50lb bag of lye

dkleinert1 · Dec 3, 2017

Accidentally I ordered a 50lb bag of lye instead of a 5lb. The manufacturer would not take it back. I have been afraid to open it.

How would you use the 50lb bag of lye? Is it possible to move the lye into other, say 2lb., containers without it attracting too much moisture?

Your thoughts please. THANKS a bunch!

Zany_in_CO · Dec 3, 2017

Yes, you can certainly transfer it to 2 lb. containers. I'm sure you know to take proper safety measures, i.e., wear goggles, mask, gloves while doing it and take good care. The real problem may come with where/how you store the bag of lye in the meantime. If on a concrete floor in the garage or basement, it's best to keep it off the floor because it can absorb moisture through osmosis.

dkleinert1 · Dec 3, 2017

Thanks!

Thanks! It has been stored on a countertop, inside the shipping box. Thanks! I will gather the containers to transfer it. THANKS again!

Kamahido · Dec 3, 2017

I do that very thing. Order in 50 lb containers and transfer to 2 lb containers for easy handling.

earlene · Dec 3, 2017

I strongly suggest you get some Damp Rid or other desiccant to keep in the shipping box with the bag as soon as possible. Because every time you open the shipping box or the bag, you introduce moisture from the air into the containers.

In order to prevent ambient moisture in the air from getting into my closed lye containers, I keep them in a 5-gallon bucket with an air-tight lid AND a desiccant inside the bucket. This system seems to work quite well and I highly recommend it. The system is the one KC describes in this post:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=59316

Heika · Dec 3, 2017

I purchase lye in 50 lb bags all the time from a chemical warehouse. My bags are a heavy paper with a plastic liner in them. I have a "lye bucket" that is a 5 gallon bucket with a screw on lid that I purchased for it. You can buy the lids at Home Depot. They come with a rim and the lid. You hammer the rim down onto the bucket, and then the lid just screws on and off. An entire 50 lb bag of lye will fit into a 5 gallon bucket. When my bucket is empty, I take it out to my porch and pour a new bag into it. I have a stainless steel scoop that I leave in the bucket, and when I need lye, I just scoop some out into the bowl I am weighing it in. Easy storage and easy use all in one. Here is a link to that lid. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-gal-Screw-Top-Lid-5GAMMA6/203205720

cmzaha · Dec 3, 2017

Heika said:
I purchase lye in 50 lb bags all the time from a chemical warehouse. My bags are a heavy paper with a plastic liner in them. I have a "lye bucket" that is a 5 gallon bucket with a screw on lid that I purchased for it. You can buy the lids at Home Depot. They come with a rim and the lid. You hammer the rim down onto the bucket, and then the lid just screws on and off. An entire 50 lb bag of lye will fit into a 5 gallon bucket. When my bucket is empty, I take it out to my porch and pour a new bag into it. I have a stainless steel scoop that I leave in the bucket, and when I need lye, I just scoop some out into the bowl I am weighing it in. Easy storage and easy use all in one. Here is a link to that lid. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-gal-Screw-Top-Lid-5GAMMA6/203205720

I do the same other than I master batch 1-2 gallons lye solution at a time so I do not open my bucket often. When I master batch I also fill some 1 and 2 lb bottles that I have in case I do not want to use my masterbatch. You want to open the bucket as few times as possible. The lye I purchase also from a chem house comes as described above and I have also kept potassium hydroxide in the original bag by tying it tightly for about 3 years with no lumps and storing it on a shelf in my service porch

Heika · Dec 3, 2017

cmzaha said:
I do the same other than I master batch 1-2 gallons lye solution at a time so I do not open my bucket often. When I master batch I also fill some 1 and 2 lb bottles that I have in case I do not want to use my masterbatch. You want to open the bucket as few times as possible. The lye I purchase also from a chem house comes as described above and I have also kept potassium hydroxide in the original bag by tying it tightly for about 3 years with no lumps and storing it on a shelf in my service porch

I also master batch my lye in about the same amounts as you. The only time I get into the lye bucket otherwise is if I am making a wine or beer soap where I replace the water normally used in the soap. I also keep my potassium hydroxide in the original bag. It takes a really long time for me to use a 50 lb bag of potassium hydroxide. I really should store it in a bucket as well, I suppose.

shunt2011 · Dec 4, 2017

I do the same as Carolyn. I keep my 2 lb bottles in a 5 gallon bucket with a gamma seal. I also gamma seal my bulk lye into a bucket with a gamma seal. Either I master batch my lye or use the 2 lb containers. I only open the big bucket to fill the 2 lb containers or to master batch. Every time you open those buckets moisture/humidity can enter.

iwannasoap · Dec 4, 2017

Heika said:
I purchase lye in 50 lb bags all the time from a chemical warehouse. My bags are a heavy paper with a plastic liner in them. I have a "lye bucket" that is a 5 gallon bucket with a screw on lid that I purchased for it. You can buy the lids at Home Depot. They come with a rim and the lid. You hammer the rim down onto the bucket, and then the lid just screws on and off. An entire 50 lb bag of lye will fit into a 5 gallon bucket. When my bucket is empty, I take it out to my porch and pour a new bag into it. I have a stainless steel scoop that I leave in the bucket, and when I need lye, I just scoop some out into the bowl I am weighing it in. Easy storage and easy use all in one. Here is a link to that lid. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-gal-Screw-Top-Lid-5GAMMA6/203205720

Do you have a link for the chemical warehouse you purchase these 50 pound bags from?

dixiedragon · Dec 4, 2017

I also do this. I use 1-gallon plastic mayo jars I got from a restaurant. Wash the jars thoroughly (I ran them through the dishwasher several times, put in the lye and seal with duct tape.

jcandleattic · Dec 5, 2017

iwannasoap said:
Do you have a link for the chemical warehouse you purchase these 50 pound bags from?

There are several suppliers that sell in that quantity:
Bulk Apothecary, Duda Diesel, The Lye Guy, to name a few.

You could also look up chemical supply places in your area and see if they supply NaOH, and see if they will sell to you. This will most likely be less expensive, however, most will require a FEIN or a TIN before they will sell to someone.

dixiedragon · Dec 5, 2017

jcandleattic said:
There are several suppliers that sell in that quantity:
Bulk Apothecary, Duda Diesel, The Lye Guy, to name a few.

You could also look up chemical supply places in your area and see if they supply NaOH, and see if they will sell to you. This will most likely be less expensive, however, most will require a FEIN or a TIN before they will sell to someone.

This was several years ago, but I was able to buy without a FEIN or a TIN. But they required me to buy multiple bags.

jcandleattic · Dec 5, 2017

dixiedragon said:
This was several years ago, but I was able to buy without a FEIN or a TIN. But they required me to buy multiple bags.

That's good to know. All the ones I've checked into in my area require it. I have one, so it's not a problem, but thought I'd mention it in case other areas require it as well.

shunt2011 · Dec 5, 2017

There is a restaurant supply company (oils etc) that also have soapmaking stuff and sell lye in 55lb bags. I've gotten it from them several times. It's just a pain do disburse. My last bunch came from Essential Depot (64 lbs) as my parents were in Florida and I had it delivered to my sister then my parents drove it back to me. It was a better deal that way. Plus easier to deal with in 2 lb bottles.

cmzaha · Dec 10, 2017

Heika said:
I also master batch my lye in about the same amounts as you. The only time I get into the lye bucket otherwise is if I am making a wine or beer soap where I replace the water normally used in the soap. I also keep my potassium hydroxide in the original bag. It takes a really long time for me to use a 50 lb bag of potassium hydroxide. I really should store it in a bucket as well, I suppose.

Potassium Hydroxide also last me forever. I have some in it's original bag which is a heavy plastic holding the KOH inside an outside which is woven plastic type bag. Mine is at least 3 yrs old and I just removed some on Friday, it was in perfect condition. I also masterbatch my KOH since most of my soaps are now dual lye so it is getting used, and I use zip ties to close both bags tightly.

penelopejane · Dec 11, 2017

dixiedragon said:
I also do this. I use 1-gallon plastic mayo jars I got from a restaurant. Wash the jars thoroughly (I ran them through the dishwasher several times, put in the lye and seal with duct tape.

I don't want to be a debbie downer or a nancy nitpicker but...
DH (a one time paint chemist) says you should store even the prills in plastic with a 2 or 5 on it.

I use old 2 kg lye bottles that I previously bought it in or liquid detergent bottles.

I bought a huge funnel to decant it - well DH decants it for me actually as he doesn't trust me to do it carefully enough. :mrgreen:

cmzaha · Dec 11, 2017

jcandleattic said:
That's good to know. All the ones I've checked into in my area require it. I have one, so it's not a problem, but thought I'd mention it in case other areas require it as well.

I purchase mine from a local chemical supply house and all I needed was my resale license showing our business name. They record my vehicle license that I use for picking up and it has to be a vehicle with a trunk. I cannot get it delivered because they only deliver to business addresses.

dixiedragon · Dec 11, 2017

penelopejane said:
I don't want to be a debbie downer or a nancy nitpicker but...
DH (a one time paint chemist) says you should store even the prills in plastic with a 2 or 5 on it.

I use old 2 kg lye bottles that I previously bought it in or liquid detergent bottles.

I bought a huge funnel to decant it - well DH decants it for me actually as he doesn't trust me to do it carefully enough. :mrgreen:

My jars have a 5!

penelopejane · Dec 11, 2017

dixiedragon said:
My jars have a 5!

For mayonnaise!
Excellent solution.

50lb bag of lye

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