Lye not fully dissolving?

[Overthemoon]

Hi everyone. I'm trying to make my first batch of soap and the lye will not fully dissolve. I have little flecks of lye float in the water.


I have 8.49 0z of water for 3.42 oz of lye.

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

 

[Twilitr]

I sometimes get that with tap water, i never get it wit distilled, which kind are you using? if its only a few flecks you can dab it out with a spoon and toss it.

 

[Overthemoon]

It's distilled. It's not just a few flakes, it's like a mist of tiny, tiny lye fleck. I'm about ready to try sifting it with cheese cloth or something.

 

[ewepootoo]

I always get these white specks on the surface and I am using 99% pure Sodium Hydroxide and tank water. What ever it is, it must be some kind of impurity that is not water soluable. I strain it through 200 mesh stainless steel but even pantyhose would do the trick me thinks.

 

[Overthemoon]

Thank you! I tried that it and it is working! I'm at a thin trace! Woot!

 

[krissy]

good luck on your batch! i hope everything goes well for you!

 

[Overthemoon]

Thank you! It's just an attempt to see if I like the hobby but so far I'm having fun. I'm doing cphp and it is now cooking.

 

[campbellsoap]

My lye did that to me tonight. I poured the first one. I use spring water. It's done it the second time so I used some pantyhose to strain it. I'm still letting it cool. The only time when I've had it to happen is when I put the lye water in an ice bath but I'm not doing that this time. I mixed my water and lye together and then melted my oils. I'm leaving them over night and mix them early in the morning.

jackie

 

[Overthemoon]

That attempt failed. It looks like "ancient" soap, crumbly, but no zap. My second batch is at the end of gelling. Zap test zapped so more cooking.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I think it's impurities in the lye. I wonder what the other 1 or 2 % is? ( I use 98% pure but only rarely do I get any floaties. )

Do you want to share your recipe Over The Moon so we can try to help you figure out what went wrong?

 

[Galavanting Gifts]

overthemoon, I have the same problem constantly, i'm convinced its the lye i'm using. I just strain it now before adding to my oils.
I also found that when i've sat the lye/water mix over night it all raises to the surface and can be skimmed off the top.

 

[Overthemoon]

The second batch worked, unfortunately I got paranoid and overcooked the soap so it's crumbly but it smells nice and it has a good lather. I'm trying again, with control on my paranoia, on Sunday or Monday. I need more lye. Lucky for me, the hardware store in town sells it, as well as a soap store thirty minutes away.

 

[blueberrylolli]

i always get that and i dump it in the soap

>.>
<.<

soap turns out fine

 

[Overthemoon]

I just might try that if it happens again. I should know on Sunday when I make my third attempt. I just got Neroli FO from Soapcrafters and I want to play with it.... Smells so good.