What is the Best Way to Season a Butchering Kettle

[TRehmeyer]

Hello. I'm in the process of cleaning a 20 gallon kettle. I was wondering what's the best way to season it. I know smaller pieces can be done in the oven but this would never fit into the oven.

 

[KevinE]

This is probably about the best way I've seen to do a large cauldron. If you don't have a gas burner or hoist system, you can use cinder blocks to get the pot up on and build a low fire under the pot. It's really the coals under the pot that you want providing the heat and not flames. Youtube has plenty of videos showing how to season large pots/cauldrons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtas_mMg9_s

 

[TRehmeyer]

Thank you. I watched the video and seems simple. Is there any chance of it cracking because of getting to hot ?

 

[KevinE]

Well, I can't say there is absolutely no chance, but I seriously doubt it. When I bought this place years ago, the owners left this big old cauldron in the front yard. It had a big hole drilled in the bottom of it to use as a flower pot. I now use it as my fire pit/cooking grill. It's had plenty of very hot fires in it and cooked lots and lots of great food. No cracks at all.

 

[TRehmeyer]

Thanks again

 

[GTurner]

It had a big hole drilled in the bottom of it to use as a flower pot. I now use it as my fire pit/cooking grill. It's had plenty of very hot fires in it and cooked lots and lots of great food. No cracks at all.

That's a great idea for a pot with holes in it. Thanks!

 

[Chuck D]

I just did this with a 40 gallon kettle I picked up for Booyah and my brother built a wood fired cooker for it. I rigged up a large tripod and put the kettle on cement blocks with some foam insulation under it then kept it attached to a block and tackle on the tripod while I used electrolysis to clean the inside. After 6 days and a few scrubbings I washed it, rinsed it, then hoisted it up and placed it in the cooker.

I originally tried a propane burner in the cooker but I could not get the kettle above the smoke point of the Crisco seasoning so I switched to a wood fire. I used a almost a whole can of Crisco heated to the smoking point then added a couple cups of corn meal and sloshed the mixture all over the kettle (smelled like burning popcorn). After about 15 minutes I spread out the coals, scooped out all the excess oil and burned cornmeal then scrubbed the inside of the kettle with cotton rags as it cooled. in the end the seasoning was dry and the kettle a nice deep black.

I used the kettle last weekend and after use I rubbed on a new coat of Crisco and put the propane burner in the cooker with the door closed for about an hour as the oil dried. I worked great

 

[D_Madden]

Well, I can't say there is absolutely no chance, but I seriously doubt it. When I bought this place years ago, the owners left this big old cauldron in the front yard. It had a big hole drilled in the bottom of it to use as a flower pot. I now use it as my fire pit/cooking grill. It's had plenty of very hot fires in it and cooked lots and lots of great food. No cracks at all.

I wonder if this was the inspiration behind the cook 'n kettle grills...

retail prices on these are pretty crazy... I almost bought one at an auction a while back (but my wife was with me...)

 

[Russell S.]

The prices and quality of these kettles vary greatly in my neck of the woods. But if you are patient great deals will show up from time to time. I recently bought a 15 gallon one for $60. And it’s in great shape. I also have a really old one that was in my family but the top edges have some chunks missing and one of the lifting eyes is also broken off. It’s older than the gate mark era, has a sprue mark. I use it as a redneck fire pit. I have a third that’s a 25 gallon in great shape that I paid more than I would now. It’s been a few years and it was between $115. and $130. I believe I offered 115 but he wouldn’t go down a dime. I started to walk but my girlfriend told me not to walk over $15. because she has seen me walk and later have regrets!