Lye Alternatives in Cast Iron Stripping/Restoration: Coca-Cola

[Will Hiebert]

Lye seems to be the favored method of removing seasoning from cast iron pans; I'm a little concerned with the possibility that some lye would remain in the tiny pits and pours of the cast iron even after thorough washing (thoughts either way best saved for another discussion post). After a little searching and lurking, I see that there are a number of posts regarding alternative stripping chemicals; I wanted to see if you guys recommend or have had any experience with using alternative chemicals that are less dangerous if ingested, namely Coca-Cola.


In my Lye paranoia, I recently used a 50/50 Coca-Cola and Vinegar mixture to strip an 85-year-old John C. Johnson skillet with what I'd say were good results. I'm new to cast iron cookware restoration, so I'm just judging my results with other pictures of restored pieces on this forum. The Coke and Vinegar mix made quick work of the rust and had the appearance of gradually removing the seasoning. You are almost certainly a better judge of the restoration job than I am and I can post pictures of the finished product if requested. 

My concern is that the time it took for the mixture to be effective contributed to some mild pitting that became visible after stripping. Any thoughts on that?

Describing the process I used:
- Mixed equal parts white distilled vinegar and Coca-Cola in my sink
- Soaked pan for ~45 minutes
- Scrubbed pan with nylon kitchen scrubber under running water until water ran clear
 - Dried skillet, returned to vinegar/Coke bath and repeated process until skillet was a uniform gun-metal appearance.
- Performed standard reseasoning process 4 times using grapeseed oil.

Process from start to finish was approximately 7 hours for the strip and rust removal and another ~10 hours in reseasoning.

[Duke Gilleland]

Lye removes the burnt carbon off of cast iron. Coke & vinegar will not get the carbon BUT will help remove the rust. Did you ever eat home made hominy?
If used incorrectly, vinegar can "eat" at cast iron

[Cheryl Watson]

Lye is also an ingredient in lutefisk, olives (making them less bitter), canned mandarin oranges, hominy, lye rolls, century eggs, and pretzels ,

Lye is very much water soluble and easily scrubbed from the Iron.

Both Vinegar and Coca Cola contain ACID and must be used carefully to de-rust Cast Iron.   

I would forget the Coke, and just use a 50/50 solution of White Vinegar and water, checking every 30 minutes.  The longer in the vinegar bath, the higher the risk of permanent damage/etching to the iron.

But strip the piece first.  Yellow Cap Easy Off oven cleaner will work, but it also contains lye... :) 

[Will Hiebert]

Thank you Cheryl and Duke for your responses. I should have looked into the food use and solubility of Lye before deciding it was dangerous. I feel a lot better about using it in projects going forward. Thanks again!

[Cheryl Watson]

Always observe safety precautions when working with lye... eye protection is critical, and skin protection too.

I started out scared to death of the stuff...
I got over it, but always, always respect it... :)

[Mark Zizzi]

Hello again Will. I commented about your pan in your other thread with the pics of your Johnson skillet before I saw this thread. It is clearly in need of more work and I recommended a lye bath and electrolysis. You will be amazed at the difference after doing that and how it looks now. Clean, black and shiny is the goal, but not quite as oily (wet) looking as your pics.
Don't be afraid of using lye on your iron..as others have noted, if you've eaten pretzels or "real" kosher style bagels, you've already eaten more lye than would ever be left on your pan.
Whether a lye bath or oven cleaner is best for you would depend on how many more pieces you think you'll be doing in the future. If you get the castironitis bug, (and you will, lol), might as well just set up a lye bath and electrolysis tank now..unless you cant for some reason where you live now.  Some people just use electrolysis to both de-gunk and de-rust and that works well too, but I (and others) like to keep the crud out of the electrolyte so I can see the piece is good to go before turning the charger on.

This Erie skillet had crud and a wee bit of rust when I got it, Notice the difference between this pan now and the pics of your pan. This is what a lye bath and electrolysis can do for your iron.  ;)

[Will Hiebert]

After a little shopping trip to Lowes, I think I have everything I need for both the electrolysis and lye bath (minus the actual lye). One of the unfortunate aspects of being a student and living in an apartment is that I have to use my buddy's garage to do this. Since I'm on his schedule, I elected to go ahead and take care of the stripping (properly this time). I bought a can of Easy Off and followed the directions on CastIronCollector.com. Hopefully there's enough time between now and Friday to have the pan ready for electrolysis. If not, the lye I ordered should be in and I'll just wait a little longer. 

I also wanted to say thanks and that I appreciate everyone's feedback!

[Cheryl Watson]

On your next trip out, make sure you pick up some Stainless Steel scrubbies!!  (a must have for scrub downs...) Never copper, or brass...

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hello Will. If you are going to be using lye, which is a good choice by the way, you should read the section we have about purchasing lye. When you go to buy it you'll see what I mean.  :)

[Cheryl Watson]

You might also want to follow the directions we have here...

Where do you think the rest of the internet gets their information???

 :D

[Mark Zizzi]

Cheryl and Perry are right..everything you'll ever want to know about ANYTHING related to cast iron can be found right here on this forum...especially once you become a member and can access the vast information in the "members only" threads This is where I learned and never needed to look any further. 3 years ago I knew absolutely nothing about cast iron cookware except I wanted some, like you do now. I've come a long way since then and I learned it all right here. The help you will find here is second to none..all you have to do is ask.  ;)

An interesting story about Lowes..I went into my local Lowes when I needed to buy my first can of lye and couldn't find it so I asked a young clerk that was wandering by. He didn't know anything so he picked up a phone to ask the manager. The manager said they didnt carry it any longer and it was now illegal to sell lye in New York (where I live). In a panic I sped home to my computer and started a thread here asking where to buy lye in NY. The answer...Lowes. Look for Roebic Crystal Drain Cleaner, in the plumbing section...not the household cleaners section where I was looking. I went back the next day and there it was. 100 per cent pure sodium hydroxide..or lye..which the MANAGER said they didn't and couldn't sell.  ;)

http://www.lowes.com/pd_486650-331-HD-CRY-DO_0__?productId=4751600&Ntt=roebic&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Droebic&facetInfo=

[C. Perry Rapier]

There was this WAGS member from Iowa. And she said she could not find lye anywhere around her and could someone help her out. I asked where she lived. I found somebody in her town that sells it, remember you gotta know what to ask for and know not what to ask for. Anyway, I called her up and told her that the store right in there in her town had it and they was holding two cans for her with her name on them. She was very appreciate and thanked me. She probably wore out a new pair of shoes looking for lye.

DON'T EVER BUY LYE AT ACE HARDWARE.

[Cheryl Watson]

Oh my, Mark... this brings back memories...

If you check on the old Forum, search LOWE'S, and you will find a hilarious thread about my shopping there in the early days, and all the ribbing about how my Lowe's shopping would single handedly rescue the economy!!!

[Will Hiebert]

After a few days of lathering in Easy Off, this is what I'm left with. I'm hoping for some advice on the next step based on what you see. Should I go back to the acid bath in vinegar, lye bath, or straight to electrolysis? 

Also, I apologize for using an unapproved source earlier. The G&W site doesn't have a rundown for Easy Off that I've yet found.

[Janis Berzins]

There was this WAGS member from Iowa. And she said she could not find lye anywhere around her and could someone help her out. I asked where she lived. I found somebody in her town that sells it, remember you gotta know what to ask for and know not what to ask for. Anyway, I called her up and told her that the store right in there in her town had it and they was holding two cans for her with her name on them. She was very appreciate and thanked me. She probably wore out a new pair of shoes looking for lye.

DON'T EVER BUY LYE AT ACE HARDWARE.

Perry what is wrong with the Lye at Ace?

[Mark Zizzi]

Hi Will,
Now that looks much better. I'm not seeing any rust, but it could be the pics. Inspect carefully in good light and look for anything orange or red looking, even tiny spots of it. If you see any, that's rust and needs to be addressed before seasoning.  If it's minor, perhaps a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water will take care of it if your not set up for electrolysis yet. If you are, I would use electrolysis. I do see some dark "stain" like areas, mainly on the bottom. Have you tried to scrub that off yet with your SS scrubbies? If it won't scrub off and seems like stubborn carbon, it might need a little more time in the lye.  ;)

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hello Janis. I say don't buy from ACE HARDWARE because, as we say, they are higher than a catzass. Thats pretty high you know. I could not believe how high they were until I shopped around. It was close, it was handy, and I got what I wanted but at one high price.  :o :o :o

[Janis Berzins]

Ah, you scared me there. I get mine from Menards, seems pretty reasonable there.