cast iron guys
 

need some ideas on cleaning up a 30 gallon cast iron kettle, used to cook in it outside a lot but its been neglected, don't think putting it in the oven is feasible would the lye/water soak clean it up ok?
thanks all
RR

Yes,,it will work very well.

Lye will clean up most grease, grime, etc. It won't do anything for rust. On something that large the easiest thing to do would be get a couple cans of EZ Off oven cleaner, you have to use the high strength cans with the yellow lids, they are the ones that contain lye. Spray it down real good and put a trash bag around it to help keep it wet. You might have to respray it every couple days but after a week or so most of the stuff should come off.
If it was me once I had it cleaned I would spray it down with Pam cooking spray and then build a fire and heat it up for an hour or so. When you do that I would spray it down then wipe it down good before heating it up. If you have too much Pam on it it will become sticky, spray it down and wipe it with a towel or T shirt until it looks dry, then heat it up.

I have been looking for a large kettle myself, post some pics of the process if you can.

Can we see a picture(s) of how bad it is?

I am thinking that something that large would be a good project for sand blasting. Then a rub down with cooking oil and heating to season it again. Either that or a wire wheel to peel the rust off it.

I'll dig it out and take a pic soon as I can, haven't looked at it but haven't used it in over a year so I'm sure its cruddy, I may just do a vinegar soak I have a 200 gallon plastic barrel I could use, prolly take what 5 gallons of vinegar?
RR

Vinegar is typically used to remove rust. If it is not rusty I would use the lye. As far as sandblasting that is not recommended. Wire wheels, sandblasting ect. can damage the surface and it will not season correctly. Wire wheels can be used if they are fine wire and stainless steel and not brass. The brass will transfer to the cast iron surface. I have seen lots of skillets that have been cleaned with a wire wheel and original surface is messed up and the seasoning will not "take".

like someone said oven cleaner does wonders. my dad just bought a set of skillets and pots at a auction for 20 bucks. it would likely cost 300 new. They where pretty rust he used oven cleaner and the green pads for cleaning dishes, it all went away. Iv seen him do the same to some worst. id get a big fire going burn everything down till its carbon then scrap clean. then use the oven cleaner. a good coat of oil return to the fire and your good to go.
I normally wash mine with dish soap after every use. Most swear not to, but I dont like cooking something in a unwashed skillets after I cook say chicken. A good through rinse and re season.

Obviously pieces this large were built for and used with fire back in the day. Just be careful and don't let it get too hot. I can show you hundreds of pictures of ruined cast iron pieces that people destroyed by building a fire and throwing it in to clean it. Getting it hot is one thing, building a fire and setting it there and letting it burn is different.

agreed, these kettles have been in the family for a couple generations, a 60 gal, and 2 30 gal. they were used for butchering hogs on the family farm, I inherited a 30 gal. I just use it for cooking outside once in awhile.


so once I clean the soot off the outside, then do the vinegar soak, do I season inside and out? how would I do this? a propane cooker and pam inside and out? heat it on a wood fire for seasoning would soot it all back up and make it a mess, am I thinking right?
Thanks
RR