# Is black mild steel food safe?



## nwolfe88

Looking to have a friend cut me some tuning plates from black mild steel. Wanted to make sure this was safe to use for tuning plate material?

Thanks!


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## kit s

Most steel used in smokers are considered mild steel, so yes should not be a problem. Especially for tuning plates. Might need to burn it a few times as there might be oil on them.


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## motolife313

I'm guessing u mean hot rolled with mill scale on it. I would rather use cold rolled but seen a guy use hot rolled on a cooking griddle and he said it works


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## sky monkey

Sometimes when steel is called "black" it has a lacquer coating on it. This applies to pipe and hardware for sure. I'm in the steel business and have not heard of it on sheet or plate so it could just be somebody calls it "black" because it looks dark but make sure it doesn't have a lacquer coating on it. That would take a few smokes to burn off and would probably affect the taste negatively.


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## motolife313

I've seen it on pipe and that stuff is nasty. Grind it off for sure


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## nwolfe88

He tells me it's plain black mild steel.


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## nwolfe88

motolife313 said:


> I've seen it on pipe and that stuff is nasty. Grind it off for sure


What stuff?


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## motolife313

It's got like a clear plastic coating


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## nwolfe88

motolife313 said:


> It's got like a clear plastic coating


He says it's plain...


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## motolife313

i take it u mean cold or hot rolled


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## nwolfe88

motolife313 said:


> i take it u mean cold or hot rolled


I'm assuming.


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## ghostguy6

Black could refer to mill scale or a pickled steel, neither of which you would want on your food. If it is just mill scale you could grind, sand then season like a cast iron. However I'm not sure if it would be considered food safe. If it is a pickled steel I would not use it, if there are any micro cracks in the steel it will absorb the pickling then leech into your food.


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## nwolfe88

ghostguy6 said:


> Black could refer to mill scale or a pickled steel, neither of which you would want on your food. If it is just mill scale you could grind, sand then season like a cast iron. However I'm not sure if it would be considered food safe. If it is a pickled steel I would not use it, if there are any micro cracks in the steel it will absorb the pickling then leech into your food.


All he said is that it's hot rolled plate...black mild steel.

"Black steel is created through a mill process which involves rolling the steel at a high temperature (typically at a temperature over 1700° F), which is above the steel’s recrystallization temperature. When steel is above the recrystallization temperature, it can be shaped and formed easily, and the steel can be made in much larger sizes. Black steel is typically cheaper than bright drawn steel due to the fact that it is often manufactured without any delays in the process, and therefore the reheating of the steel is not required (as it is with bright drawn). When the steel cools off it will shrink slightly thus giving less control on the size and shape of the finished product when compared to bright drawn."


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## nwolfe88

Think im good?


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## johnmeyer

A little Googling turned up this:

What is the difference between a black steel and a bright drawn steel?


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## motolife313

Your good. I'd take a grinding wheel and take off the millscale. Wire wheel won't cut it.


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## nwolfe88

motolife313 said:


> Your good. I'd take a grinding wheel and take off the millscale. Wire wheel won't cut it.


What is millscale? Can I not just season them and be good to go?


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## sky monkey

Mill scale are the impurities that rise to the surface of the molten hot steel as it is rolled out and then allowed to cool. A sandblast, grinder or a very stiff wire wheel with some elbow grease can take it right off.


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## nwolfe88

sky monkey said:


> Mill scale are the impurities that rise to the surface of the molten hot steel as it is rolled out and then allowed to cool. A sandblast, grinder or a very stiff wire wheel with some elbow grease can take it right off.


So this for sure needs to be taken off?


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## LanceR

nwolfe88 said:


> So this for sure needs to be taken off?



I don't think so as it won't be in contact with the food.  If in doubt as to whether there was any oil put on it to prevent rust in storage/shipment clean it with a good degreaser and you'l be fine.  If it were a griddle top I'd say clean it to bright steel but not in your case.  Or in the case of the tens of thousands of smokers built with hot rolled steel.....


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## nwolfe88

lancer said:


> I don't think so as it won't be in contact with the food.  If in doubt as to whether there was any oil put on it to prevent rust in storage/shipment clean it with a good degreaser and you'l be fine.  If it were a griddle top I'd say clean it to bright steel but not in your case.  Or in the case of the tens of thousands of smokers built with hot rolled steel.....


My buddy who made them cleaned them with a degreaser. I think if I spray em with PAM and season they'll be good to go.


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## nwolfe88

lancer said:


> I don't think so as it won't be in contact with the food.  If in doubt as to whether there was any oil put on it to prevent rust in storage/shipment clean it with a good degreaser and you'l be fine.  If it were a griddle top I'd say clean it to bright steel but not in your case.  Or in the case of the tens of thousands of smokers built with hot rolled steel.....


Won't matter if the drippings from the food hit the plates and then vaporize correct? Probably overthinking this but don't want anyone to get sick.


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## LanceR

No, I wouldn't think it would matter.  Mill scale is made up of iron oxides (AKA rust....).  I understand that it can be removed with vinegar or a vinegar solution but am not familiar with the particular process.


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## sky monkey

If your not cooking the food directly on the steel millscale won't matter at all. You're good to go.


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