Dutch Oven Cleaning

[jbullard1]

One of my neighbors just gave me a 15 -20  year old Lodge #12 dutch oven, it has the 3 legs and the rim on the top. The problem is it is half full of Rancid, Rancid, did I mention Rancid grease, it has never been used much but I need Ideas to clean it up and not get run out of the house and beat senseless in the process
Jerry

[R.M.]

Well, let's see. You could save it for the "Wife Swap".  
Or you could heat the living H out of it, then use it for a lead pot.

[jbullard1]

Speaking of Wife Swap the producer's office called me today. I have to sign off saying I'm willing to appear on TV

Trying to salvage the oven for cooking use we may need to bake a muskrat or something

[Riley/MN]

Wipe it as clean as you can get it, then put it in a fire... Just throw it on your next camp fire. Should clean it out... Then start over on the seasoning...

[Trois Castors]

You could save it for the "Wife Swap".  

Ha Ha Ha....break her in right away!

[jbullard1]

You could save it for the "Wife Swap".  

Ha Ha Ha....break her in right away!

Not a bad idea

[Three Hawks]

As Riley said,  warm it,  wipe it as clean as possible with paper towels or rags, then reseason it.  
 
I've salvaged many cast iron utensils by simply boiling water in 'em, then emptying and wiping with paper towels.  If there's cooked on crud, scrub it off with stainless "Chore Girls" then reseason.

If the oven is too far gone for this,  heat it up and spray Easy-Off in it.  That will remove almost anything.  Then wipe it out with hot water and reseason.

I season my iron  by heating it in a 300 deg. oven, wiping generously with lard, then returning it to the oven upside down, turn off the oven and allow to cool.

Three Hawks

[sse]

Another option is to place it in a self-cleaning oven and leave it in through a cycle.

[Spotted Bull]

We also use the "throw it in the fire' method...been given several OOOOOOLLLLLLDDDD dirty iron ware that we cleaned out that way, from food to dirt to rust.  Then reseason them!

[Uncle Russ]

Another option is to place it in a self-cleaning oven and leave it in through a cycle.

I've never thought of this one.

Have you actually done this before, Jim?

I normally only use 300 / 350 degrees, set the timer for an hour or three,  and take the pot / skillet out the next day after it has cooled.

I think I'm going to try this, I see no "obvious" reason why this shouldn't work.
 
(Still yet, a nice hot campfire is a sure fire way to clean 'em without destroying 'em.....maybe it's the ashes from the wood coals, heck I dunnno)

I just picked-up a fairly nice old pot with a flat bottom and a somewhat domed lid with a fairly heavy wire handle, about 3qt I suspect....I've kinda speculated the pot was made for hanging.

Originally, I was going to use it for processing wheel weights and adding antimony for some casting that I do that requires a high bhn.
However, after reading this just now, I think I just might clean it up good and re-season it.......a feller can never have too many old pots, IMO.

Uncle Russ...

[snake eyes]

Just a thought here: But if the grease is as rancid as Jerry
says I don't believe I would be using moms oven to heat it    
up....at least not until I got as much of the grease out as
possible then filled and burned of charcoal.Might even consider a light sandblast after that,then re season. Just my thoughts.
snake-eyes

[sse]

Have you actually done this before, Jim?

Yes I have, with excellent results.  The only draw back is a smoky odor, which happens any time you crank up a self-cleaning oven.

Snake, the residue inside really doesn't make any difference.  Get as much out of it as you can and run it through the cycle.  It will smell regardless and all impurities, plus any pre-existing intact seasoning, flake away.  A re-seasoning is mandatory, of course.  Good ventilation is necessary, and maybe a strategy from keeping the odor from filling the whole house.

I have a gas oven.  I suspect the self-cleaning function of an electric oven would be superior.

[Fletcher]

First try the boiling water method.  If that does not get it all, I would put it on a grill or rack over the hot campfire for a while.  I might use some of the stainless chore girls as was said, but I will NEVER use chemicals such as soap, detergent or oven cleaner on cast iron.  It is too porus and you will never get that all out if you get chemicals in in.

My old Scout Troop was given about a dozen pieces that had been left for who knows how long in terrible shape.

The Dutch Oven master (Jack) tried all of the above, and after the crusted crud would not come out, he took it to the shop where he worked and loaded up the sand blaster with new sand (no oil or chemicals in it)  They turned out good as new and when reaseasoned worked fine.  We gave a couple pieces to the shop owner and invited him to a Scout Dutch Oven cooking weekend.  He has been an iron junkie ever since as have a lot of us Scouters.

[jbullard1]

I have the Lodge cleaned and ready to use I also have a cast iron pot that will probably have to go to the sandblasters. It was used as a water vessel for dogs for years

[Three Hawks]

I have a real problem with using cast iron cooking utensils for melting lead.  It works, of course, [size=150]BUT [/size] , and there always seems to be a but,  What happens in the future when you no longer have control of that dutch oven, kettle, corn fritter pan, muffin pan, whatever,  that was used to process lead and lead alloys?

Will folks in the future get sick from it should they use it to cook with?  Are you willing to bet they won't and what if they happen to be your own grandkids or great grandkids?  Would you cook in a kettle you melt wheelweights in?  How, exactly do you assure that someone won't fry up a really tasty mess of lead flavored catfish in that nice ol' cast iron frying pan they found in the shed at Grampa's house?  You know,  the one you used to cast fishing sinkers and round balls with.

Toxic food for thought.

Three Hawks