Water as % of Oils

[smeetree]

Can anyone explain the relevance of this input on soapcalc?
When would it vary from the default of 38%?

Also, they list Lye Concentration and Water:Lye ratio in that same block. When would one use these over the "Water as % of Oils"?

Thanks

 

[Obsidian]

I really don't understand the relevance of it but I do change it to 40% when I make HP to help keep the batter a bit more fluid. If I'm doing swirls or layers, I keep it the 38% default. If I'm doing a solid color or working with a slow tracing recipe, I change it to the water:lye ratio setting and use 2:1

 

[shunt2011]

I don't HP but if I want to have more time to play I leave it at 38%. If I'm working with a really slow recipe I too drop it 2:1.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

The three refer to how much water you will use -

A set % of the oil weight. A 1kg oil batch with a 30% will have 30% of 1kg as the water amount.

The next two are independent of the oil amount but instead is based on the lye amount. Both are a different way of referring to the strength of a lye solution -

A 50% solution is a 50/50 mix of lye and water. A 25% solution is 75% water and 25% lye. All by weight, of course.

The ratio is just a different way of wording the above. 1:1 ratio is 50/50 or 50%. 3:1 is 25% - of the 4 parts that make up our solution, 1 is lye and the other 3 are water.

 

[smeetree]

The three refer to how much water you will use -

A set % of the oil weight. A 1kg oil batch with a 30% will have 30% of 1kg as the water amount.

The next two are independent of the oil amount but instead is based on the lye amount. Both are a different way of referring to the strength of a lye solution -

A 50% solution is a 50/50 mix of lye and water. A 25% solution is 75% water and 25% lye. All by weight, of course.

The ratio is just a different way of wording the above. 1:1 ratio is 50/50 or 50%. 3:1 is 25% - of the 4 parts that make up our solution, 1 is lye and the other 3 are water.

That's what I was looking for, thanks for that. Now I always use the default of 38%. Any idea why that is the default? And also, when would you stray from the default and bump it up or down? Is there any resource that shows when to adjust it?

 

[IrishLass]

I never use the Water as % of Oils box on SoapCalc. I always use the lye concentration box instead. Here's why (scroll down to page 3 in the following link):

http://rivercitysoaps.com/dwcp/dwcp.pdf


IrishLass

 

[smeetree]

I never use the Water as % of Oils box on SoapCalc. I always use the lye concentration box instead. Here's why (scroll down to page 3 in the following link):

http://rivercitysoaps.com/dwcp/dwcp.pdf


IrishLass

Wow, interesting. So only 13 ounces of water is needed to dissolve 13 ounces of lye? When they is 38% the default setting? Even 2:1 seems too much. Why don't we just match the water:lye in a 1:1 ratio?

Is the only problem with using too much water that it takes longer to cure?

Sorry if these are dumb question. It still isn't clicking yet for me.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Give it a try some time

The reason, for those who don't want to try it, is that it would be dire in Hot Process and would also trace very quickly and thickly in CP. It's not just about dissolving the lye, but also giving the solution enough room to move around with the oils to mix it up and then to help us to get it in the moulds.

I have to ask - have you read any posts on the forum?

 

[smeetree]

I have to ask - have you read any posts on the forum?

Some. Why do you ask?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Because the fact that a 1:1 ratio would be tricky to work with is clear from reading posts about how water discounts of even 2:1 can greatly and dramatically speed up trace, let alone a 2:1

 

[smeetree]

I never use the Water as % of Oils box on SoapCalc. I always use the lye concentration box instead. Here's why (scroll down to page 3 in the following link):

http://rivercitysoaps.com/dwcp/dwcp.pdf


IrishLass

I re-read the pdf, this time the entire thing instead of just page 3, and it clicked this time. Thanks for this, IL.

 

[IrishLass]

Glad to be of help!


IrishLass