Why 30 to 33 lye concentration?

[Cal43]

Hello family!

I wanted to know the reason for soaping with a 30 to 33 lye concentration? I just need to know why and when it should/could it be used. I know it depends on the recipe and designs etc. I just want to be a better informed soaper.

Thank You

Calditer

 

[Catscankim]

Read through my post titled Eureka. I couldnt figure out what was going wrong and everybody helped narrow it down to my lye concentration...and my stick blending. I think its in the beginner forum. There is lots of good information and advice there.

 

[Cal43]

Thank You

 

[TheGecko]

I use a 33% Lye Solution...it just works for me.

 

[AliOop]

... and I use 40% bc that works for me.

 

[JuliaNegusuk]

I've been using 33% for years and getting terrible soda ash. At last in a recent thread someone said they reduced their water and got rid of the soda ash. Eureka! I did the same and it has gone. No cpoping, no covering, no cling film or alcohol, just less water. So I now soap at 40%, ( 1:1.5 naoh to water), refrigerate to avoid partial gel and this time it has worked on all 7 batches I just made. I was so happy I nearly cried. I willl never do anything else now. But for you swirlers and pretty soapers it did thicken more quickly so I now pour at really light trace but it's still better than getting chronic soda ash. So cross that no-one has ever pointed this simple thing out before or if they did I didn't twig it for some reason. Such a simple solution -. Oh the wasted years!

 

[AliOop]

Yup, that’s part of why I reduced the water as well. It is a fairly common recommendation for reducing ash. I still have to cover it for 24-48 hours and even then the ash isn’t 100% gone, but it is way less.

 

[JuliaNegusuk]

I can't recall anyone recommending it to me, it was all cpop it or spray with alcohol or cover with cling film or a dozen other things. I never tried the alcohol but cpoping ruined my natural colours. All the advice seemed to indicate that 33% was the optimum ratio for perfect soap. That's what I soaped at for years. Never again.

 

[DeeAnna]

Here are some of the pros and cons of various lye concentrations -- Soapy Stuff: Lye conc vs water:lye ratio

Here are my tips for understanding and dealing with ash on soap -- Soapy Stuff: Ash

 

[cmzaha]

We all need to find what works for us. My vegan recipes trace to fast to use 40% Lye Concentration so I use a 30-31% depending on how many colors I want to use. If I go a solid color I can go with 40% Lye Concentration. My non-vegan I use 33-40% but 33% is the sweet spot for lots of playtime. It can very much depend on soaping temps and your recipe. Fortunately, ash simply does not bother me.

 

[AliOop]

@JuliaNegusuk I must have gotten lucky bc it was the first thing recommended to me - along with spraying RA, which does nothing for my ash problems. CPOP was likewise not successful for me bc of color morphing and wrinkly tops.

IMO, recipe differences account for the discrepancy in results from person to person. Glad you found what works for you!

ETA: @cmzaha just said the same thing, and she’s got way more experience and knowledge than I do! I likewise embrace the ash when I can, or else I steam it off. At least it is far less now with the water discount.

 

[IrishLass]

I use 33% for the majority of my batches. I call it my 'Goldilocks' concentration, because it's 'just right' for me. As long as my FO is not a major accelerator, it doesn't move too fast for me to be able to get in some lovely swirling time, and it doesn't move too slow either. If I'm using a naughty, accelerating FO, though, I soap with a 30% concentration if I can get away with it, or a 28% concentration.

I like to gel all my soaps so that my colors 'pop' (I use micas and ultramarines), and also to be able to unmold and cut my soaps in less than 24 hours without tempting ash, so I soap between 110F-120F, and then CPOP by placing my soap in my oven that I've warmed up for a total of 3 minutes (yep, you read right- only three minutes) before it turning off and putting my soap inside. This heats it up to 110F, and that's all the starting boost my soap needs to encourage it go through full gel. I just pop my soap in there covered with my mold's cover and draped over with a few cotton diapers, shut the door and walk away, and -'poof'- 18 hours later it's fully gelled, completely cooled down, and ready to unmold and cut. In the summertime, I don't even have to use my oven, because my garage is warm enough to get it done.

The above method has practically eliminated 99% ash for me. The rare 1% of the time that I get it, it's always because I got impatient and unmolded too soon (i.e., soap was still a little warm yet).


IrishLass

 

[Aramis]

Hey, i will post a fiew pictures from the famous Savon de Marseille soaps made in Marseille, France. It is one of the oldest soap manufacture in the world. The formula of this soap was regulated in the 17th century under King Louis XIV. Anyway, every year they made a winter edition, where their soaps get ash on it. They think it will come from the execess of olive oil in winter, due the temperatures turn very low and change the soaps. Their custumers are awaiting this edition. The pictures belong to a friend of mine, she lives in Spain near France border and buy every year her soap there. I reached only ones ash on a soap, it was on the beginning. I tried to reach again -and the most of my solid soaps are made with 33%, due the calculator i use is designed so-. On the pictures you will see how pretty they look and the soap cutter on right hand the bars with the ash.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I started out with around 28% lye concentration and used to get a bit of soda ash. Now I soap at 30% concentration and I always gel and get minimal soda ash, if any. My recipe is vegan and i use soy wax so I don't want the concentration too high otherwise the batter moves too fast for swirls.

 

[Catscankim]

Hey, i will post a fiew pictures from the famous Savon de Marseille soaps made in Marseille, France. It is one of the oldest soap manufacture in the world. The formula of this soap was regulated in the 17th century under King Louis XIV. Anyway, every year they made a winter edition, where their soaps get ash on it. They think it will come from the execess of olive oil in winter, due the temperatures turn very low and change the soaps. Their custumers are awaiting this edition. The pictures belong to a friend of mine, she lives in Spain near France border and buy every year her soap there. I reached only ones ash on a soap, it was on the beginning. I tried to reach again -and the most of my solid soaps are made with 33%, due the calculator i use is designed so-. On the pictures you will see how pretty they look and the soap cutter on right hand the bars with the ash.

I love this soap pic!!

 

[SoapDaddy70]

@Cal43 I am a newbie soapmaker as well. Have a few batches under my belt and the one thing I have learned already and it can be a little frustrating to a beginner - is that there is no concrete answer to certain questions. So much of this is trial and error and preference. Recipes are all different, climates where the soap is being made are all different, people's aim for their finished product are all different, fragrance oils are all different, the list goes on and on. You will never get a definitive answer for a question like this. What you will get is great and helpful information from the people on this forum that will lead you to be able to find what works for you. Keep your batches small so the experimentation phase is not draining your bank account. Just a little advice from a fellow newb.