Scary mistake

[Noreen Moore]

So being a novice soaper for about 8 or 9 months now I decided to try some new things. Such as sugar in my liquid. Uh huh! Of course it doesn't dissolve well cold. I made the boneheaded decision to heat up all my sugar aloe gel mix to dissolve the sugar! MISTAKE!!!!!
Oh Lord have mercy on my novice soul!!! I added the lye and holy smokes!!!! Caustic volcano spewed up and out of my ball Mason jar! It hit like 116 C before all spewed!
Now we remove a little and dissolve warm and add the syrup to my water/aloe gel remainder!
So... Chalk that up to learning the hard way! Don't be like me!
Oops?

 

[shunt2011]

I've added sugar to my aloe juice and never had an issue with it dissolving. Though I've not tried aloe gel. And why are you mixing lye in glass. You really shouldn't be doing that. I've had a canning jar explode in a canner with tomatoes in it. I would rethink that. Glad it all worked out. That's scary and could be dangerous.

 

[Noreen Moore]

Good advice! I think I will use my funnel pitchers to mix. I have never had an exploding tomato sauce! Have clanked jars together and broke one in hot water bath! I assumed a Ball Mason jar would be safe! Thank you so much!

Oh do you use powdered sugar? Saw that in a video. I just use table sugar but pondered powdered might dissolve better?

 

[jcandleattic]

I assumed a Ball Mason jar would be safe!

Never ***/u/me anything.
Glass is safe until it's not. Lye water will etch the glass and weaken it, until it eventually shatters. This is unpredictable. It may happen the 3rd or 4th time using it, it may not happen until the 100th time. You just never know.
Make sure your funnel pitchers are either HDPE or PPE (#2 or #5 in the recycling circle on the bottom) or else the lye solution will eventually eat through the plastic.

 

[cmzaha]

Powdered sugar will work. When I used sugar I would warm a little water and dissolve the sugar, but yes powdered dissolves easier. Powdered is cornstarch and sugar. I use Rubbermaid pitchers or HDPE buckets for mixing lye. Never Never add lye to warm or hot water or liquid.

I have also had a Ball jar explode in my pressure canner when canning Albacore, not a pretty sight.

 

[Arimara]

Powdered sugar will work. When I used sugar I would warm a little water and dissolve the sugar, but yes powdered dissolves easier. Powdered is cornstarch and sugar. I use Rubbermaid pitchers or HDPE buckets for mixing lye. Never Never add lye to warm or hot water or liquid.

I have also had a Ball jar explode in my pressure canner when canning Albacore, not a pretty sight.

The red. When you said the temps reached 116C, all that was in my was "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" as I don't even think HP soap gets anywhere neat that hot. Heat speeds up chemical processes so it's much safer to do those at the lowest possible temperatures, especially when you work with strong acids and caustics.

 

[dibbles]

I use regular granulated sugar most of the time. Powdered sugar works as well. I usually warm a bit of my batch liquid in the microwave for a few seconds, dissolve the sugar and add that back to the batch liquid before adding the lye. I'm sure you've gotten the message loud and clear, but just to reiterate - no glass!! I'm glad you weren't hurt.

 

[Obsidian]

I'm another one who had a mason jar break while mixing lye. Luckly I heard it crack and was able to get it in the sink before it completely came apart.
Bought a couple big plastic measuring cups at the dollar store, used them until I found a nice stainless pitcher at a yard sale.

I dissolve sugar in a little hot water then add it to the oils. Well, I did until I stopped using sugar.

 

[linne1gi]

Pyrex (lab grade borosilicate) shatters also. Ask me how I know, lol.

 

[ravenscents]

I made a simple syrup 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar. I add a teaspoon to a pound

 

[linne1gi]

I keep simple syrup in the fridge and use it all the time with both CP and HP soap.