Lye Only?

[wetshavingproducts]

Supposedly there's a middle ground where you heat baking soda in the oven to make food grade sodium carbonate (a stronger caustic).

I haven't tried it; I just used actual lye when I made pretzels a few years ago. I read about it when I was looking into making faux ramen noodles (pun not intended, but I wish it had been) by boiling spaghetti with baking soda.

Couldn't you use washing soda instead of baking soda and then use it at a greater concentration than the NAOH? I mean, I'd personally just use the lye, but just wondering now.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

Couldn't you use washing soda instead of baking soda and then use it at a greater concentration than the NAOH? I mean, I'd personally just use the lye, but just wondering now.

Well, yeah, but washing soda isn't food grade. If you start with the food grade bicarb and heat it, you get food grad "washing soda."

For bagels and pretzels, I don't remember the recommended usage rate for either carbonate or bicarbonate because, like you, I just use lye.

And in the case of the noodles, I don't think lye would work. The intention is to mimic the carbonates in the mineral-rich water with which ramen noodles are made. The high pH has an effect, too, but it's not the only thing.

 

[wetshavingproducts]

Hmm, I guess that makes sense. How is it made? Lye making is so precise that I kind of doubt the technical grade is really any different than the food grade.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

OK, so I know that lye is caustic, but can it be cleaned away from containers and utensils for safe use again?

IMO and IME, Yes.

 

[Susie]

Hmm, I guess that makes sense. How is it made? Lye making is so precise that I kind of doubt the technical grade is really any different than the food grade.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide

Production[edit]
Sodium hydroxide is industrially produced as a 50% solution by variations of the electrolytic chloralkali process. Chlorine gas is also produced in this process. Solid sodium hydroxide is obtained from this solution by the evaporation of water. Solid sodium hydroxide is most commonly sold as flakes, prills, and cast blocks.[11]

 

[DeeAnna]

Often the difference between tech grade and food grade chemicals is the amount of testing done to confirm the material is safe for using in food. If we're talking about a bulk chemical like sodium hydroxide, it all comes out of the same pipeline, so to speak.

 

[wetshavingproducts]

Often the difference between tech grade and food grade chemicals is the amount of testing done to confirm the material is safe for using in food. If we're talking about a bulk chemical like sodium hydroxide, it all comes out of the same pipeline, so to speak.

That's pretty what my distributor told me when I asked whether there's any point in getting technical or cosmetic grade ingredients as opposed to food. The cost of the analysis basically boiled down to like $.02 per pound. Or even less.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

I'm not too concerned about the difference between technical and commercial. If I'm going to eat it, though, I consider it worth the premium.

 

[DeeAnna]

I feel the same, BG. Food grade ingredients are a must for food use. Tech grade is fine for soap. If food grade is available for about the same cost, there's no harm in using it, but I don't think there's any reason for a soaper to feel particularly virtuous about using food grade.

There is no such thing as "cosmetic grade" for alkalis like NaOH or KOH. OTOH, be aware that if you buy "cosmetic grade" fat , you may not get the pure fat you think you're getting, because cosmetic grade can be a blend of fats with properties similar to the pure fat. I know we're talking about NaOH here, but "cosmetic grade" was mentioned in Post 27, and I do make a distinction between "cosmetic grade" fat vs not.

 

[penelopejane]

I always thought (not sure if it's true) that auto dishwasher detergents use NaOH or something similarly caustic. So I didn't think it mattered much if you used soaping equipment in the kitchen after they are cleaned properly. Whenever I've tried to check this on the net I've been stonewalled by waffle from the detergent companies.

However, even having thought this I still keep them separate because of the FO issue and because I store my soaping equipment out of the kitchen.

I do put my soaping equipment in the dishwasher every so often to get it squeaky clean after I've left it to saponify and washed it very well first.

 

[SunWolf]

/snip
If you use dishes after they had lemon juice and vinegar in them, why wouldn't you use one that had lye water in it? /snip

Because lemon juice and vinegar won't start burning my flesh within minutes like lye will??? :???:

Seriously though, I do use separate utensils for soaping and cooking. All my soaping tools that aren't stainless or glass, are RED...thank you Betty Crocker.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

...
Seriously though, I do use separate utensils for soaping and cooking. All my soaping tools that aren't stainless or glass, are RED...thank you Betty Crocker.

LOL. My soaping stuff a a radioactive-looking green for the same reason.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Because lemon juice and vinegar won't start burning my flesh within minutes like lye will??? :???:

Seriously though, I do use separate utensils for soaping and cooking. All my soaping tools that aren't stainless or glass, are RED...thank you Betty Crocker.

Lye water doesn't burn your flesh off, it reacts with fats on your skin in your tissues, essentially making soap. That's the sliminess you feel when washing of raw soap. It happened to me, and guess what, still alive and no marks left on my arms and hands.

All I'm saying is, it's on the opposite side of what we are dealing off on a daily basis. It's not a poison per se, it's just a specific type of chemical compound that, if treated with respect and care, cannot cause any serious damage to anything or anyone. It's fear of it that does.
NAOH is a strong base that completely disassociate in water, more water, more dissolved. There's none left on the dish after it's been rinsed few times over. Unless it's not stirred or dissolved properly and it will cake at the bottom of the dish.

And on the other hand, you wouldn't feel to well after drinking glass of lemon juice or vinegar, would you?

 

[Susie]

I am far more concerned about left over oils and FOs than NaOH or KOH. They react with air and moisture so quickly.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

On the plate topic, after a time lye reacts just by being exposed to our atmosphere and will turn in to sodium carbonate- perfectly non-skin devouring. Any small amounts left on anything would not be lye any more after a short time

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Yes to oils on everything
I find myself washing soaping dishes again before use again. It's so hard to clean them after raw batter.
I can't let it sit around as I soap in the kitchen and have very nosy kids and cats.