Couple questions about Lye, RT and

[TW]

Hello, I am new here and making my rounds to all the different subjects. The more I read the more questions I come up with like How and Why do you put Silk in soap? How do you make Room Temp soap? Where are all the good fragrances? See!! So many questions....but the question that brought me here is...if a person has a standard recipe for CP can you premix the lye in large batches and just pour the set amount when needed? I have no small children to be concerned about. Hope this wasn't too many questions in one area. Thanks for any help and answers and I promise to offer my thoughts and experience on other topics where I can.

 

[Guest]

... can you premix the lye in large batches and just pour the set amount when needed?

If you premix your lye it might it lose its strength, or so my books tell me.

 

[Laurie]

You can mix your lye up ahead of time in large batches. There are many here who do that and have done it for some time. It doesn't lose it's strength, but I don't suppose you would want to keep it around for too long.

There are many threads on this forum that would answer your questions about Lye and RTCP. If you click on the Search button at the top and put in those keywords it will bring up those threads. If I knew how I would put those links here right now. By the way, would someone mind telling me how to do that?

Just keep searching here and you will get some answers and maybe someone will jump in yet or link you to those threads to answer your questions.

Good Luck!!! Laurie

 

[jadiebugs1]

... can you premix the lye in large batches and just pour the set amount when needed?

If you premix your lye it might it lose its strength, or so my books tell me.

I'm not Paul, but I know he does it all the time! I've never tried it yet, to many new things to try already and I only make small batches so it's nothing for me to just mix up the lye/liquid 1/2 hr. or so before making soap.

 

[TW]

Thanks for all the information! Sorry, I do not know how to link either.
Have a great Day!

 

[itsmeroro]

Hello, I am new here and making my rounds to all the different subjects. The more I read the more questions I come up with like How and Why do you put Silk in soap? How do you make Room Temp soap? Where are all the good fragrances? See!! So many questions....but the question that brought me here is...if a person has a standard recipe for CP can you premix the lye in large batches and just pour the set amount when needed? I have no small children to be concerned about. Hope this wasn't too many questions in one area. Thanks for any help and answers and I promise to offer my thoughts and experience on other topics where I can.

Hi TW

Welcome to the Soap Making Forum... its a very helpful and friendly place. Those are questions that you may want to try looking for in the "search" feature of the forum... You also might want to ask Paul (although there are many others who know a lot too) about his RTCP method.. he has been using it sucessfully for the past year. I sure have asked my share of questions. Hope you enjoy yourself.

Cheers!

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Hi, my way of making soap on the fly is super easy and works great! I make between 1/2 to 1 gallon of 50% lye solution, using aloe vera instead of water as my liquid, and also add silk threads. As long as the 50% solution is tightly capped, no moisture can get in to weaken it, and none can evaporate, it will last and be potent, well, many, many months at least! Since sodium hydroxide id humidstatic in nature, drawing in moisture, as long as it is capped, no problems. I recently made 5 gallons of my favorite recipe up, melting the hard oils and adding the soft oils together to make the 5 gallons. After about 48 hours, it has set up to a very heavy gravy consistency. I simply measure out how many ounces I need for my mold I'm using at that time. If the recipe for that amount of oild calls for, say 8 ounces of lye, I measure out 16 ounces of the premixed 50% lye solution. I slowly add about 1/2 of the lye solution to the oils stirring. I can feel within about 2 minutes the reaction starting to heat up. I then add my room temperature goats milk, yes, I said room temperature goats milk to that to bring the solution down to about 33%. I then add the rest of my lye solution to the batter. I then remove some for swirling different colours. If the base, or the colours in cups start to thicken, I simply add enough room temperature goats milk to bring it back to light/medium trace, and proceed to layer base, then swirl, then a layer of base....etc. I can take as much time as I want this way, and by adding a tablespoon or so of additional goats milk, the total solution strength may end up between 30 and 33%.

I'm going to have my wife video my RTCP demo using RTGM when I do it this Saturday and I'll post it on U-Tube. I'll post the link next week to the video.

Super easy peasy. It tool longer to type this than it does for me to make a 4 pound batch of soap, with a 3 colour swirl!!

Paul :wink:

 

[Guest]

... can you premix the lye in large batches and just pour the set amount when needed?

If you premix your lye it might it lose its strength, or so my books tell me.

I'm not Paul, but I know he does it all the time! I've never tried it yet, to many new things to try already and I only make small batches so it's nothing for me to just mix up the lye/liquid 1/2 hr. or so before making soap.

I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn. I just did my first batch today. I was parroting the books I've read. Evidently the books were wrong. I got caught up in the moment.

Good news is that my batch is molded and it traced really nice and tomorrow I'll find out if it went okay, at least to the first degree.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Greg, you did not speak out of turn! You read something. I have been RTCPing using my method, for over a year now. Many others her are finding success with this method of soap making.

Ponder this;
Liquid Plumber still contain mainly sodium hydroxide. They are fine for at least a year after manufacture. Just keep it sealed in a approved plastic bottle, it will be fine!

I use a 1-1/2 gallon detergent bottle we got from Sams. It has a spigot, and after filling it through the cap, I turn it on its side, and dispense like liquid laundry detergent. Every time i get ready to soap, I pick up the jug and shake it good, before removing the required amount of premixed solution. :wink:

Paul

 

[Guest]

Thanks Paul. I've noticed that even the soapmaking books are not in complete agreement on some subjects. For example, I've read about a dozen soap books in the last week or so, and they universally say to add the lye to the water, EXCEPT one book that clearly says to put the lye in the bottom of the mixing container and pour the water over it! So which way is really correct? Well, most would probably agree that you add the lye to the water, and this is what students are taught in college chemistry lab, but the author of that book adds the water to the lye so that must work for them. Myself, I'll continue adding the lye to the water.

 

[jadiebugs1]

I'm guessing you are refering to the book of norma cloney's- the soapmakers companion when stating the water is added to the lye. I think that's it anyway, I have the book, just can't find it at the moment. I know this was an older edition and has been corrected in the revised edition. just FYI.

 

[Guest]

Pretty close! It's "The Complete Soapmaker" by Norma Coney, 1996 ed.

"Carefully lift the pitcher with water in it, and pour the water into the pitcher containing the lye."

It's probably the same language in the book you have.

Needless to say, if I have 11 people telling me one thing and 1 telling me the other, I'll go with the majority.

However Coney's method probably worked for her okay, although it may be a bit hazardous. I've seen what water hitting lye can do in drains, so it's certainly good to be careful by putting the lye into the water instead.

Actually Coney's book is better than average IMO. Out of the almost dozen soaper books I have checked out of the library I'm talking half back next trip, and I'll probably keep Coney's book around a bit longer.

Each time you read 'em a little more sticks to your brain.

 

[TW]

Wow! Soapmaker Man, if there is not someone else called "Soaperman" that should be you! I pull my hair out just trying to make sure I get everything colored, fragranced, in molds, etc before it becomes a brick and you maniplate trace to your own time frame. Goatsmilk always burns for me even if I freeze it. All you guys are so experienced in what you do books just seem like childrens books in comparison. Thanks! Oh, does anyone know where I can get some Silk? I wanted to try that out.
Have a great day and thanks again. TW