lye solution master batch?

[Lin19687]

Laundry container question.
Are you all talking about the one that has the Spout on it with the bubble button ? Any trick to get it all cleaned out ? I gave up trying to clean it out for recycling because it used too much water.

Is that safe to use and not deteriorate ?

I wouldn't mind having a done batch, but I am afraid of where to store it. I guess I can in the basement

 

[DeeAnna]

I personally would not use the container with the valve for storing lye solution. There is a gasket in the valve that prevents the valve from leaking and there's no assurance that this gasket is intended for long term exposure to NaOH. If you're determined to use that type of container, always, always store it with the valve pointing up so you're not counting on the valve to stay perfectly sealed shut. Like this --

I'd be much more comfortable using this type of container instead. It has a larger mouth so it's easier to fill as well as having a more secure and NaOH-proof closure.

 

[Lin19687]

@DeeAnna Thank you for the pics. That is what I was thinking. I didn't know they had the big bottles without that spout.

I may just use the mason jars I have with plastic wrap on it and then the top.

 

[DeeAnna]

I strongly recommend that you do NOT ever use glass for mixing or storing lye. There is considerable evidence that strong NaOH solution etches glass and makes glass more prone to break.

Even if you don't believe that, simply think about the consequences of dropping a glass jar versus a plastic jug. A broken glass jar with NaOH solution will be more hazardous to deal with.

There are quite a few threads about choosing safe containers to store lye solution -- check 'em out.

 

[beliefpatrol]

I add my SL when I make the soap. I don’t think it would really matter if added when the lye is mixed.

ok thanks, im gonna make a lot of lye so i can be ready for a future order. i was thinking of adding the SL to each jug then storing for later, or i could just add the SL RIGHT before i make the soap. i plan on having 50-60 gallons of pre-mixed lye water and it will save a LOT of hours of prep when the times comes to make the batches.

I strongly recommend that you do NOT ever use glass for mixing or storing lye. There is considerable evidence that strong NaOH solution etches glass and makes glass more prone to break.

Even if you don't believe that, simply think about the consequences of dropping a glass jar versus a plastic jug. A broken glass jar with NaOH solution will be more hazardous to deal with.

There are quite a few threads about choosing safe containers to store lye solution -- check 'em out.

yes thank you, i mix the lye in PP5 containers and store them in PP2 after the solution has cooled

 

[Susie]

I have my SL in a separate bottle, and I weigh it out when I weigh out my other ingredients. This way I can still do the math for everything much easier.

 

[Romane]

I have adopted this method a while ago and I found it very practical. However, this time, when I opened my jar to use my lye solution, it was like a thick jelly. I must have done something wrong, but I can't figure what. Did you ever experience something like that? Do you think my lye is still usable?

 

[DeeAnna]

What is the temperature of your lye solution? If it's in the low to mid 60s F (15-20 C) or colder, that's the reason for the solution being thick. If this is the issue, let it warm up and it should thin out to the consistency you usually see.

 

[Romane]

My soap lab is pretty cold these days (we have cold temperature in Québec!) and it must be the reason. Merci!

 

[catche]

No such thing as a stupid question!

I make a 50/50 masterbatch lye solution all the time, and it's actually very easy to figure out how much to add. This is how I proceed and the math equation that I use:

1) First, forget that you are using a 50/50 lye solution and just run your recipe through a lye calculator (like SoapCalc, etc..) as you would normally do, making sure to enter the superfat % that you would like to use and the lye concentration % that you normally like to soap at.

2) Once the calculator shows you the normal water amount and lye amount for your batch, utilise the following simple math equation to get the proper amount of 50/50 lye solution to pour out, and the extra water amount to pour out for your batch. FYI- this specific equation only works if you are using a 50/50 lye solution, but you can apply this same exact equation to whatever lye concentration you normally use for your batches, be it a 33% lye concentration or a 40% or a 34%- or whatever %. :

The equation:

Lye amount: Take your total lye amount that the lye calculator gave you and multiply it by 2 in order to get the amount of 50/50 lye solution to pour out.

Water amount: Take your total water amount that the lye calculator gave you and subtract from it the total lye amount that the lye calculator gave you to figure out how much extra water to add.

For example, say your recipe calls for 5 oz of lye and 12 oz of water. First, you would multiply 5 by 2 to get the amount of 50/50 lye solution to measure out, which comes to 10 oz, so pour out 10 oz. worth of the lye solution.

Then, to figure how much extra water to measure out for your batch, take the 12 oz that the calculator gave you and subtract from it the total lye amount the calculator gave you (which was 5): so.... 12 minus 5 equals 7, so you would measure out 7 oz of extra water for your batch.

HTH!
IrishLass

It's as easy as mixing the lye and water as you would normally do, only you are mixing equal parts of lye and water together- a 50/50 solution. You can mix up as much as you have lye, water, space, and proper storage containers to store it in.

First, you want to make sure you have lye-compatable containers with tight-fitting lids to store the solution in once it's mixed and cooled. I use cleaned out All-brand detergent bottles made of HDPE #2 plastic, which is stamped on the the underside of the containers. HDPE #2 containers are great for the job, and if you can get one with a spill-proof spout like my All containers have- all the better.

Stay away from containers made of PETE #1 and PS #6. They are not lye-compatable. Glass is not recommended either because it will etch over time and the glass will break.

I mix my solution up along with some Tussa Silk fibers in a large Rubbermaid pitcher made of PP #5, cover, let it cool, and then pour it into my detergent bottles through a fine mesh stainless steel strainer. Then I cover tightly and store in an out-of-the-way place at room temp. until ready to soap.

I did an experiment over the spring/summer to see how long I could let some of my 50/50 lye solutiuon sit and have it still be good for soaping. So far, 5 months works great. I made the solution back in March and made 3 batches with it just last month (August). It's now cured and the soap came out as normal as if I had mixed my solution up yesterday.

IrishLass

ok so i do mostly HP and still love to do CP so i get the whole 50/50 mix and i get how much solution to use but then when you subtract the lye % from the water amount do you use the solution or distilled water as the extra .

 

[DeeAnna]

...when you subtract the lye % from the water amount do you use the solution or distilled water as the extra .

The extra liquid is water only. If you used more lye solution, you'd be adding too much NaOH for your recipe.

Example:
My last batch of soap called for 450 grams of 50% NaOH lye solution. 225 grams of this masterbatch solution is NaOH and the other 225 grams is water.

The TOTAL water called for is 490 grams. The soap is getting 225 grams of water from the masterbatch solution, so I need to add this much extra water to get the correct total amount of water --

Extra water = Total water - Water in 50% NaOH masterbach
Extra water = 490 - 225 = 265 grams

This extra water is just water or something that's mostly water, such as aloe or milk or beer or whatever.
No more NaOH is added -- only the NaOH that is in the Masterbatch is all that is needed.

I hope this answers your question!

 

[Clarice]

Holy Moly - it never occurred to me to master batch lye until I saw that option on the SMF calculator and went hunting answers. this sounds FABULOUS!

I have a Q though - I have seen many recipes that say - mix lye with oils when temperatures are within about 10 degrees of one another. Since the lye is at room temperature if it has been premixed - do you heat it up?

Thank you!

 

[shunt2011]

Holy Moly - it never occurred to me to master batch lye until I saw that option on the SMF calculator and went hunting answers. this sounds FABULOUS!

I have a Q though - I have seen many recipes that say - mix lye with oils when temperatures are within about 10 degrees of one another. Since the lye is at room temperature if it has been premixed - do you heat it up?

Thank you!

Nope, I rarely use warmed lye. I master batch it or make it the day before. Mine is always room temperature. My oils are just warm/clear. The temp of your lye doesn't matter.

 

[Clarice]

HOLY MAN! Whole new door opening! YAY!

 

[Clarice]

OK - checking my understanding.

If I have mixed a master batch that is a 30% concentration, and I have a recipe that calls for a 33% concentration, it is NOT a good idea to add more lye to the master batch. True or False

Is that why you make a 50/50 super batch - as you can always dilute, but not easy to make stronger?

Thanks!

 

[jcandleattic]

That's why I make 50/50. Because I don't always use the same concentration. Most the time I do, but sometimes I need a lower or higher concentration and it's just easier to add the amount of additional liquid I need for each particular soap I'm making.

 

[Clarice]

Just played with the SMF calculator

Have my Masterbatch set at 1:1 (50% lye concentration) and for a random recipie I plugged in, set the lye concentration at 30%. The calculator tells me:

Lye Mix XXX grams
Additional Liquid XXX grams

In other words - the calculator does the work FOR me that @IrishLass described in an early post in this thread!

So very helpful!

 

[jcandleattic]

Just played with the SMF calculator

Have my Masterbatch set at 1:1 (50% lye concentration) and for a random recipie I plugged in, set the lye concentration at 30%. The calculator tells me:

Lye Mix XXX grams
Additional Liquid XXX grams

In other words - the calculator does the work FOR me that @IrishLass described in an early post in this thread!

So very helpful!

Yep, that's how I have my SMF set up too. Love it.

 

[Clarice]

So I could choose the "additional liquid" to be milk, tea, whatever, right?

Does the fact that the lye is at room temp mean it is less likely that milk would scorch?

 

[jcandleattic]

So I could choose the "additional liquid" to be milk, tea, whatever, right?

Does the fact that the lye is at room temp mean it is less likely that milk would scorch?

Yes, and yes...

And you can add that additional liquid directly to the oils without adding it to the lye solution first, which will help even more with not scorching anything.