Cast Iron in its Native Habitat: Smoothing Rough Iron

Membership link: / @themudbrooker
My Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=19715027
In this video I show you the right way, well one of them anyway, to smooth down rough, bumpy cast iron.

[@old-fashionedcoughypot]

l dig your stove, man! l haven't seen one of those in action since the early 70s @ my Mom's Aunt's house. She fried a entire round steak the size of a toilet seat in the biggest cast-iron pan l ever seen for a house full of guests on a stove like that. Memorable meal... memorable skillet... and a memorable stove. Thanks for bringing up a happy memory for me.

[@beblessed2022]

Love your name 😁

[@Visitkarte]

My grandma had that kind of a stove. Always a nice warm kitchen. 🥰

[@G60syncro]

Really cool video! I was brought up with smooth cast iron in the house... When I got some pans for myself, they were rough and I didn't really like it. I work in mechanical engineering and do a lot of shop work as well, so I did use a grinder on mine... It's just that you need to have really good control and a very light touch! Not a job for a beginner!! A quick roughing pass at 40 grit followed by some fine with the 80 grit got it to where I wanted it. I also bought a piece of 1/2x12 hot rolled flat bar for my home made BBQ smoker to use as a hot plate. I cleaned up the scale off the cooking side using the same process. It looks and feels like a restaurant hot plate! Nothing sticks to it and leave it outside stored in the BBQ and not a spot of rust on it! As long as you keep using it, it will keep itself clean and non stick!!

[@beblessed2022]

My ex MIL gave me some cast iron pans years ago and i never knew how or why to cook on them so i gave them back to her not knowing what a gem they were... FF 18 years later, I just seasoned a new cast iron lodge after smoothing out the bottom a little. Can you say LOVE? I love how easy to clean this pan. I'm shocked i never appreciated what she gave me because i was young and busy but not knowledgeable about good cookware!!!😁

[@Frostyeveryday]

Just found your videos. I love cast Iron and have a few old pieces that I use. I have a Wagner that is over 100 years old still use all the time. Also, I’m from Kentucky, and it’s pronounced “Bull-it” definitely a good real Kentucky bourbon!!!

[@stanstocker8858]

Particularly for being distilled in Indiana :-) Couldn't resist, I was born in Indiana. It's an MGP sourced product. I do like their Rye, they are one of the few that specifies a really high rye grain bill. It's all in the aging and blending anyway. A heck of a lot of the bourbon and rye in the US is sources from MGP.

[@FORDultra]

Have you ever done any narrating? You've got a such a great, soothing voice. Enjoy the content. Cheers!

[@yeeeehaaawbuddy]

Cook those potatoes just like that. After you flip them the first time, add slices of tomato, and top with cheese. On the side, take 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1 teaspoon of horse raddish sauce, 1-1/2 teaspoon of dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Once the cheese is melted on the potatoes, remove from heat, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add the cream mixture to the tops. Enjoy.

[@lionheart830]

Great video and very clear instructions on seasoning cast iron cookware! Thank you for sharing this wonderful knowledge!

[@gingerchipper]

I really like your channel. Always interesting. Thanks!

[@TheMudbrooker]

You're Welcome

[@yechezkelmendoza5698]

You are a genius. I hate the lodge preseasoning. I have a little speck that sticks out and this idea saved me.

[@The1stGurehaundo]

Love the wooden floor. Thanks for a clearly explained video

[@samostroff9341]

Excellent video! Enjoy the whole thing, great way to start it off with the toast to your supporters 😂 I've only tried doing that to one pan, very inexpensive. 15-in jobby that I bought from Walmart. I had scrubbed by hand with steel wool really thoroughly and then I brought it out to the grill, covered it in lard and then let it cook off, so it wouldn't smell the house. Thank you again for an enjoyable video!

[@HelenSab]

Great job!❤️

[@lizburgess4398]

Love your stove!

[@esauer1014]

As always sir a fantastic video with good common sense!!! Have a great day and instead of cooking today I'm heading out to ice fish so I can have some goodies to put in my ironware!!!

[@TheMudbrooker]

Fried fish sounds really good.

[@donb1183]

Always a good idea to drink before using power equipment and working around stoves. Oh, and your bourbon is pronounced just like the ammunition. Enjoyed the vid.

[@TheMudbrooker]

I get kickbacks from my local emergency room.

[@AquaTech225]

Only a weenie couldn’t handle the both

[@jtplays7411]

If you get that bad after that little bit of alcohol stick to water 😂.

[@Melicoy]

Thank you !!!

[@sheilapierson2016]

The pan is great! The taters are lookin' pretty darn good! And...where did yoy get that stove??? Awesome!! I love it!!💜💜💜💜

[@RB-er6gu]

Hey those potatoes 🥔 looked awesome 😋 Great video 📹👍

[@canadiancastaholic6090]

I caught the ass end. Love your channel.

[@TheMudbrooker]

Wouldn't be the first time my ass got caught... :)

[@newtboys]

Your stove will still be kickin' long after my new Kitchen Aid stove needs to be replaced. I started using cast iron in the 60's. I never liked nonstick and couldn't stand the craptacular plastic utensils you had to use. Thanks for the information!

[@Alyosha-nm4io]

Man that #8 is gorgeous 😍

[@hudson8865]

Thank you

[@theironscorpion2128]

Thank you for the information I'll give it a try on a couple of 15" Ozark Trail skillets.

[@TheMudbrooker]

Let me know how they turn out.

[@theironscorpion2128]

@tester123532456 Yes as rough as an old gravel road.

[@theironscorpion2128]

@@TheMudbrooker I sure will.

[@beblessed2022]

Well, how did they turn out???😁

[@theironscorpion2128]

@@beblessed2022 They turned out great I just took down the rough top layer with 80 grit sandpaper by hand.

[@eminusipi]

Yes the pits are not the problem, it's the high points. I lightly hand sanded my Lodge cast iron pans with 100-200 grit sandpaper and re-seasoned. Works great!

[@dpelpal]

Same here

[@BobSmith-eq9vs]

Looked at a bunch of smoothing cast iron while drinking Kentucky bourbon, then discovered this channel!

[@redpillgirl1843]

thanks!

[@TheFLOMAN76]

Good Stuff

[@577buttfan]

Whats up dude.i would consider smoothing out my lodge a little but I think all the nooks and crannys help store the season flavor.

[@midwest1228]

Appreciate the video. New to the cast iron world.. Bought a 12" Lodge skillet about a year ago. No sanding but seasoned it at least 3 times before I cooked with it. Absolutely love that skillet. I ordered another Lodge 10.25" deep dish that should arrive today. I'm going to sand it a little.. Not bare metal, but I want to see if there is a difference. My first piece hasn't been sanded, but it provides a nonstick surface and cleanes up with little effort.. What are your thoughts? Btw.. Not my choice of bourbon, but I like a nice pour when I'm grilling or throwing some protein on the smoker!

[@TheMudbrooker]

I very seldom sand pans, when restoring vintage pans it's only needed in very rare cases. And like you said, even with rougher textured pans like the new Lodge ones the roughness doesn't cause a problem. That said, some people prefer a smoother textured pan. If you do want to sand your new Lodge pan, use an orbital sander with 50 grit paper, you don't need to strip the seasoning first, and ten minutes or so of work will smooth the surface nicely. You don't need, or really want, a polished mirror finish.

[@jameshenderson7224]

I love it. I'll have a bourbon.

[@mr.smithskitchen3224]

bullet is my favorite everyday bourbon

[@TheMudbrooker]

It's pretty good for the price.

[@mr.smithskitchen3224]

@@TheMudbrooker for sure, I'm going to smooth out the couple of lodges we have, well at least try 🙂, I'll let you know how it turns out.

[@Beautiful_Days9249]

Neat. I still need to get some cast iron. Never cooked with it yet.

[@TheMudbrooker]

Cast iron takes a little getting used to, it heats differently than other metals. It retains more heat, so once it's heated up you'll probably need a lower fire than you would with your current cookware. Once you get the hang of it though, you'll love it.

[@ednamyers5760]

I love the information on the cast iron pan where can I find the stick you were using to oil it with..I have a older square iron skillet that no matter what you do to it leaves a black film on it so I don't use it. Thanks 😊

[@TheMudbrooker]

Easy Beezy is sold at cicookware.com

[@larrym.johnson9219]

Give it a good wash in hot water dry it well with towel then warm it up slowly on low to med-low put a small amount of Cristo and wipe around your pan like he shows its should help.

[@renerenatorivera9062]

@@TheMudbrooker that account is closed (suspended).

[@hairstoyou7248]

Do you have information about nickel plated griswald pans?

[@DrMaserati]

Another informative video. I'm enjoying a little Black Bush as I watch it. As you mentioned in one of your videos a couple of years ago, the Irish make pretty good whiskey.

[@TheMudbrooker]

Erin go Bragh!

[@castironkev]

Sanding is definitely on the no no list in the collecting/restoration world, but for pieces that are new or significant pitting? Why not, great results!

[@TheMudbrooker]

Sanding is something I seldom do, and then I try to keep it to a minimum.

[@castironkev]

@@TheMudbrooker if you're keeping the pan, and it's rough? I say why not! It does ruin collectible value on vintage pieces tho, so I won't on those..

[@mikewurlitzer5217]

Oh the purists. Cast iron is one of the cheapest metals available and to worry about collecting/restoration is a waste of time. Making such a rough surface product more suitable for delicious cooking makes it more valuable to the people who use it for the reason it was made, not the patina [aka rust, corrosion, pits, sticky rough surfaces. Nobody started out manufacturing cast iron pans as a collector's item.

[@spacecase0]

The really old cast iron pans that I have appear to have been machined flat from the factory on the inside. I've never needed to flatten an old pan. The newer ones are the ones that seem to be made incorrectly and need fixing

[@gizzyguzzi]

@@spacecase0 Lodge says it would double the price of their skillets if they finished them nicely like the old machined skillets. That's why I stick to the old stuff.

[@tomkohan4840]

What make stove do you have.

[@cougar1802]

Love the video. My family moved to Buffalo, Mo when I was 15 from Santa Ana, Ca...found out that outhouses and wood stoves weren't extinct LOL. Learned to cook pretty good on that stove...looked like yours only I think it was blue instead of pink. I am now 69 and have a wall of different cast iron pans...love 'em and always use them to cook with. Where did you get your heat sensor?

[@tallcedars2310]

Hi Mudbrooker, hope things are going well in your neck of the woods. Totally off topic, I have a question I wonder if you can help me with. I have a fire damaged CI pan and have been cooking with it for 2 years or so. At first it would not take seasoning but lately it has. Can you tell me what the damage is that occurs to a pan and makes it not suitable for cooking with? Cheers

[@TheMudbrooker]

Fire damage drives oxidation into the metal which makes it porous and makes it brittle in some areas but not others. The oxidized areas tend to repel seasoning, in time it usually sticks but it takes time. I'm gonna do some experimenting with fire damage, but it might be a while. Most fire damaged pans aren't beyond hope, but it takes patience.

[@tallcedars2310]

@@TheMudbrooker The pan I have doesn't have a nice ring to it like the others, and it does stick in areas for sure. Good to know it's oxidized metal that caues that and hope one day the whole pan will season nicely. Looking forward to the experiments as they actually sound fun!

[@jselby88]

Can I send you some pictures of my grandmothers cast-iron skillet? I am 82 years old and would like to know about when it was made and the brand . Thank you, John.

[@TheMudbrooker]

Send them to [e-mail] and I'll see If know anything.

[@jennjohnson-richards5829]

I don't fry spuds often. Wondering would making a roux then gravy do the trick?

[@TheMudbrooker]

Browning the flour and butter sure would, I think adding the liquid might work against you a bit, but overall it should be good.

[@Jaybo454]

I never understand why people don’t just add a tiny bit of water to the pan instead of dealing with the dust

[@tallcedars2310]

Good to see how to smooth out a pan, it turned out great. Looks easy enough to do and wonder if sanding can be used to take the convex bubble out of a CI pan I purchased on ebay, as the animial fat rolls to the outter edges of the pans. Question, I purchased an ebay pan that was cleaned in a fire that left red marks on it, is there any way to keep it seasoned? It's a great pan although I would like to keep it more seasoned, is this possible, other than adding lots of animal fat while cooking with it? To my surprise it was easy to move from yt to join! Call me Whiskey Intellect if you can, as cj is just wrong, lol.

[@TheMudbrooker]

If the bottom of a pan is warped, there's not much that can be done about it, if you try sanding it flat there will be very little if any iron in the middle. Pans that have been in a fire can be tough to deal with, but most times they're still usable. Burning a pan in a hot fire changes the metal, it burns out the grains of carbon in the iron and causes deep oxidation leaving it porous. Your best bet would be to strip the pan with oven cleaner, sand the cooking surface a little then re-season it. You may or may not remove all of deep oxidation, but you'll at least smooth up the roughness some. After that it's a matter of using it, in time the seasoning should improve.

[@tallcedars2310]

@@TheMudbrooker Well, looks like I need to learn more about buying CI online as I actually have two, one convex and one concave, lol. They are still useable but it can be a pain when cooking certain things, cheers1

[@TheMudbrooker]

@@tallcedars2310 Convex, from the inside, is a bit unusual, pans normally bow downwards when they warp and it makes them rock or spin. A little bit of warp can be a positive from the buying point of view because it brings the price down. Unless it's severe it's usually just a matter of using a bit more oil so it goes all the way to the sides.

[@tallcedars2310]

@@TheMudbrooker Yes, I couldn't believe it when the fat all went to the outter edge and the center was bare of fat. Just tested the pan using a pencil and there is a slight rock from the center. Am wondering if the pan was tossed cold into a very hot fire since it has fire damage also? It does sit flat although rocks side to side from handle across, not the other direction. It's a nice McClary spider drip top pan that still does the job. Yes, I cook eggs near the edge and in runs around the edge and not to the middle. All my other pans do bow downward. As you say, this one is odd.

[@johnkozup9959]

Ff

[@boilerhonkiedude9163]

My wifey-type-person says my #14 Gris is now "HER" pizza pan. Guess I lost ownership but have utilization rights. Since you're a dough guy, I recommend homemade pizza highly as a future topic.

[@TheMudbrooker]

Sounds like a plan.

[@jennjohnson-richards5829]

Would love to see you do a detroit style!

[@TheMudbrooker]

@@jennjohnson-richards5829 I did a video re-creating Little Caesar's cheesebread in a cast iron skillet, that's 3/4 the way to a Detroit style pizza.

[@lordmonty9421]

No. 14? Griswold? I saw a No. 13 recently that was basically unheard, and they wanted like, $1500 for it. You're saying you have one bigger? If so, that's super cool, and anyone who used that thing, including the wife, would be risking a beating. Joking that it was "theirs"? All I can picture are blue and red flashing lights and the neighbours peering out their windows at the sight of me being put in a cruiser. :P

[@heated817]

The season will coat more evenly if you put it in the oven upsidedown

[@anthonyberger225]

I like it just smoked a joint and had fried taters to with venison steak🌴

[@anitamarshall7528]

Is the sandpaper you used for iron or wood?

[@TheMudbrooker]

Either.

[@karlschuman7464]

Hi, I need some help. Love cast iron got hooked years ago I have quite a collection. Recently I acquired a unmarked pan. It has a v inside a diamond with a B next to it. it also has a ring. Can anyone help me?

[@TheMudbrooker]

Sounds like a Chicago Hardware Foundry, usually they have a number inside the diamond but some have a letter.

[@karlschuman7464]

@@TheMudbrooker hey, thanks a lot! That gives me a starting point to do some research as I don't know much about them

[@pavlovsky0]

Thinking about naming my next dog Benedict riggers.

[@lbsmith83]

Will you be able to eat those potatoes after grinding?

[@TheMudbrooker]

Yes, I scrubbed the pan before seasoning.

[@gizzyguzzi]

The hardest part of fixing a new Lodge skillet these days is finding a man. You know, a real man that has tools and stuff. And knows how to use them. And not afraid to get his hands dirty. Like a DA sander, to do it for you.

[@legambaz]

How do you adjust the heat of your stove? Is it gas, electric or what else?

[@TheMudbrooker]

That's a wood fired stove, you control the heat by controlling how big the fire is, how fast you let it burn and where on the stove you place the pan.

[@legambaz]

@@TheMudbrooker Thanx for replying. It must be really tough to control....for idiots like me. It's very interesting how you could cook on it so well though. Cheers. Like your channel.

[@Muttbike65]

Fire needs three things, heat, air and fuel. To control the heat in one of these, you can control the amount of air the fire receives.

[@rafterL78]

The firebox is on the left. Move skillet closer or farther is the quick way while waiting for fire to heat up or smother down.

[@legambaz]

@@Muttbike65 Thanx

[@gtaylor1564]

Making me hungry

[@Keachybean]

Is there a Mrs. in the picture? Just wondering how she feels about your collection. You have a great display on your wall but then you pan the camera elsewhere and there is cast-iron everywhere on everything. Even the kitchen floor. I’d love a collection like you have. I’m going to assume that your business is restoring other people’s stuff.

[@TheMudbrooker]

Right now, most of the excess is piled around the cookstove. I get most of my stuff at second hand stores or estate auctions, at auctions you usually end up buying a box with one or two things you're interested in and five that you don't really need. What you see on the floor is either in some stage of restoration or extras I haven't sorted and figured out what to do with yet.

[@howarddeheer8295]

I have a 15 inch like yours

[@hoffi9327]

Native Habitat??

[@1British-Columbian-ca]

never use a sander on cast iron period

[@ManLand]

There's a scientific way but then there is the actual practical way, the practical is what I do every day and it works just like yours does...lol.

[@TheMudbrooker]

A simple plan well executed usually works best. :)

[@Kastnerd]

Don't sand cast iron

[@mikewurlitzer5217]

Why? A rough pan is less valuable for the purpose it was created, cooking delicious meals without everything sticking to it.

[@ChaChaDancin]

Rough pans hold onto seasoning better, which is what makes the pan non-stick. Sanding it down has exactly the opposite effect of what you want.

[@jadeolin8514]

Guess those near glass smooth carbon steel pans don't ever hold on to seasoning.... Oh wait. Internet experts are annoying

[@ChaChaDancin]

@@jadeolin8514 Carbon steel has different properties than cast iron, but yes the principle is the same. A rough surface holds onto seasoning better than a glass-smooth surface.

[@dpelpal]

The original comment is absolute nonsense

[@cefarther3945]

That is a lot of fat and calories. Potatoes are virtually fat free, I think this is too fattening.

[@castironchaos]

I'm sorry, but I gritted my teeth and winced as I watched you apply that sander to a vintage pan that could be as much as 90 years old. It's your cast iron, and you can do what if you want with it, but nonetheless any resale that pan is effectively gone. Also, I was genuine worried that sander might have crack the pan; as well as the fact that you don't need a glass smooth surface to cook with any cast iron pan.

[@ahmadgeo]

I have a modern Lodge with "rough" surface, and another one from local foundry that's even more "rough".... And have absolutely no issues cooking with them and both are great users. If you need a smooth surface, ho get yourself a Stainless Steel or a Teflon pan, but why changing the nature of Cast Iron!

[@TheMudbrooker]

You raise a good point, I should've been clearer in the video exactly what the point of the exercise was. I agree with you in principle and share your objections toward doing anything that removes either metal or value from a cast iron piece but I also believe there are exceptions. Rather than typing a huge wall of text explaining myself it would be easier to do a follow up video addressing your concerns. I'll have it up tomorrow afternoon, hopefully I'll be able to convince you I'm not just one more idiot on KZbin attacking valuable iron with a grinder. :)

[@castironchaos]

@@TheMudbrooker I appreciate you saying that. As I said, it's your cast iron and you can do what you want with it. And if you feel you have a good reason to sand it, then that's your choice to do so.

[@mikewurlitzer5217]

90 years old just makes it an OLD pan. Inexpensive cast iron does not become more valuable with age if it just sits on a shelf. No CI manufacturer ever considered this very crude metal for anything other than a great way to cook delicious food. Amazing people don't get upset with placing a 90 year old pan on a hot surface or heaven forbid on an open flame.

[@bobdittloff5966]

It was a newer pan not worth much.