Undissolved Lye Crystals

What would happen if my lye crystals weren't completely dissolved when I added them to the oils? And, let's just say, that I then stickblended the crap out of it until it seemed smooth? Or, at least, until I didn't hear things while stickblending?

Hypothetically, of course :shifty:

I've read they'll sometimes float to the top of the soap while curing. The rest....well....Lye pockets.

Cut. Zap test. No lye pockets and no zap, ok in my book BUT only for personal use, not for sale.

well, best case scenario it gets melted during stick blending. worst case scenario lye pockets, and you'll have to rebatch.....

If you are using some liquid that you can't see through, you need to pour the lye water through a stainless steel strainer to catch any hypothetically undissolved lye.

Susie said:

If you are using some liquid that you can't see through, you need to pour the lye water through a stainless steel strainer to catch any hypothetically undissolved lye.

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And that's exactly what is was Susie...I was using coconut milk.

I decided to get all fancy and use all CM for my liquid, instead of just using half and adding at trace (which has been working beautifully btw!). I kept the lye solution in my sink with some ice water and added it a little lye at a time since I didn't know if CM would overheat like GM or not. The mixture was thick and slushy, but I thought that was because it was cold. When I added it to my oils...well, it was not looking so great, but instead of putting it in the crock (again, I didn't know how the CM would do with heat) I just kept soldering on...figured I would learn one way or another what happens!

I'll check later this afternoon for zap and will report back.

I knew it had to be. You are too careful of a soaper for it to be any other reason.

Cut pics and question

Susie said:

I knew it had to be. You are too careful of a soaper for it to be any other reason.

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Thanks for the kind words Susie

Here is a pic of the top and the inside (hope this works--I switched to Flickr). I still have some others that are inside a snowflake silicone mold that I haven't tested...thought this one would be better since I could cut into it.

The inside appears fine...nice and creamy looking. The top looks grainy. No zap that I can tell!

Why would the top look like this? Thoughts?

I think the 'grains' could actually be saponified grains of the fat from the coconut milk. The last time I ever made coconut milk soap by adding lye directly to the milk, my solution did exactly the same thing as yours. I can't 100% prove it, but I believe the lye reacted with the fatty part of the milk and began to saponify it before I could add it to my oils. That was the last day I ever made milk soap using the 'direct' method where the lye is added directly to milk. From that day forward I employed the split method instead.


IrishLass

IrishLass said:

I think the 'grains' could actually be saponified grains of the fat from the coconut milk. The last time I ever made coconut milk soap by adding lye directly to the milk, my solution did exactly the same thing as yours. I can't 100% prove it, but I believe the lye reacted with the fatty part of the milk and began to saponify it before I could add it to my oils. That was the last day I ever made milk soap using the 'direct' method where the lye is added directly to milk. From that day forward I employed the split method instead.


IrishLass

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I'm hoping this is it...there's no zap, so I think all is fine. What sucks is that I was going to gift these for Christmas. I'll just have to do another batch and keep these for myself...such a hardship

Here are the snowflakes that I unmolded...my first time using color They were supposed to be white and blue swirled, but my batter was so thick from stickblending...ah well. They still look pretty! And the snowflakes are scented with peppermint EO

IrishLass said:

I think the 'grains' could actually be saponified grains of the fat from the coconut milk. The last time I ever made coconut milk soap by adding lye directly to the milk, my solution did exactly the same thing as yours. I can't 100% prove it, but I believe the lye reacted with the fatty part of the milk and began to saponify it before I could add it to my oils. That was the last day I ever made milk soap using the 'direct' method where the lye is added directly to milk. From that day forward I employed the split method instead.


IrishLass

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I have had the same happen when also adding the CM to the lye. I will stick to my 50/50 solution and add the CM to my oils

Katie, I am glad your soap came out fine !

Back in January, I encountered with undissolved lye crystal for the first time when I was making wine soap. I was going to pour lye/wine through a strainer when I first noticed undissolved lye crystals at the bottom of the pot. But something kicked in my head that I wanted to experiment on it. My initial thought was that they would all dissolved during stick blending. I proceeded my experiment only to find that they did not dissolve! As a result, the whole batch was full of lye pockets. They are nine months old now and I still have them some where in the house and have not decided what I am going to with them. I am thinking about rebatching them but I am too lazy to do so .

I took of pictures this experiment just for the record.

The first picture was taken after 24 hours from unmolding and the last two pictures were taken three weeks afterward.

Thank you for sharing Ellacho! This forum rocks! There is so much to learn and it's great the we can all share our experiences...even when things don't turned out as planned

wow I'm so glad I stumbled on your thread I love how awsome and incurging every one was one this.i got from my thred oh you made to much soap . I was referred to as a beginner after I had 1 bad batch with a soap I have made more then once. this was my first time making a soap with beer,coffie and coconut milk and I made it in the cold. mentioned a few time I have made soaps .I have been making soap for 2 + years reading what has happen to you.i had the same problem with undisolved lye .you give me hope and want to make more lol

Lunnamoon said:

wow I'm so glad I stumbled on your thread I love how awsome and incurging every one was one this.i got from my thred oh you made to much soap . I was referred to as a beginner after I had 1 bad batch with a soap I have made more then once. this was my first time making a soap with beer,coffie and coconut milk and I made it in the cold. mentioned a few time I have made soaps .I have been making soap for 2 + years reading what has happen to you.i had the same problem with undisolved lye .you give me hope and want to make more lol

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This post is over 4 years old. The OP hasn’t been here in quite some time.

Also the reason I thought you were a beginner is because you posted in the beginners section.

You may want to post in the regular lye section of you are so advanced going forward.