serendipity222
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Is there a difference in soap making?
Food Grade vs Technical Grade Lye?
- Thread starter serendipity222
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Food grade lye? I've never heard of that. What's the brand name? I'm interested to see if that's in the stores since regular crystal lye has been pulled around here.
You can use either one. Right now I'm using food grade because ED had a sale awhile back and it was a really good price for it.
There's been discussions about lye. Here's a couple of links.
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... 19e0f7e849
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... 7b7903e6e8
There's been discussions about lye. Here's a couple of links.
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... 19e0f7e849
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... 7b7903e6e8
serendipity222
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GoatSoaperLaura said:
Ebay is where I saw it, from a store called Essential Depot.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sodium-Hydroxide-NA ... 1c11c3ef44
Thank you very much! Sorry for the repeat post, tried to search this topic but didn't find those.
Don't worry about it. There's so much on this forum that it is hard to find specific topics. There's probably been more discussions about food grade vs. tech grade but those are the only two I've seen (that I remember 
).
Here's a link to ED's site. I didn't realize they also sold on eBay. Sometimes you can get really good deals on their site but you have to search for them. Just because they're promoting a special, doesn't mean it's the best deal so you'll want to go through their site.
http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/StoreFront
I've also purchased from thelyeguy.com. I thought he was reasonably priced on lye and shipping. Of course, I haven't bought from him in about 1 1/2 years so the shipping may have gone up because of gas prices.
).Here's a link to ED's site. I didn't realize they also sold on eBay. Sometimes you can get really good deals on their site but you have to search for them. Just because they're promoting a special, doesn't mean it's the best deal so you'll want to go through their site.
http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/StoreFront
I've also purchased from thelyeguy.com. I thought he was reasonably priced on lye and shipping. Of course, I haven't bought from him in about 1 1/2 years so the shipping may have gone up because of gas prices.
busymakinsoap!
Well-Known Member
I've never heard of food grade lye - what is that actually ment to be used for?
Moonblossom
Well-Known Member
I also have used both, just depends on what is cheapest at ED and that is the Lye I use until it's on sale again. Then it depends on which is on sale I have yet to have problems using either one in my soaps.
~Teri
~Teri
busymakinsoap! said:
Pretzels and lutefisk - probably there's other foods but those are the only two I know.
busymakinsoap!
Well-Known Member
Hazel said:
Arrhhhggg - I thought 'food grade' was just a term. I never would have thought.
I just read that it was discovered when a baker droped his batch of pretzels in his cleaning trough filled with lye - he cooked them any way and now its become a tradition due to the colour and flavour it adds!?
They also make rolls and buns.
Crazy - prob not something I want to try, just can't get my head around it!
Lye is also used in the processing of olives and hominy, and I've also seen it used in some toothpastes (I forget which ones specifically, but I have seen it listed in the ingredients list of some). Lotions, too. I know some people get freaked out about seeing lye and food on the same ingredient list together (I did, too, at first :shock: ), but it really all comes down to proper quantity in whatever specific application it's being used for. It's a great pH adjuster.
I've used food grade lye in my soaps before and have found no difference between it and the regular/technical grade as to my soap's performance. Now, as to my wallet- well, that's a whole other story. :wink:
IrishLass
Edited to add that my local Asian market down the street from me sells bottles of diluted lye for cooking purposes. I'm not sure of what specific cooking purposes, but I found it in the same aisle that they had oils and sauces.
I've used food grade lye in my soaps before and have found no difference between it and the regular/technical grade as to my soap's performance. Now, as to my wallet- well, that's a whole other story. :wink:
IrishLass
Edited to add that my local Asian market down the street from me sells bottles of diluted lye for cooking purposes. I'm not sure of what specific cooking purposes, but I found it in the same aisle that they had oils and sauces.
I was just wondering about this myself as I saw the two grades of lye on ED's site the other day. They explained something about different trace metals in the lye? I wonder if food grade lye would produce less ash ... just a thought (as someone who gets a lot of ashing on her soaps despite using distilled water!).
@Hazel - you're not of Norwegian heritage by any chance?
Karri
@Hazel - you're not of Norwegian heritage by any chance?
Karri
MyJadedHeart
Member
I didn't even know there was such a thing as food grade lye. Its not like it can be ingested so why the difference I wonder? Its still 100% sodium hydroxide. My guess is that its just another way to charge more for the same product.
Karri said:I was just wondering about this myself as I saw the two grades of lye on ED's site the other day. They explained something about different trace metals in the lye? I wonder if food grade lye would produce less ash ... just a thought (as someone who gets a lot of ashing on her soaps despite using distilled water!).
@Hazel - you're not of Norwegian heritage by any chance?
Karri
No, I'm not and I'm surprised I even remembered lutefisk. I had forgetten hearing about olives until IrishLass mentioned it. There's probably lots of other foods in which lye is used.
MyJadedHeart - there is a difference in food grade & tech grade. Lye is used in processing some food but I don't know much about it. Somewhere I must have read something about it since I did remember the pretzels and lutefisk.
I don't think using food grade lye would help to produce less ash. Isn't ash formed by the sodium released from the soap and contact with air? I'm not exactly sure if this is the reason.
Someone mentioned she'd spritzed the tops of her soaps with rubbing alcohol and it prevented ash. I don't remember who said it and I also don't know if really works. I just thought I'd mention it. Maybe someone else knows if this would work.
soapbuddy
Well-Known Member
I use whichever one is cheaper. I haven't noticed any difference.
calico21
Well-Known Member
food grade lye is also used to process citrus fruits, like mandarin oranges and grapefruit slices. It takes off the white skins. Don't ask me how but I looked up mandarin oranges once to see if I could get navel oranges at home like that. Didn't feel like testing that on myself :shock:
