nube dutch oven question

[gixxer1974]

First off Hi my name is Kris and I am a bullet addict

So now that I have taken step 1 and admitted I have a problem, mabe I can get some help from fellow addicts.

I just bought a Dutch oven at Harbor freight and wanted to know if I need to season the cast Iron before I start meltin my wheel weights down in it? any info is greatly appreciated

[Gohon]

no..............

[snuffy]

A little salt & pepper never hurt anything!:confused::mrgreen:

Nope, seasoning is only necessary if you were going to cook in it. That would make things NOT stick, like if you were browning stew mwat before starting the rest of the mix. Darn it, went made myself hongry!:-|

Just be sure you don't throw the heat to it empty, good chance it would crack. Put the smallest, finest lead you have directly on the bottom, once it melts, you can add the larger DRY chunks.

[gixxer1974]

A little salt & pepper never hurt anything!:confused::mrgreen:

Nope, seasoning is only necessary if you were going to cook in it. That would make things NOT stick, like if you were browning stew mwat before starting the rest of the mix. Darn it, went made myself hongry!:-|

Just be sure you don't throw the heat to it empty, good chance it would crack. Put the smallest, finest lead you have directly on the bottom, once it melts, you can add the larger DRY chunks.


THanks for the info. nother stupid question but is that Why I keep reading I should leave an inch or two in the bottom when I'm done?

[docone31]

With my pot. I melt, and what I do not ingot, I let harden in the pot. I then turn the pot upside down and pop out the contents.
I have found, debris collects in the pot after a while. This makes cool spots and when you have enough of them, it takes more heat to melt the metal.
Do not Whack them! Cast iron is ok, but does not like sharp raps, especially when full of cool lead! It can break real easy.
I have this set up where I smack the pot down on equal 2 X 4s. The handle does not have any leverage on it. I have done this for a couple of years so I guess I have found what works for my operation.
I do take time to wire wheel the inside when I get debris clumps. I mean the stuff that does not chip out, even when it is hot.
Might come from my melting wheel weights, roof lead, sheathing, and on, and on.
Other than that, I do nothing to it.
Seems to work by itself.

[snuffy]

THanks for the info. nother stupid question but is that Why I keep reading I should leave an inch or two in the bottom when I'm done?

Chris, first you're NOT asking stupid questions, the only stupid question is one that doesn't get asked.

Yes, exactly, to your above question. Always leave a couple inches of lead in the dutch oven. I call it contact lead, it's in firm contact with the bottom of the oven, it gives a heat sink, somewhere for the heat to dissipate into as it get going.

[montana_charlie]

Why I keep reading I should leave an inch or two in the bottom when I'm done?
So it won't blow away in the wind...

[gixxer1974]

thank you guys for your knowledge and help. I am sure I will have many more questions before I am done.

[Recluse]

THanks for the info. nother stupid question but is that Why I keep reading I should leave an inch or two in the bottom when I'm done?

Dunno about an inch or two. . .

When I'm using the big stainless steel spoon to pour clean alloy into my ingot moulds, I finally reach a point to where there's really not enough left in the bottom of the dutch oven to mess with.

Rather than taking and continuing to try and spoon it out, or pick up the oven and pour two or three last ingots, I just leave it in for the next smelting session. It does seem to help heat things up faster and help melt the new wheel weights or linotype or lead pipe or whatever I happen to be smelting.

I actually DO season my dutch ovens. Anything I have made of cast iron (skillets, muffin pans, cornbread moulds--we LIKE cast iron at the Recluse hacienda :)) gets seasoned before it gets used, no matter what.

:coffee:

[geargnasher]

I just swab a little engine oil on mine after smelting to keep it from rusting. The oil seeps underneath any lead left in the bottom and can bring the Tinsel Faery to visit next smelting session, so I empty it when finished and just use a torch to help get a puddle started instead of leaving the usual "seed layer".

Now for the cookware, that's a different story. When I was a kid it was a serious offense to overheat the egg skillets or use ANY kind of soap on them. Every piece of "iron furniture" was carefully scrubbed with a Chore Boy on a stick and boiling water to get it clean and disinfected. Then a layer of olive oil was applied with a clean rag before putting away. I still have and use a few ovens and skillets of my own, no teflon coating can come close to a properly seasoned and broken-in piece of ironware!

Gear

[44man]

I bought the wife some expensive stainless stuff and all she does is complain about sticking. She did the same with cast iron so I will NOT let her wash them, I clean them. I have a ton of cast iron dutch ovens and skillets and there is just nothing better for cooking.
Now try this. Take a big cast iron skillet and get it just smoking, put some olive oil in it and have your venison steaks ready.
Cut them nice and thick and coat them with Emeril's cajun or southwest seasoning. Toss in the hot skillet to blacken them, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat down a little and do the other side about 4 minutes. Get the center the way you like them.
You can make a sauce from either current jelly or cane syrup, some course ground pepper and wine, cook down until thick. Do the sauce first of course.
I like to do this outside on the side burner of my grill because it can spatter.
To just use a hot grill, run the steaks through olive oil before coating them.
After you try this---NO, you can't come and poach deer here! :drinks:
Not trying to hijack the thread but since so many of you know how great cast iron is, I thought it would fit in.