise messy
Dry on stove
Rarely: rub with oil and paper towel until paper towel comes off not too black, if it looks like cooking/cleaning hosed up the seasoning
Put away in oven because why not

If I cooked something really non-destructive, like just some onions or something, I'll skip the soap entirely.

Paper With Lines
Aug 21, 2013

The snozzberries taste like snozzberries!

holy gently caress, what is going on here?

Drifter
Oct 22, 2000

Belated Bear Witness
Soiled Meat

Paper With Lines posted:

holy gently caress, what is going on here?

Some water poured into a pan of burning oil.

Indolent Bastard
Oct 26, 2007

I WON THIS AMAZING AVATAR! I'M A WINNER! WOOOOO!

Paper With Lines posted:

holy gently caress, what is going on here?

Showing you why you never toss water on a grease fire. For some program I'd imagine.

If you don't know, you either use a fire extinguisher or use BAKING SODA (not flour) to smother it.

Drifter
Oct 22, 2000

Belated Bear Witness
Soiled Meat

Indolent Bastard posted:

Showing you why you never toss water on a grease fire. For some program I'd imagine.

If you don't know, you either use a fire extinguisher or use BAKING SODA (not flour) to smother it.

I would cry for the person who used flour to try and put out a fire. A tear at their funeral.

wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!

funkatron3000 posted:

Cross posting from the Post Your Recent Purchases thread





As a kid my dad's friends threw weekend long parties at their cabin. Starting Friday night they would hang a cauldron like that over an open fire, add water, beans, vegetables + whatever random meat (deer, beef, squirrel, pork, rabbit) everyone brought. And it would cook slowly over Friday night and feed everyone for 2 day.

Indolent Bastard
Oct 26, 2007

I WON THIS AMAZING AVATAR! I'M A WINNER! WOOOOO!

wormil posted:

As a kid my dad's friends threw weekend long parties at their cabin. Starting Friday night they would hang a cauldron like that over an open fire, add water, beans, vegetables + whatever random meat (deer, beef, squirrel, pork, rabbit) everyone brought. And it would cook slowly over Friday night and feed everyone for 2 day.

The very definition of pottage. These huge cauldrons are great for it. Made some last year, the evening meal was nice, lunch the next day was AMAZING.

Paper With Lines
Aug 21, 2013

The snozzberries taste like snozzberries!

Indolent Bastard posted:

Showing you why you never toss water on a grease fire. For some program I'd imagine.

If you don't know, you either use a fire extinguisher or use BAKING SODA (not flour) to smother it.

Whatever tv show this is, I want to watch it. It looks like the fire that they start is unstoppable in what looked like a pretty nice kitchen.

Drifter
Oct 22, 2000

Belated Bear Witness
Soiled Meat

Paper With Lines posted:

Whatever tv show this is, I want to watch it. It looks like the fire that they start is unstoppable in what looked like a pretty nice kitchen.

According to someone from reddit/imgur, it's a norwegian show called 'Don't Try This At Home'. They've got a special house they ruin with all sorts of experiments, similar to Mythbusters, but slightly more focused.

Indolent Bastard
Oct 26, 2007

I WON THIS AMAZING AVATAR! I'M A WINNER! WOOOOO!
It looks like Discovery is doing a North American version (Never Ever Do This At Home), but the original show (Ikke gjør dette hjemme [Don't do this at home]) can be found on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh-pUtjBrzQ

Nostalgia4Dogges
Jun 18, 2004

Only emojis can express my pure, simple stupidity.

10" Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet $15 - http://slickdeals.net/share/iphone_app/fp/147723

OBAMNA PHONE
Aug 7, 2002

Indolent Bastard posted:

It looks like Discovery is doing a North American version (Never Ever Do This At Home), but the original show (Ikke gjør dette hjemme [Don't do this at home]) can be found on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh-pUtjBrzQ

this owns so much. too bad it doesnt have subtitles.

Suspect Bucket
Jan 15, 2012

SHRIMPDOR WAS A MAN
I mean, HE WAS A SHRIMP MAN
er, maybe also A DRAGON
or possibly
A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM
BUT HE WAS STILL
SHRIMPDOR
My sister took home her pans today. I really should have said she had to wait until she was married to get her wedding present. Goodbye, Griswold 3.

I did, however, pick up a replacement 6 3/4 incher to clean up, and a beautiful little hammer finish example that's ashtray size. Into the rust bath with them next weekend.

Funkatron, I love your cauldron. Can you explain the electrolysis in detail? I don't think I'd want to go the lye cleaning route, but busting crud with the dremel scares me a bit, I don't want to accidentally ruin a nice pan. Is the acid anything more exotic then vinegar?

edit: Oh, looking it up, it's a Sodium Carbonate (washing soda) bath. Interesting.

Suspect Bucket fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Mar 11, 2015

funkatron3000
Jun 17, 2005

Better Living Through Chemistry
There are a ton of guides online, but the only real thing I did different was the power supply. A lot of folks use car battery chargers, but as the chargers got "smarter" they stopped liking to work for electrolysis. A better option is a 12 VDC power supply that can do 10+ amps. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Mean-Well-Power-Supply-12-5A/dp/B004P472X0/

Attach the negative end to the pan and the positive to your sacrificial anode. Steel works fine for the anode, but it rusts like crazy since the current is driving it to oxidize. You can find used blocks of graphite cheap on ebay if you look for used EDM electrodes. Avoid stainless steel since there is concern that it might create hexavalent chromium, nasty stuff.

You're on the money with sodium carbonate for the electrolyte. Walmart sells it in big boxes as washing soda.

Dr. Pangloss
Apr 5, 2014
Ask me about metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology. I'm here to help!
That electrolysis before and after picture comparison is amazing. Makes me want to go buy a bunch of old cast iron just to have test subjects.

VermiciousKnid84
May 28, 2004
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
What do you guys use for handle covers for your cast iron skillets? I have a silicon handle I'm not crazy about (too big and floppy, I worry about the pan slipping), and I've managed to set fire to multiple cloth handles (those ones on Amazon, usually in red or black stripes, or a chili pepper design). Any other good options out there?

Nostalgia4Dogges
Jun 18, 2004

Only emojis can express my pure, simple stupidity.

Ove gloves or silicone gloves

Leviathan Song
Sep 8, 2010

VermiciousKnid84 posted:

What do you guys use for handle covers for your cast iron skillets? I have a silicon handle I'm not crazy about (too big and floppy, I worry about the pan slipping), and I've managed to set fire to multiple cloth handles (those ones on Amazon, usually in red or black stripes, or a chili pepper design). Any other good options out there?

Calluses. Unless it's too hot; then a towel.

ColdPie
Jun 9, 2006

Yeah, a kitchen towel accompanied by not moving it very often. Just a quick jump from the oven to the stove top or whatever. What are you doing that you need so much contact that you're setting fire to cloth?

funkatron3000
Jun 17, 2005

Better Living Through Chemistry
Welp, 3/4 of an LP tank later the cauldron is somewhat seasoned. It's not the deep black we want yet, but we're on the way. This is probably the last update until I get a chance to cook with it and/or start a huge grease fire. I'm going to fabricate a stand for it and make a wooden paddle in the meantime.

Pre seasoning. There was some serious pitting up around the lip.



My makeshift pot holder out of three metal chairs.



Fire! I may need to get a higher output burner, this is just what they had at Home Depot. Everyone online seems to like the "bayou" brand burners, so I may invest in one.









Bob Morales
Aug 18, 2006


Just wear the fucking mask, Bob

I don't care how many people I probably infected with COVID-19 while refusing to wear a mask, my comfort is far more important than the health and safety of everyone around me!

VermiciousKnid84 posted:

What do you guys use for handle covers for your cast iron skillets?
Towel or potholder

When I worked at a chain restaurant we just had these little mini potholder sleeves that went over the fajita skillets

VermiciousKnid84
May 28, 2004
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.

Bob Morales posted:

Towel or potholder

When I worked at a chain restaurant we just had these little mini potholder sleeves that went over the fajita skillets

Thanks for the replies. Those sleeves are what I use now.


My problem is that I tend to leave them on the pot. I'm not sure if its the screaming hot skillet or just the flames from my gas range snaking up the skillet sides, but they end up getting burnt/falling apart. I'm surprised no one else seems to have this same issue. I guess I'll just need to take the potholders off when I'm not moving the skillet.

Dr. Pangloss
Apr 5, 2014
Ask me about metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology. I'm here to help!

funkatron3000 posted:

Welp, 3/4 of an LP tank later the cauldron is somewhat seasoned. It's not the deep black we want yet, but we're on the way. This is probably the last update until I get a chance to cook with it and/or start a huge grease fire. I'm going to fabricate a stand for it and make a wooden paddle in the meantime.

Pre seasoning. There was some serious pitting up around the lip.



My makeshift pot holder out of three metal chairs.



Fire! I may need to get a higher output burner, this is just what they had at Home Depot. Everyone online seems to like the "bayou" brand burners, so I may invest in one.











That's awesome. I wish I had a reason for something like that.

Paper With Lines
Aug 21, 2013

The snozzberries taste like snozzberries!

VermiciousKnid84 posted:

Thanks for the replies. Those sleeves are what I use now.


My problem is that I tend to leave them on the pot. I'm not sure if its the screaming hot skillet or just the flames from my gas range snaking up the skillet sides, but they end up getting burnt/falling apart. I'm surprised no one else seems to have this same issue. I guess I'll just need to take the potholders off when I'm not moving the skillet.

Yeah, they fall apart but they're fairly cheap? I think I go through maybe 2-3 a year with using cast iron maybe 3-4 times a week? My parents just gave me like six of them so I don't actually remember how expensive they are.

Paper With Lines fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Mar 16, 2015

Nettle Soup
Jan 30, 2010

Oh, and Jones was there too.

I just use my sleeve or a teatowel...

Your witches cauldron is looking good! It's almost ready for a ghastly brew!

Suspect Bucket
Jan 15, 2012

SHRIMPDOR WAS A MAN
I mean, HE WAS A SHRIMP MAN
er, maybe also A DRAGON
or possibly
A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM
BUT HE WAS STILL
SHRIMPDOR

funkatron3000 posted:



Fire! I may need to get a higher output burner, this is just what they had at Home Depot. Everyone online seems to like the "bayou" brand burners, so I may invest in one.

Bayou is what I have. I got the cheap one (Bayou Classic Single Burner Patio Stove) , and for the love of god, SPRING FOR A WINDSCREEN. It goes out if you breathe on it. It goes out if you overgas it trying to keep it lit in a light breeze. Windscreen fixes this. Other then that, super sturdy, great capacity, pretty fine control.

Suspect Bucket fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Mar 16, 2015

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KingShiro
Jan 10, 2008

EH?!?!?!

funkatron3000 posted:





Lastly, the personal set. There's no culinary reason to have all the sizes, it's just collecting at this point. I'm still looking for a good deal on a flat #10. I doubt the #2 will ever happen, way too expensive. I've got some other odds and ends like a slant logo dutch oven that's great for roasting chickens and a popover pan that makes great cornbread. The #9 is my go to for cast iron cooking, eggs will slide right off of it. Although honestly, 80% of the time I just use my stainless pans.



:aaaaa: those were all made in my city?! At least we've done something useful here.

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