Reheating Lye Solution

[sknflower]

Hi everyone! I have a question regarding lye solution. I like to create layered cold-process soaps and one of the biggest problems I've had has been timing the process. I tend to start with a whole batch, mix the oils and lye, pour the first layer and wait for it to set enough so that it can hold the second layer.. The problem is, depending on the recipe, temperature etc the remaining soap in the pot tends to sieze up. The more layers I want to do the more time it takes and the greater the chances that my last layers will be siezed.

I have an idea to mix the lye and oils and allow both to cool (seperately of course) completely. I was then thinking to reheat them over seperate burners until they are the right temperature and extract only enough of each to mix to make one layer at a time. This will give me a lot more control over the timing of each pour. My question is how long lye is good for once it's mixed with water? Could I mix up the lye solution the night before and then reheat it (I am thinking of using a double-boiler method) the next day? Will this affect saponification?

Thanks for any help!

Erin

 

[soapbuddy]

Your soap in the pot should not seize, unless you use a fragrance that seizes in soap. When I layer my soap, I do the bottom first, then make another batch and pour over the bottom portion. I can do this in 2 days, (a layer per day) then put the whole soap in the oven to gel. That way the layers stay together.

You can reheat your oils, but I would not reheat your lye. How big of a batch are you making?

 

[Relle]

Can't you soap at room temp, that way you don't need to reheat.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

If you feel the need to raise the temperature of lye water, you can place the lye jug into a container of hot water and bring the temp up that way.

 

[JackiK]

My experience has been that the soap hardens slower when done at room temp. I got impatient yesterday with a floral FO. Seized before I could get my layers done. That probably would not have happened if I'd let the lye and oils cool to room temp before mixing.

 

[judymoody]

You can mix up your lye in advance. There's no reason why you would need to reheat it though. Just use at room temperature. Using RT lye will also slow down how quickly your soap traces.

 

[IrishLass]

If you feel the need to raise the temperature of lye water, you can place the lye jug into a container of hot water and bring the temp up that way.

That's exactly what I do with my masterbatched lye solution. It works great.

IrishLass

 

[sknflower]

Hi everyone!
Thanks for all the replies! So far I am just doing 8.5 to 9 llbs at a time but I am starting a business and am now looking to do this in much larger batches. I have always found that certain recipes have gone to trace (and siezed) faster than others - regardless of whether I was using FO's or EO's.. I have also always been very by-the-book with my temperatures - usually around 110 each time... For those of you that are saying that you can use the lye at room temperature, do you still keep the oils at around 100 to 110?

I am interested Irina that you say you can do your layers over more than one day and put the whole thing in the oven to Gel.. Do you only put the mold in the oven on the day you pour the final layer then? I have always thought I had to pour each layer within an hour or so of each other or they wouldn't bond.

Thanks everyone!

Erin

 

[soapbuddy]

I am interested Irina that you say you can do your layers over more than one day and put the whole thing in the oven to Gel.. Do you only put the mold in the oven on the day you pour the final layer then? I have always thought I had to pour each layer within an hour or so of each other or they wouldn't bond.

Thanks everyone!
Erin

I put the whole soap once done into the oven to completely gel. Maybe I've been lucky so far, but I haven't had any separation of the layers.