Lye calculators are not created equal

This is just an observation post.

I used to run almost all my recipes through The Sage's calculator, then I would use a 20% water discount, but I was usually doing cpop batches back then. Then we moved, and I had fats unavailable on most calculators at that time, dear/bear, and downloaded a calculator someone made from a animal fats group I was a part of on yahoo. After a few computer changes, I've lost that, but I absolutely love tinkering on SoapCalc, the problem was that all my soaps were coming out soft. I finally put together that I wasn't using the water discount, because I was making everything CP.

Then I realized I've made CP numerous times, and it had never been so soft that I couldn't unmold the next day. I'm using more liquid oils now, so that was part of the problem, but it still seemed strange that there was so much excess water, so I went to The Sage and ran all the numbers. Their water total was lower, so I decided to check out Summer Bee's calculator. It was the same as SoapCalc's. I liked that one too, and moreso because I was now discounting the water, and using a heating pad, but someone (Susie maybe?) had made a suggestion to someone else to check out Soapee, because you can save your recipes.

I am in heaven!!! I LOVE Soapee. I was surprised at how different things can be when using different calculators though. I now understand why some Soapers actually stick to the math.

SoapCalc is my go-to calculator. Most new soapers, or older soapers that are new to SoapCalc don't realize that there are actually two different ways to calculate the water amount on it.

If you tinker with the water amount in your batches on SoapCalc by using their 'Lye Concentration' box instead of their 'Water as % of Oils' box, you'll have much, much better results & control over the consistency of your soaps.

If all you do is type in your oils and superfat preference without typing in anything else, SoapCalc will give you a water amount based on their default "38% water as per oils", which is way too much water for most batches....at least mine anyway.

For what it's worth, I like to use a 33% lye concentration for most of my batches because my soap sets up quick enough/hard enough to be able to unmolded between 6 hour to 19 hours, depending on the formula. I totally ignore the 'water as % of oils box' and just type 33 into the 'Lye Concentration' box before I hit 'calculate/print'.


IrishLass

Thanks for this detailed info IL. I have been a bit confused about this exact topic. In fact, like 20 mins ago, I just posted a question on another thread about it, which EG answered, saying pretty much the same thing.

My pleasure!

If you want to learn more about it, here is an excellent, more in-depth discussion we had on the forum over the subject of the 2 different ways to calculate water on SoapCalc, and why using the 'Lye Concentration' box is the superior way to go:
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=53642


IrishLass

I prefer soap calc too but instead of using lye concentration, I use the water to lye option at 2:1 for most recipes.

Obsidian said:

I prefer soap calc too but instead of using lye concentration, I use the water to lye option at 2:1 for most recipes.

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I prefer this as well. I can use the lye concentration option but the ratios helps things stick in my brain.

Soapcalc was the first soap calculator I used and for checking recipes, I refer to that one. Newbies to that calculator really benefit from it if they do a little research on water-to-lye ratios at the least. A general rule of thumb is to use 2:1 Water to lye for a CP recipe. Basically, that means whatever the amount of lye you need to use for a recipe, double that amount for your liquid.

As a newbie this is very informative. Thank you.

I started with SoapCalc and moved to Soapee. I really like it.

I've always made harder soaps, so my error was actually a blessing in disguise. It has given me a chance to play with swirls. I wasn't joking when I said I was swirl impaired. I'm glad I figured out the problem though. Thanks for your help. I'll tinker with the water amounts a little more.

Edited to add: I'm so impaired with swirls that my husband laughed when I told him i was thinking of trying the challenge of the month. It was in good humor though.

Jena said:

I've always made harder soaps, so my error was actually a blessing in disguise. It has given me a chance to play with swirls. I wasn't joking when I said I was swirl impaired. I'm glad I figured out the problem though. Thanks for your help. I'll tinker with the water amounts a little more.

Edited to add: I'm so impaired with swirls that my husband laughed when I told him i was thinking of trying the challenge of the month. It was in good humor though.

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Bah! Don't listen to him! It never hurts to try.

Its been very interesting reading all these comments. I put in my recipe in Soapee and changed each variable of #3 The amount of water in the recipe - Using 38% water/Using 33% lye and Using 2:1 ratio - there was very little difference in 33% and 2:1 ratio. But a huge difference in 38% water.
It had been suggested to me in another thread to lower my water content for my first soap. I wasn't really understanding why. After reading all this, it sounds the way to go!

TrishNZ said:

there was very little difference in 33% and 2:1 ratio.

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That's very good to hear (because a 2:1 ratio of water-to-lye is just another way saying "33% lye concentration").

For reference sake, here are a handful of lye concentration percentages in relation to their water:lye ratios that I have in my notes:

1 part Lye x Water:

Lye x 1.0 = 50%
lye x 1.0408= 49%
Lye x 1.083 = 48%
lye x 1.1276= 47%
lye x 1.173 = 46%
lye x 1.222 = 45%
Lye x 1.272 = 44%
Lye x 1.3 = 43%
Lye x 1.38 = 42%
lye x 1.439 = 41%
Lye x 1.5 = 40%
Lye x 1.564 = 39%
Lye x 1.6 = 38%
Lye x 1.7 = 37%
Lye x 1.75 = 36%
lye x 1.857 = 35%
lye x 1.94 = 34%
Lye x 2 = 33%
Lye x 2.1 = 32%
Lye x 2.225 = 31%
Lye x 2.3 = 30%
Lye x 2.448 = 29%
Lye x 2.57 = 28%
Lye x 2.7 = 27%
Lye x 2.84 = 26%
Lye x 3 = 25%


IrishLass

Thanks IrishLass
Hopefully that will be useful to someone...its double dutch to me. I am a newbie who is waiting patiently for my lye to arrive so I can make my first soap

"...a 2:1 ratio of water-to-lye is just another way saying "33% lye concentration"..."

Um, well, err ... that's what a lot of us say (including me), but a 2:1 ratio is actually 33.33333%. So there is indeed a tiny difference between the two.

I'm just as guilty of doing this so I'm not pointing any fingers. Just doing my math-y geek thing.

<slinking off without my calculator to sit in the corner and do long division by hand>

edit: Even the 33.33333% is a rounded answer -- if I could, I would put a bar over the last "3" to indicate the number repeats forever.

Wait - I thought a 2:1 ratio was more like 33.3333333333333% :think:

DeeAnna said:

"...a 2:1 ratio of water-to-lye is just another way saying "33% lye concentration"..."

Um, well, err ... that's what a lot of us say (including me), but a 2:1 ratio is actually 33.33333%. So there is indeed a tiny difference between the two.

I'm just as guilty of doing this so I'm not pointing any fingers. Just doing my math-y geek thing.

<slinking off without my calculator to sit in the corner and do long division by hand>

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At least you're not doing square roots and calculus in the corner...

DeeAnna said:

"...a 2:1 ratio of water-to-lye is just another way saying "33% lye concentration"..."

Um, well, err ... that's what a lot of us say (including me), but a 2:1 ratio is actually 33.33333%. So there is indeed a tiny difference between the two.
I'm just as guilty of doing this so I'm not pointing any fingers. Just doing my math-y geek thing.

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Oh, you math-y geek you! :mrgreen: lol I humbly stand corrected, ma'am.


IrishLass