OK, now i need some help!!!

mad max beyond eggdome

i think i really screwed the pooch on this one. .. . about a week ago i did up a pot of baked beans in my 5 quart cast iron dutch oven. .. i wasn't paying attention and let the temps get out of hand for a while. .. .and while the beans were great, i really scorched em on the bottome of the pot.. ..in fact i scorched em so bad that there is about a 1/16 inch of burned on charcoal on about 30% of the bottom of the pot ... AND I CAN"T GET IT OFF!!!! ... .i've tried soaking for a couple of days in sudsy water ...i've tried filling the pot with water and letting it simmer all day .... i've tried scraping it off with a knive ... . i really think i ruined the pot on this one. ...and it was a pot that was at least 50 years old!! . ... [p]any advice to help me clean this darn thing??!!?!?! ...[p]mad "burnt bean pot" max

mollyshark

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Hmm. Sometimes soaking in vinegar helps. That power spray cleaner that everyone is using to clean grids might do it. Maybe tossing in a can of tomatoes and heating it up? Does a hell of a job on aluminum![p]I don't think you can really ruin cast iron. It will probably wear off in time![p]mShark

mad max beyond eggdome

mollyshark,
thanks. .. maybe i'll try the vinager. ..i actually poured about 1/2 inch of 409 into it with no luck. . .i also tried steel wool .. . maybe this layer of stuff will just become part of the pot.. .

Borders

mad max beyond eggdome, Scroll down this page til you see the title "Techniques for Restoring an old Cast-Iron Skillet" and see if you can find something tht works. Bottom line, your pot will need to be reseasoned, but it will cook again for sure, Scott

[ul][li]Techniques for Restoring an old Cast-Iron Skillet[/ul]

Spring Chicken

mad max beyond eggdome,
Also here at this link... [p]Spring "Burnt On Flavor" Chicken
Spring Texas USA
[ul][li]Cleaning Burnt On Food[/ul]

mad max beyond eggdome

scott,[p]wow, that is a great site! THANKS!! . . .i hadn't thought about taking a sander to it, but that might work. .. i'm not worried about reseasoning, heck i have to do that all the time as i tend to use soap and water to clean cast iron, even though i'm not supposed to. ...[p]thanks again[p]max

mad max beyond eggdome

Spring Chicken,
some more good advice. . .maybe the answer is to just stick the pot down in the coals until it turns that burned on stuff all the way down to ash.. ..you know me, i'm never afraid of a hot egg .. . [p]mad "burn baby burn" max

AlaskanC

Max - my aunt would boil water with baking soda in the bottom of a pan to clean off burnt stuff.
Our tugboat cooks would use Coke or Pepsi on the cast iron cooktops to clean them.

mad max beyond eggdome

AlaskanC,
thanks ... lots of great ideas here. ...i think i'll start with trying to burn it out in a nuclear egg!, then go from there ... [p]at least you didn't tell me to stick my foot in it (great big grinning thingy here) . ....

thirdeye

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Maybe a long soak using a mild acid like Coca~Cola, followed by some sandpaper and elbow grease.[p]Coke works wonders on corroded battery terminals and adding a can to a load of laundry removes all traces of black gold.[p]~thirdeye~
Workingmans Heloise

AlaskanC

Nah - I woulda told you to stick your hand in it. Fingers make better scrapers.

Sandbagger

mad max beyond eggdome, If it was my pot, I'd introduce it to mr. 3000psi pressure washer. Nothing like a cold beer and a fun toy to do a man's job, even if it is clean a pot.....T

Unknown

Back when I was supposed to be an "adult" leader in a scout troop, what I found was that building a small fire in a dutch oven did the job. Make sure that you are careful and don't let the pot get too hot, you will not need over an inch of live coals in the pot. Finally as everyone has said make sure you reseason. If this does not work live with it as now the burn is truly part of the pot. FowlMouth

uncbbq

mad max beyond eggdome,
And for another idea. I'd put it in my self-cleaning oven and let 'er go for about 2 hours in there. I've cleaned pizza stones, etc. that way very successfully. Be prepared for some smoke production, though, because it will burn nicely at those temps.

Dublin Dawg

mad max beyond eggdome,
My grandfather used to make a really hot fire around a stump etc. and burn off my grandmother's cast iron skillets that way. They always came out clean as a whistle.

Zilm-disabled

mad max beyond eggdome,I know the feeling all too well as this has happened to me a few times although not quite as bad. I usually put about a cup of bleach into the pot then fill it with water and bring it to a good boil and let it sit for a day or two. Sometimes I have to repeat the process but this will typically clean the crud off of the pot.

BillT

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]I served as a Boy Scout leader for many years and have had many boys (and dads) burn food on Dutch ovens. I usually tried to boil water, with and without vinegar, to loosen things up. I have tried to heat in my oven and clean, like I do my daisy wheel top in the grill, but this hasn't work well for me. On a couple I took a wire brush on my drill and cleaned the old fashioned way. It required reseasoning the Dutch oven, but it worked. I have even used sandpaper and steel wool on stubborn spots then wire brushed. I have never found a situation that couldn't be cleaned. My experience is limited to cast iron. I would think that this would work on aluminum but I don't know.[p]This type of work is extremely exhausting and dehydrating so be sure to rest up in advance and have plenty of your favorite beverage to cool you afterwards. Also remember not to use power tools without reading all safety instructions first.[p]Cheers.[p]BillT

tach18k

mad max beyond eggdome, If nothing works, I have a sand blasting booth at work, I know that will fix it.

tomo

mad max beyond eggdome,
I've never done it. So far a self cleaning oven has cleaned up the cast iron pans I have. One method that gets nice reviews is cleaning by electolysis. Google on electrolysis cleaning and you will find several sites to help you. It is work, but worth it for a pot 50 years old. I have a few and I treasure them....tom

Celtic Wolf

mad max beyond eggdome,[p] Never ever never get ANY kind of soap near the inside of your dutch oven.. You'll be tasting soap for years..[p] Having said that Nuke the dutch oven, but let it cool in whatever you nuked it in. Whatever is left you should be able to get out with a very stiff brush. Failing that I'd use a wire brush attachment to your drill. [p] If that 409 penetrated the coating you might as well clean out all of it.. [p] Re-season it.

mad max beyond eggdome

thanks everybody. .. looks like a nuclear treatment and a re-seasoning will be the ticket ....[p]as always, i appreciate everyone's input. ... [p]you know, i think if i was trapped in a cave (with internet access) and i had to help someone deliver a baby and i only had one call or connection to make, it would be with this forum, rather than calling a hospital . ...get better, more timely advice here than anywhere on the planet!!

Marvin

mad max beyond eggdome,
You're right! As an OBG who reads this forum daily, and contibutes here and there, I would send you the "recipe".
Have fun.

Celtic Wolf

mad max beyond eggdome,[p] Seeing as I delivered 40 of those rascals in the 22 years I was in the back of an ambulance I bet I could help you too.[p]

War Eggl

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Done several deliveries here, too. We're with you, man. You keep helping us with eggin' and we've got your back on babies![p]Tom