# reheating lye



## renaissancemom (Dec 23, 2009)

i just made a batch of lye and put it outside in the 32degree cold to cool down.  2 questions: 1. can lye freeze? and 2. I normally warm lye up with a warm bath but can i quickly put it in the microwave instead?


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## ycartf (Dec 23, 2009)

I rewarm lye mix all the time in the microwave.  I heat 32 oz of water/lye on high for about 2.5 minutes to get it to about 120 degrees.

And as far as freezing, I suppose it COULD freeze, but definitely not at 32.  The lye acts sort of like anitfreeze, and lowers the freezing temp for the water.


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## renaissancemom (Dec 23, 2009)

thank you very much, that is very helpful.


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## ChrissyB (Dec 23, 2009)

Oh please be careful reheating lye in the microwave, that sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.


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## gekko62 (Dec 23, 2009)

ChrissyB said:
			
		

> Oh please be careful reheating lye in the microwave, that sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.



I've reheated for 20sec intervals at 50% & had it crackle & pop. Sometimes it's fine,others not but it makes me real nervous.Giving up  the practise....


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## ycartf (Dec 23, 2009)

Well the lye mix I microwave is about 1/3 lye and 2/3 water .... in a big, thick-walled, glass "batter bowl" with the cover loosely laid on top.  I have never had a problem with it.


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## carebear (Dec 24, 2009)

I've frozen lye water solid in my freezer - which is set at about zero F, if memory serves.

I really don't recommend microwaving it - ever - but if you are going to, be very very careful and while I"m glad no one has been hurt - please don't use any form of glass.  seriously.  read about pyrex shattering.

Don't even mix the sol'n in glass.  Really.  Please.

To warm your lye solution, set it in a pot or bowl of hot water.


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## ycartf (Dec 24, 2009)

Carebear, I have never had a problem with my Pyrex-like batter bowl (another brand) and I have mixed AND reheated in it over 40 times.  I don't know if folks who have them shatter have caused/allowed sudden temperature changes like immersing in a sink of ice water while the lye mix was near boiling or what.

If not glass, what do you mix your lye water in?  I tried plastic before and it appeared to take on a color as though it had dissolved a little of the plastic into the mix.  I am not sure what metal/s could be repeatedly used for this without suffering damage from the repeated strong caustic exposure.  What does everyone use then?


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## carebear (Dec 24, 2009)

Then do it - your call.


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## Bigmoose (Dec 24, 2009)

I mix my lye in a kool-aid type pitcher I got from the dollar store.  You want to find one with a "5" inside the triangle and "PP" under that for a recycle code.  They will take the heat.

Bruce


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## CafeRacer (Dec 24, 2009)

I use a 64oz stainless steel pitcher that's sold as a milk frothing pitcher.  It doesn't react with lye and it's a great conductor of heat which makes for quick and easy temp adjustments in either a cold or warm water bath.


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## Vetivier (Dec 25, 2009)

NEVER EVER reheat lye solution in a microwave. Too dangerous, fumes, splatter, explosions, Chemical burns. 
dont even think about stovetop
Warm water bath  and patience.


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## honor435 (Dec 25, 2009)

i use a hard plastic measuring container from hardware strore, used the same ones for over 100 batches, no prob, with glass i found it took too long to cool down my mixture. I personally wouldnt put lye mix in micro, but thats just me.


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## xyxoxy (Dec 26, 2009)

A rubbermaid plastic pitcher works great fro me. I premix in that and once it is cooled I store in an HDPE laundry detergent bottle. I do not re-heat... it works great for me at room temp. And I would never put it in the microwave.

I have read on several forums where using glass... even pyrex glass, to mix lye will etch the glass over time and eventually cause hairline cracks that will fracture. Never experienced this myself and not willing to risk it.


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## CiCi (Dec 29, 2009)

Why not soap it cool/cold? I purposely soaped with cold lye water just to see what would happen and it soaped just fine. No problems at all.


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## renaissancemom (Dec 29, 2009)

that's an idea, thanks


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## xyxoxy (Dec 29, 2009)

Right... the idea that your oils and lye have to be at the exact same temp is a myth. 

I'm not saying that temperature doesn't affect things like trace etc... but you can soap just fine at room temperature. And I have not used a thermometer in well over a year. 

Soaping at room temp also helps me to prevent gel in my soaps because it rarely gets very hot to begin with. I've only overheated my soap once and that was from an experiment when I tried to force gel in the oven.


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## Stinkydancer (Jan 3, 2010)

I soap at room temp and cold for whipped...I have been soaping a long time and have never used temps. Maybe it it a myth???


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## carebear (Jan 3, 2010)

If your lye solution is cooler than your oils then you can get a false trace - essentially the lye solution contributes to the oils thickening and solidifying.  So it's good, at least when starting out, to have lye and oils around the same temp.

I used to soap warm (say 100 - 110 deg) but went to soaping with lye and oils both cooled to about room temp to give myself more time.  But now I've gone back to warm for many soaps as it helps ensure gel - plus I've very little patience.  So with FOs that will let me, I tend to soap warm again.


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## Stinkydancer (Jan 3, 2010)

I agree with you if your just starting out- you really should absolutely know how to soap warm, cold and everything in between. I gel in the oven if I'm not using milk or honey. 
Good point carebear.


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## Soaps House (Jan 4, 2010)

Hello,

I'm just shooting from the seat of my pants here. I have never had to heat my lye solution in the microwave before and I don't think that I will ever have to. A lot of people think that lye is something a bit more dangerous than it really is. The only reason I wouldn’t want to put it in the microwave is because you may superheat the solution and end up just having to put it into a sink of cold water. I would just take it out a few hours before you'll need it and place it in a sink of warm water. It will liquefy in no time at all. Shoot, I'd like to put some frozen lye into the microwave tomorrow just to see, because you never know if you don't try.

Take care,
John


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## xyxoxy (Jan 5, 2010)

Soaps House said:
			
		

> A lot of people think that lye is something a bit more dangerous than it really is.



Lye isn't dangerous at all...
Soapmakers who don't have the necessary knowledge and respect for lye are what is dangerous.

Children and pets running around where lye is just minding it's own business are also dangerous.


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## Soaps House (Jan 5, 2010)

xyxoxy said:
			
		

> Soaps House said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I agree with you 100%. I have done quite a bit of reading on it and I have no fear of my lye bucket blowing up in my face. If it were as bad as some believed you wouldn't be able to buy it so easily.

John


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## IrishLass (Jan 5, 2010)

ycartf said:
			
		

> Carebear, I have never had a problem with my Pyrex-like batter bowl (another brand) and I have mixed AND reheated in it over 40 times.  I don't know if folks who have them shatter have caused/allowed sudden temperature changes like immersing in a sink of ice water while the lye mix was near boiling or what.
> 
> If not glass, what do you mix your lye water in?  I tried plastic before and it appeared to take on a color as though it had dissolved a little of the plastic into the mix.  I am not sure what metal/s could be repeatedly used for this without suffering damage from the repeated strong caustic exposure.  What does everyone use then?



Like xyxoxy said, the danger with mixing lye in glass is because of the etching issue. Lye solution etches glass over time, weakening it until one day it goes KABOOM! And since one can't ever predict when that shattering day will come, mixing lye in glass is a lot like playing Russian Roulette. 

Stainless steel is great and many soapers use it to mix their lye solution in. Stay away from anything with aluminum or tin, though. Those 2 are bad news.

Certain plastics are good, too, but not _all_ plastics are made alike. There are some you should steer way clear of with lye solutions, like PETE #1 for instance. The lye solution will eat away at it, causing the plastic to leach into your solution; and with repeated use, within maybe a week or 2, it will eat a hole right through the container (ask me how I know!  :shock: ). Also stay away from polycarbonate (the crystal clear-type Rubbermaid containers), nylon (polyamide) or polystyrene plastics. Acrylics are ok for very short term exposure, but not for repeated use or long term storage.  The best plastics to use with lye are PP #5, and HDPE #2. They are both resistant to alkali and can withstand heat (PP #5 can withstand boiling water, and HDPE #2 can withstand temps to 190 degreesF). To find out what type of plastic container you have, look at the recycle # on the bottom of it.

Re: reheating lye. I do it all the time, but not in the microwave. I just fill up a small pan with hot water and stick my lye solution container into it, changing out the cooled-off water for more hot water as needed until my lye solution has warmed up enough.


IrishLass


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## MissE (Sep 14, 2017)

*Here's How I Reheat My Lye*

I know this question is old but just in case someone is looking for a simple solution to reheating lye water, let me share how I do it.

Please note, I believe I can do this only because I use the same recipe all the time (it's for a basic laundry soap) and so I don't usually need to do too much calculation to readjust my measurements. If you need to do something like this for different types of fancy bathing soaps, I imagine you need to do a little more maths to arrive at the correct new measurement of lye pearls you need to add but it can be done, I think:

1. I divide the lye solution into two parts.
2. I add back the quantity of water removed (50%) to one part.
3. I add back half the quantity of lye (50%) that was in the original lye solution.
4. I stir and then allow the mixture to cool back to my desired temperature.
5. I store away the other half of my original lye solution for another day.

:bunny:


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## Susie (Sep 14, 2017)

Why would you even want hot lye solution?  As soon as you mix it with oils, it starts warming up anyway.

And IMHO, taking all the steps listed above completely removes all benefits of masterbatching lye and water anyway.  You may as well just mix it fresh each time.


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## Zany_in_CO (Sep 14, 2017)

How I reheat lye:

Wearing goggles, mask & gloves, with a flat bowl to catch any spill overs, I nuke it in a Pyrex cup in the microwave for 10 seconds on #3 (Defrost). NOTE: Plastic container is not recommended for this process. It can melt and degrade into hot lye solution which makes it unuseable. Ask me how I know! :mrgreen:


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## shunt2011 (Sep 14, 2017)

Zany_in_CO said:


> How I reheat lye:
> 
> Wearing goggles, mask & gloves, with a flat bowl to catch any spill overs, I nuke it in a Pyrex cup in the microwave for 10 seconds on #3 (Defrost). NOTE: Plastic container is not recommended for this process. It can melt and degrade into hot lye solution which makes it unuseable. Ask me how I know! :mrgreen:


 
And using lye in the microwave can cause an explosion of the glass. Yep, had it happen with water not lye thank goodness.   Personally, irresponsible to even suggest it.


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## Zany_in_CO (Sep 14, 2017)

Susie said:


> Why would you even want hot lye solution?


 
Good question, Susie. When making glycerin LS, I want my KOH solution to be 210°F (99°C) or higher before adding to my oils (160°F 71°C). I've learned from taking temps in early experiments that those are the temps that will allow me to successfully stick blend the batch through all the phases of becoming soap in 2 minutes (when using all KOH) or 5 minutes (when using 50/50 KOH/water).

I would not recommend this to everyone. Even experienced soapers should proceed with caution, as I do. I'm comfortable with handling lye safely and using a microwave. It's not something I do often -- just another tool in the soaping tool box to pull out when needed.

HTH :bunny:​ 



shunt2011 said:


> And using lye in the microwave can cause an explosion of the glass. Yep, had it happen with water not lye thank goodness. Personally, irresponsible to even suggest it.


Thank you for your valuable input, dear heart.


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## dixiedragon (Sep 14, 2017)

Zombie thread.


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## BaBa (Sep 14, 2017)

Gosh, I never thought that glass could be etched by lye. Good to know. Thus are thicker glass recipients still safe to use?


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## artemis (Sep 14, 2017)

BaBa said:


> Gosh, I never thought that glass could be etched by lye. Good to know. Thus are thicker glass recipients still safe to use?


If you search the forum for Pyrex, you'll find quite the debate about using glass.  I would weigh in on the no glass side of the discussion. For example, here's a thread that goes into a little detail: 

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=23590


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## Susie (Sep 14, 2017)

No Pyrex, no glass.


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## BaBa (Sep 14, 2017)

Thank you Artemis. I'm reading this now. Living and learning!


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## artemis (Sep 14, 2017)

BaBa said:


> Thank you Artemis. I'm reading this now. Living and learning!


Page 3 has the pertinent info. There are other threads, though, with greater detail about the etching that happens and other dangers. Besides etching, there's the issue of broken glass + spilled lyeif you should drop the container, etc.


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## Susie (Sep 14, 2017)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Good question, Susie. When making glycerin LS, I want my KOH solution to be 210°F (99°C) or higher before adding to my oils (160°F 71°C). I've learned from taking temps in early experiments that those are the temps that will allow me to successfully stick blend the batch through all the phases of becoming soap in 2 minutes (when using all KOH) or 5 minutes (when using 50/50 KOH/water).
> 
> I would not recommend this to everyone. Even experienced soapers should proceed with caution, as I do. I'm comfortable with handling lye safely and using a microwave. It's not something I do often -- just another tool in the soaping tool box to pull out when needed.
> 
> HTH   :bunny:​



I am also an experienced soaper.  I am experienced enough, for example, to know that I can get the same results as an all glycerin soap using water as an equal weight to mix with the KOH, then mixing the remainder of the "water" amount as glycerin into my oils.  And it does not require heating in the microwave to get paste in 2 minutes.  It just requires a fresh mix of KOH/water and melted oils.  How do I know this?  I tested it.  I step outside of the methods laid out in Catherine Failor's book, and test for myself.  This, therefore, does not require reheating "lye", either in the microwave, or any other method.

It is very irresponsible to give that advice to newbie soap makers.  How would you feel if they used your method, then had that Pyrex explode?  I would feel horrible if I gave bad advice and something happened to someone.  

Newbie soapers-please do not try Zany's method above.  Pyrex can explode when heated in the microwave using water alone.  It is much more dangerous when you have etched it repeatedly using lye.


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## Kamahido (Sep 14, 2017)

dixiedragon said:


> Zombie thread.




Brains! <zombie shuffles away>


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## MissE (Sep 14, 2017)

Susie said:


> Why would you even want hot lye solution?  As soon as you mix it with oils, it starts warming up anyway.
> 
> And IMHO, taking all the steps listed above completely removes all benefits of masterbatching lye and water anyway.  You may as well just mix it fresh each time.




Hi Susie! Actually, I have a masterbatch sitting and I have been experiencing issues with false trace since I bought and used a stick blender for the first time (I know, primitive me ). I read online that my soaping temperatures are the likely culprits so I wanted to take my temperatures a little higher -- lye and oils.


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## Zany_in_CO (Sep 14, 2017)

carebear said:


> if your lye solution is cooler than your oils then you can get a false trace - essentially the lye solution contributes to the oils thickening and solidifying.  So it's good, at least when starting out, to have lye and oils around the same temp.
> 
> I used to soap warm (say 100 - 110 deg) but went to soaping with lye and oils both cooled to about room temp to give myself more time.  But now i've gone back to warm for many soaps as it helps ensure gel - plus i've very little patience.  So with fos that will let me, i tend to soap warm again.




​


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## Susie (Sep 14, 2017)

MissE said:


> Hi Susie! Actually, I have a masterbatch sitting and I have been experiencing issues with false trace since I bought and used a stick blender for the first time (I know, primitive me ). I read online that my soaping temperatures are the likely culprits so I wanted to take my temperatures a little higher -- lye and oils.



I would let the oils be a bit warmer rather than trying to heat the lye solution.  Or, as I stated earlier, don't masterbatch and just use fresh hot/warm lye solution.  There are solutions that do not involve heating lye solution, and they are much safer, not to mention easier.  I used to let my hot lye solution melt my solid oils.  Heat transference method.  Ensured gel every time, not a false trace in the bunch.  But you have to work fast, and don't stick blend too much.  Otherwise you get a plop and pray.


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## MissE (Sep 14, 2017)

Susie said:


> I would let the oils be a bit warmer rather than trying to heat the lye solution.  Or, as I stated earlier, don't masterbatch and just use fresh hot/warm lye solution. [...]



Well, yes, but aren't the oil and lye supposed to be within the same temperature range? Do you mean that if my lye is at room temperature I can just heat my oils up and that would make up for the temperature change I need?

As for the masterbatch, I like to masterbatch rather than have to handle the raw lye every time I soap and usually I can be sure it is further dissolved when I leave it standing in water. I may rethink this since this false trace issue has come up now. Mixing by hand never gave me significant false trace problems, even with the lye water at room temp. At least I could beat it out without it separating into water at the bottom and thick soap mix at the top. 

Every other point is well noted, thanks.


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## Zany_in_CO (Sep 14, 2017)

ycartf said:


> I rewarm lye mix all the time in the microwave.  I  heat 32 oz of water/lye on high for about 2.5 minutes to get it to about  120 degrees.


Thanks. Good to know. I've never done that, tho. But my batches are a lot smaller. I feel safe nuking at #3 (Defrost) for a few seconds. Not sure I'd go to high. Scary! LOL


ycartf said:


> I have never  had a problem with my Pyrex-like batter bowl (another brand) and I have  mixed AND reheated in it over 40 times.  I don't know if folks who have  them shatter have caused/allowed sudden temperature changes like  immersing in a sink of ice water while the lye mix was near boiling or  what.


Ditto. I've wondered that as well... or setting the Pyrex on a cold surface straight out of the microwave. I have a wooden chopping board near the microwave and another one next to the kitchen sink. Maybe that's why I've never had the problem??? Dunno.


ycartf said:


> I tried plastic before  and it appeared to take on a color as though it had dissolved a little  of the plastic into the mix.


Exactly! Me too. I always worried about that... then it happened recently with a highly recommended #2 plastic container -- it melted and the lye turned milky white from the white plastic container. Ugh. 

I'll stick with Pyrex, thank you very much. I just feel safer using it. But that's just me and I think everyone should feel free to decide for themselves.


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## AngelBar (Sep 14, 2017)

Vetivier said:


> NEVER EVER reheat lye solution in a microwave. Too dangerous, fumes, splatter, explosions, Chemical burns.
> dont even think about stovetop
> Warm water bath  and patience.



Hi, this quote pretty much sums it up for me

Many years ago, I used a glass mason jar to mix my lye solution and never had an issue. The etching was something I didn't know about and quickly stopped when I read about it on this very forum.  

There's no reason to take a chance with glass. Just don't.  And if you're masterbatching, just add your additional water to the lye solution and it will get quite hot (enough to make you wait forever, and say to yourself, 'I could've just made a single batch of lye solution like the old days'). I add the water to my oils and the room temp lye solution when I'm ready.


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## MissE (Sep 14, 2017)

AngelBar said:


> And if you're masterbatching, just add your additional water to the lye solution and it will get quite hot (enough to make you wait forever, and say to yourself, 'I could've just made a single batch of lye solution like the old days'). I add the water to my oils and the room temp lye solution when I'm ready.



Oh, really? Just water to the room temp lye solution to get it hot again? Kindly clarify. The last sentence is really confusing things for me because you mention oil there.:think:


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## Zany_in_CO (Sep 14, 2017)

Soaps House said:


> A lot of people think that lye is something a  bit more dangerous than it really is. ... Shoot, I'd like to put some  frozen lye into the microwave tomorrow just to see, because you never  know if you don't try.


Um, too risky for me, but I hafta say, "Experience is the best teacher!"


xyxoxy said:


> Lye isn't  dangerous at all...Soapmakers who don't have the necessary knowledge and  respect for lye are what is dangerous. Children and pets running around  where lye is just minding it's own business are also dangerous.


"Minding its own business" indeed. Well said.


Soaps  House said:


> I agree with you 100%. I have done quite a bit of reading  on it and I have no fear of my lye bucket blowing up in my face.


 Hmmm. I don't fear that either... but I have been "warned".... 
which I appreciate.   

 Susie​


IrishLass said:


> Re: reheating lye. I do it all the time, but not in the microwave. I just fill up a small pan with hot water and stick my lye solution container into it, changing out the cooled-off water for more hot water as needed until my lye solution has warmed up enough.


​


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## Susie (Sep 14, 2017)

MissE said:


> Well, yes, but aren't the oil and lye supposed to be within the same temperature range? Do you mean that if my lye is at room temperature I can just heat my oils up and that would make up for the temperature change I need?
> 
> As for the masterbatch, I like to masterbatch rather than have to handle the raw lye every time I soap and usually I can be sure it is further dissolved when I leave it standing in water. I may rethink this since this false trace issue has come up now. Mixing by hand never gave me significant false trace problems, even with the lye water at room temp. At least I could beat it out without it separating into water at the bottom and thick soap mix at the top.
> 
> Every other point is well noted, thanks.



Your lye and oils do not need to be the same temperature.  I am not sure why everyone thinks so, but no.  Your oils can be hot, your lye cool, or vice versa.  The only thing that matters is if you are swirling, you need to soap cooler than if you are not.


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## DeeAnna (Sep 14, 2017)

MissE said:


> Oh, really? Just water to the room temp lye solution to get it hot again?...



Yes, this will happen. If you make an NaOH solution, let it cool to say room temperature, and then add more water to this solution, it will warm up again. Not as hot as when you made the original solution, but it will heat up. 

The chart below shows the temperature rise that you will see if you add various amounts of 70 F (20 C) water to a 50% NaOH solution that starts at various temperatures. The bottom curve is what you will see if your NaOH solution starts at 80 F (25 C). If you add sufficient 70 F (20 C) water to dilute the NaOH solution to 30% NaOH, the temperature of the mixture will rise from 80 F (25 C) to roughly 135 F (57 C).

"... And if you're masterbatching, just add your additional water to the lye solution and it will get quite hot.... I add the water to my oils and the room temp lye solution when I'm ready. ..."

Either way you do it, when you add water to an NaOH solution, the process will release heat. 

You are less likely to notice the heating when you add the water to the oils and then add the lye solution, but the same amount of energy is released by the process of diluting the NaOH. 

If it makes you more comfortable to add the water to the oils and then add the concentrated NaOH solution, by all means do so. But you will end up in pretty much the same place as if you add the water to the NaOH solution and then pour that into the oils without waiting for the lye solution to cool.


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## AngelBar (Sep 14, 2017)

MissE said:


> Oh, really? Just water to the room temp lye solution to get it hot again? Kindly clarify. The last sentence is really confusing things for me because you mention oil there.:think:



Sure MissE, hi!

I stopped caring about temps a while ago. Master-Batching is a 50/50 (any percent offset),  Lye to Water solution. You will do this usually in larger quantities and use the solution over time. The MB will be cooled to room temp before placing into the proper HDPE #2 bottles.

When making a Soap recipe with a 50/50 solution, you will need to calculate the amount of water to offset the difference. If you put the offset into the mixture, it will heat up again. To avoid this, I put this offset into the oils before the lye solution. It doesn't matter which way you do it, the process will create a lot of heat. It seems to be _delayed_ a bit when I put it in the oils first. It also seems to gel better for me.


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## MissE (Sep 15, 2017)

Susie said:


> Your lye and oils do not need to be the same temperature.  I am not sure why everyone thinks so, but no.  Your oils can be hot, your lye cool, or vice versa.  The only thing that matters is if you are swirling, you need to soap cooler than if you are not.



Hi Susie, from what I understand reading countless online articles (AKA Online Diploma in Soap Education. . . ah, the hours! ) oils congeal when they hit cold lye water, especially hard oils which are solid at room temperature, causing a false trace. 

Funnily enough, though, when I tried to warm oil and lye solution up, I still hit false trace regardless.

I'm now not sure what is what and what to do.

Thanks again.



DeeAnna said:


> Yes, this will happen. If you make an NaOH solution, let it cool to say room temperature, and then add more water to this solution, it will warm up again. Not as hot as when you made the original solution, but it will heat up[...]



You know, the science of soapmaking never ceases to amaze me, like I'm 'dabbling' in science for real?  

Thanks so much for the tips, DeeAnna, it's so much clearer now and I am certainly going to use the {(oil+water) + lye solution} tip next time.

But, if I don't allow things cool down a bit, won't that cause my soap to heat up excessively and, I don't know, crack or do whatever nasty thing soap does when it has heated up too much?

Thanks again!



AngelBar said:


> Sure MissE, hi!
> 
> I stopped caring about temps a while ago. Master-Batching is a 50/50 (any percent offset),  Lye to Water solution. You will do this usually in larger quantities and use the solution over time. The MB will be cooled to room temp before placing into the proper HDPE #2 bottles.
> 
> When making a Soap recipe with a 50/50 solution, you will need to calculate the amount of water to offset the difference. If you put the offset into the mixture, it will heat up again. To avoid this, I put this offset into the oils before the lye solution. It doesn't matter which way you do it, the process will create a lot of heat. It seems to be _delayed_ a bit when I put it in the oils first. It also seems to gel better for me.



I actually do a 100% master batch. Like I said, I use the same recipe over and over and so doing this, I can just take the quantity I want and go. But if I am going to continue to masterbatch and also still need to soap at slightly higher temperatures, a 50/50 solution is a good starting place. Yes, adding water to heat things up is so neat it just seems planning ahead for it by doing a 50-50 solution is the ONLY thing to do.

I really would prefer to continue to do my room temperatures ultimately, but for now I have to figure out false trace issues hence the troubleshooting with higher temperatures.

Much love for weighing in, AngelBar.


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## Kittish (Sep 15, 2017)

Zany_in_CO said:


> I'll stick with Pyrex, thank you very much. I just feel safer using it. But that's just me and I think everyone should feel free to decide for themselves.



I like my stainless steel lye pot. If, for some reason I ever decide that I really MUST heat a lye solution, the pot can be set straight on the stove on low. Or in a water bath. If I drop my lye pot, it bounces. Of course, if it's full it splashes and bounces, but then I "only" have the problem of spilled lye to cope with, it isn't compounded by broken glass everywhere.


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## MissE (Sep 15, 2017)

Kittish said:


> I like my stainless steel lye pot. If, for some reason I ever decide that I really MUST heat a lye solution, the pot can be set straight on the stove on low. Or in a water bath. If I drop my lye pot, it bounces. Of course, if it's full it splashes and bounces, but then I "only" have the problem of spilled lye to cope with, it isn't compounded by broken glass everywhere.




Oh, I have one of those! That's probably what I should have used yesterday when my batch was misbehaving and I was wishing I could cook my soap up to save it!


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