My Pyrex Adventure

[melinda48]

I was making a couple of batches of soap and, as usual, I planned to melt only my cocoa butter as I use the heat transfer method but don’t want to stir forever. I have always melted my cocoa butter in my Pyrex cups. And so, I measured out by 8 oz. of cocoa butter and popped it into my microwave for 2 minutes (not enough to totally melt it but enough to make it soft enough to melt completely more easily). Done. Poured the cocoa butter into one container and moved on to measure out the cocoa butter for my next batch. Measured the 8 oz. of cocoa butter into my container and picked up the Pyrex container and heard a crack. “Oh no! I think it’s going to break!” Yup - it did. I guess adding the cocoa butter to a too-hot Pyrex container was not smart. I will stick with my food-service containers from Webrestaurant Store. Photos attached - clean-up was a pain and I lost two large batches of soap to flying chards.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Oh no! Sorry to hear this. I hope you’re okay!

 

[melinda48]

I was unhurt (thankfully). What a mess - I tried to look at it as both a learning experience and an opportunity to do a deep clean.

 

[dibbles]

So glad you weren't hurt. Thank you for sharing!

 

[AliOop]

Very glad you were not hurt!!

 

[Relle]

You never know with glass.

 

[melinda48]

You never know with glass.

As I learned! I have always been diligent about not mixing my lye water in Pyrex but I thought I was safe - ah - live and learn! At least no one got hurt.

 

[Zuleika]

Glad you're fine! I dread the thought of your cleanup. It must have been hard with so much little bits everywhere. How did you get all the shards cleaned up? Vacuum? Wiping bread all over?

 

[not_ally]

That *is* unnerving, especially because it was only 8 oz and 2 minute in the microwave. Like you, I always keep everything with lye in it in plastic but figured I was OK melting butters in Pyrex. Do you think it was from heating up quickly in the microwave, rather than (eg) using a pyrex melting container in a double boiler setup?

 

[melinda48]

Glad you're fine! I dread the thought of your cleanup. It must have been hard with so much little bits everywhere. How did you get all the shards cleaned up? Vacuum? Wiping bread all over?

Fortunately, I had installed rubber mat flooring which made clean-up on the floor much easier than it might have been. I used gloves, sponge(s), clay to pick up the really “invisible” pieces, vacuum, broom. Turned off the lights and shown a flashlight on areas to double check. It was quite a process but my room was happy to get a good cleaning.

 

[Zuleika]

clay to pick up the really “invisible” pieces, vacuum, broom. Turned off the lights and shown a flashlight on areas to double check.

Ahh... clay seems like a much better idea than what I read online about bread. The flashlight idea sounds good too. Mental notes for future reference.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Glad you are ok! Like you, I had been melting my oils in Pyrex. I recently found a Glad plastic batter bowl on Amazon on sale and switched to that for soaping. I do still use Pyrex for bath and body products. I will be replacing those now. Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[AliOop]

Yikes, @melinda48 do you know if yours was the borosilicate glass or the tempered glass?

I ask because I also use Pyrex for making lotions, lip balms, butter bars, etc. It is the expensive borosilicate Pyrex just ordered from Europe. But if that's what failed on you, I need to rethink this.

 

[Marie_with_an_e]

So glad you weren’t hurt!