The Step Most People Miss When Seasoning Cast Iron

Comments · 1K

• NO

  @noah-the-optimist · 5 months ago · pinned

  Sign up here to get access to my Google drive, where I&apos;ll be putting written guides and resources as I make new discoveries: <a href="https://noah-somware.github.io/noah-bristol/">https://noah-somware.github.io/noah-bristol/</a><br><br>You can also opt in to get occasional email updates from me!

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• PR

  @PrebleStreetRecords · 5 months ago

  Gunsmith here- looks like you’re not carding the red “sugar” rust hard enough, leaving some red rust low down. I’d recommend getting a Grobet carding wheel on a drill or bench grinder. It’s much lighter than a wire wheel, gentle enough to touch while running, but it’ll really dig into the rust.<br>Also, for your bluing solution, a mix of 2:1:1 vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and salt will get a good result while still being food safe.<br>Thirdly, try inverting the pan over a pot of boiling water, instead of submerging it, so the steam does the reforming process. It’s slower but builds up a bluing layer more gradually. Also preheat the pan so the steam doesn’t instantly condense out at first- that’ll lead to streaks in the finish.

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• JA

  @Jaayraaay · 5 months ago

  biggest flex in the video is how level his stove is

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• AH

  @ahobimo732 · 5 months ago

  I never knew that &quot;seasoning envy&quot; was something I&apos;d have to contend with, but here we are...

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• DA

  @dannykobold741 · 5 months ago

  I coat my cooking surface with Oscar Myers’s baloney to form baloniumtite. My whole kitchen is covered with baloniumtite.😆

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• MO

  @Mountaineer2 · 5 months ago

  Ah yes, that moment where you (out of nowhere) watch a bald guy talk about blueing cast iron pans for perfect seasoning while being unreasonably interested in the topic while at the same time not even owning a cast iron pan... Only on YouTube

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• DI

  @dirtyketchup · 5 months ago (edited)

  Hey Noah. &nbsp;I&apos;m the guy who taught you about the rust-bluing process. &nbsp;My theory as to why you&apos;re still having those orange spots of hematite leftover is not because of the graphite, but because of the heavily pitted surface of your cast iron; the steel wool cannot card down in there as easily, and when you keep forming more magnetite in those pitted areas, they will continue to turn orange if not carded off. &nbsp;This is less of an issue with the truly polished, smooth surfaces of carbon steel. &nbsp;I imagine that because your cast iron still isn&apos;t mirror smooth, you would have to use some kind of gentle wire brush to do the carding instead of just steel wool, and you would see that orange disappear. &nbsp;Your digital microscope images also seem to support my theory of high spots and low spots.<br><br>Yes it&apos;s true that the graphite creates a heterogeneous microstructure, but rust-bluing works on very heterogeneous steels all the time (old gun parts, wrought iron, low-grade steels with inclusions). &nbsp;Those heavily pitted surfaces still achieved black rust without issue, but they probably had to use carding brushes more suitable for the task.<br><br>But either way, yes you have now observed one of the immense benefits to the rust-bluing method, which is a much glossier seasoned surface. &nbsp;But one other thing that you didn&apos;t consider in your recommendations is the longevity and quality of rust-bluing, which is why I still strongly advise taking the time to do the rust-bluing method (even though it is more labor-intensive). &nbsp;The thickness of magnetite that is built up through rust-bluing is far far thicker than the magnetite developed through your vinegar simmer. &nbsp;The magnetite created through vinegar etching is merely incidental at best, and really not a recommended method for creating magnetite in a consistent way that is healthy for the surface. &nbsp;In fact, vinegar etching is really just too destructive of a method to recommend at all, especially when you consider how wafer thin the resulting magnetite layer is. &nbsp;<br><br>While magnetite is more resilient against certain acids, it&apos;s still a good idea to have a sturdier layer that will never risk dissolution or physical ablation. &nbsp;Plus the thicker layer of magnetite will be much more even, resulting in better adhesion and final appearance. &nbsp;Just my 2¢, but when you factor in all the benefits of more durability, no etching, and a glossier finish, I think rust-bluing is still definitely king. &nbsp;Perhaps over time as you see your vinegar-etched skillets age, you may come to the same conclusions.

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• EW

  @ewthmatth · 5 months ago

  This guy sounds like Morpheus and Agent Smith at the same time.

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• JE

  @jeffwillis2592 · 5 months ago

  We&apos;ve been waiting generations for a scientific approach to the seasoning question. This could have been a graduate dissertation for metalurgists. Thanks for doing it.

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• ME

  @metallicaner · 5 months ago

  I love the smell of vinegar and burned oil in the morning

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• JE

  @jeffchapman6716 · 5 months ago

  Have you considered tannic acid? During WW2 the US military used tannic acid to prevent rust on everything from jeeps to battle ships to guns. It chemically reacts with the steel to create a stable oxide that produces a dark blue/black coating like the bluing method you tried. Tannic acid is used in beer and wine making to make them clear.

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• IN

  @Internethotpot · 5 months ago

  As someone who literally hand sanded their cast iron pans (a pair of gloves and a couple pieces of sand paper) this series has got me thinking about stripping my pans again and simmering some vinegar in them

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