A question about lye strength/purity (Australia & United States differences)

[Bowen14]

Hi everyone,

I am confused about the strength of lye - in Australia I have found recipes such as:

http://www.southernskiessoapsupplies.com.au/recipes/how-to/info_8.html
where she suggests for 1000 grams of oil to use a whopping 147.73 grams of lye

or

http://www.dianesnaturally.com.au/soaprecipes.html#soap2
where she suggests for 1000 grams of oil to use a whopping 144 grams of lye

When I have run these recipes through soapcalc it suggests using up to 10 grams less lye if I want, for instance, a 5 % superfat in my soap.

Does this mean that Australian lye is possibly weaker than American lye and therefore these soapmakers (above) compensated by using a lot more? Or am I barking up the wrong tree? :shifty:

Any clarification would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

[Obsidian]

I ran the first recipe from the second link through soapcal and the amount of lye came out the same that the author has but the recipe in the first link would produce a lye heavy soap. I doubt lye is different in Australia, I think you just found a bad recipe and thats why you always run recipes through a calculator.

 

[jade-15]

Possibly bad recipes, or they have a 0% superfat.
My lye has on the container "contains minimum 99% sodium hydroxide". Can't get much higher than that!! As Obsidian said, just always run it through a calculator - my first batch of soap I just blindly followed the recipe, and turns out I had 10g too much lye!!

 

[dneruck]

Could it be the water discount %?

 

[Bowen14]

Thanks for the responses

About 9 weeks ago I tried this recipe where for 1000 grams of oil, she specified 145 grams of lye and I only now see that according to all the calculators these soaps are 0% superfatted and must be lye heavy. However, I have given them away to family and friends for Xmas and used them myself and not found any adverse reaction whatsoever. None of the soap recipients have complained either so this perplexes me.

I have been researching some more recipes and I came across this site and others where I learnt about superfatting. So earlier this week I made the same recipe, however, this time 5% superfatted recipe (after running it through soapcalc and using a lye discount) and the soap is a different beast - it firmed up nicely but it has oil droplets on the top surface and when I unmoulded it, it felt stickier to the touch. I am wondering now if in fact there is not enough lye in this recipe:

500 grams olive oil
250 grams rice bran oil
100 grams grapeseed oil
125 grams coconut oil
25 grams castor oil
137.6 grams lye
375 grams water

My lye (Diggers brand) states 98% lye which made my mind boggle. I also didn't use any water discount.

Anyway thanks for your response. I guess Iam just trying to understand how the lye heavy soap worked and the superfatted soap is looking greasy and sticky.

 

[Obsidian]

0% superfat doesn't mean it will be lye heavy, it means there is just enough lye to saponify all the oils. Most people use a 5% SF help offset any errors that might happen in measuring the ingredients.
Oil droplets can be caused from overheating, did you gel that batch? Don't worry about the sticky feeling, it will go away while it cures. Its always better to have a bit too little lye then too much.

 

[Bowen14]

Hi Obsidian,

Thanks - I must have measured rather precisely on those first batches then ;-)

Being on the safeside of soap making is important, so I will continue to superfat but on the low side - I have seen some fairly high numbers in the soap calculators, yikes! How does all that unsaponified oil not wreak havoc with the drying process?

edit: forgot to mention that I just followed directions and I guess the soap gelled - it has been pretty hot here, and there was no need to insulate.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I use lye from Diggers and MMS & Soapcalc lye calculators. I always make up my own recipes with at least 5 or 6% superfat. I also use coconut milk as substitute for water which also add to the fats content.
My soaps always turn great (unless I stuff them with additives), but Diggers lye, nope, never had problems with it. And never tried to get my head around to many numbers.

 

[Bowen14]

hi Fuzz-Juzz

I am terrible with numbers xD so thank goodness for all these soap calculators. The only additives I have used are essential oils and some kaolin clay. The first ones without the superfat dried out nice and hard, this new one was a slippery bugger to handle lol but here's to drying time with the help of a ceiling fan.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

They might be slippery if there is lots of water in the recipe.
Give them few days in this heat and they will be fine.
My soaps are sometimes sticky but I just cut them up and leave for a few days without any handling. Only then, bars get moved to drying racks.

 

[Obsidian]

I recently made a olive oil, palm and coconut soap with 20% SF and it was not oily at all when cut and is drying just fine. There is a lot of things that can make a soap soft and oily but generally it all works out in the end.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

How long did you wait before handling it? Are you doing it on a set time scale or looking to see how it is?

And as others have said, if it is made with out a water discount (and please do note - a water discount is totally differed from a lye discount/superfat!) then it might need more time to dry

 

[Bowen14]

How long did you wait before handling it? Are you doing it on a set time scale or looking to see how it is?

And as others have said, if it is made with out a water discount (and please do note - a water discount is totally differed from a lye discount/superfat!) then it might need more time to dry

Haha no, it's ok, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck I understand the different between the water discount and the lye discount.

I waited about 2 days before handling. I figure now, that 370ml of water that I used must have felt the need to ooze out during the initial drying out (hence the droplets on the top surface) and the severe hot weather we are having here atm. They have dried out now and the soap looks pretty good

 

[Relle]

I use 1000grms oils to 137.5 grms lye with 380 grms water - 7% SF so this works out roughly to what you have. I use Mechanics brand lye at 99%, never used Diggers so can't comment. I 've never had any issues from day 1. I SF my GM at 10% and it's never greasy. I have had droplets on top when I've added too much FO but after a day or so of drying it absorbs back in.

Glad to see it has dried for you.