50% Lye Solution

I found a local lye distributor that sells lye in 50lb bags. $1/lb...obviously not a bad price ,but WAY more lye than I could use before it crystalizes. Even if I end up wasting half of it, I'm still coming out OK vs buying online.

But here's my question. The guy also say he has pure lye in a 50% water dilution in 5 gallon buckets with dispenser spouts. Clearly, I'd have to do some math to get the lye water in the proper, higher dilution needed for soap making, but I could write a little program or even use a spreadsheet to do that. I'm thinking it might be a workable solution. What do you guys think? Is that insane? BTW, After fairly extensive research, I've found that $1/lb AND A 50 lb minimum is basically the standard.

BTW, if you are interested in cheap lye, search your local phone in your closest medium size or large city for "chemical suppliers" or "pressure washing supplies." Note: This vendor will likely be located in the seediest part of town...mine was next to a "gentleman's club." They will assume and treat you as if you are running a meth lab. Let me know if you hit pay dirt.

I regularly make a 50% master-batch lye solution for all my soaping needs and I really love working with it.

If the supplier already has it in a 50% solution for purchase (and you are sure it is a bonafide 50% solution and not cut in any way), then the hardest part of the work has been done for you.

Adjusting a 50% solution for your soap batches is really simple. First, enter your regular recipe into a soap calculator just the same as you would normally do, i.e., with your preferred superfat level and preferred lye solution strength or water amount that you like to soap with, etc... and then write down the water and lye amounts that the calculator gives you for your recipe.

Now, take your written lye and water amounts that the calc gave you, and apply this simple, 2-part equation:

1) Lye Amount multiplied by 2 equals how much of the premade 50% lye solution to weigh out for your batch.

2) Water Amount minus the lye amount that you wrote down equals how much extra water to add to your batch.

This math equation will work for any batch no matter what size it is or what lye concentration you want to soap with........just as long as you are working from a 50% master-batch solution.


IrishLass

I buy my NaOH 50% solution in handy 1 gallon jugs from my local chem supply. It actually costs me a little bit more that way but the convenience is worth it to me.

Using 50% solution is really easy, just use twice as much solution as the amount of lye called for in your recipe. In other words, 100g lye means use 200g solution (100g lye + 100g water). You can either subtract the amount of water in the solution from the total water amount, or just use the lye amount (100g in this case) in additional water for a 33% solution. In other words, put in a 33% solution, then swap the lye and water amounts. I don't think I am explaining this very well, but trust me it is easy! I just do the math when I am in soapcalc and put the correct amounts of solution and water in the notes before I print it.

Incidentally, my chem supply place also carries 45% KOH solution, and I buy that too! (with 90% KOH it works out to 50/50 solution).

eta: again, I type too slow, IrishLass explained it better

I would be in heaven if I could get a 50% lye solution!

HorseCreek said:

I would be in heaven if I could get a 50% lye solution!

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You can always make your own!

This is how I do it:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=26634



IrishLass

I do make my own. Wouldn't it be fun if you didn't have to? Lol. Thanks for the link though.

Yes- it would be awesome if I didn't have to!

IrishLass

I have a question about this. What's the point of a 50% lye solution if you still have to add water (and subsequently raise the heat)? Do some people ever make soap with that concentration? I was thinking about making a 33% lye solution because that's the most concentrated I've ever used, and if I needed to dilute it, I still could. Is it just because the math is easier at 50%?

Yes. For me, it's because the math is easier. Although I mostly make batches with a 33% lye solution, there are other batches that I make that use a 40% solution or a 30% solution or a 31% solution or a 28% solution, etc.... It all depends on what formula or which process I'm using, or if I have an ornery FO I'm working with. It's just nice to have a solution that can be easily adjusted without too much brain strain, if you know what I mean.

IrishLass

At 50% solution, will the lye react and raise the temp if you dilute further? I'd actually like that, as I prefer to soap a bit warmer than room temp.

When I dilute mine, the temp does raise up a little, but not high enough to where I like it to be, so I set it in a hot-water bath to warm up further while I'm heating my oils.


IrishLass

What do you keep your oils in? I'm planning on purchasing a heating belt (for a 5gal bucket) so I can just dump x amount of premixed/preheated oils into a container and start soaping with my premixed lye. The cost of the belt has been holding me back a little. I hate measuring out all the lye and each oil and heating it. The most exciting part for me is adding all the additives and making a fancy top!

Edit -- 50%, 33%, and 25% seem like the math would be simple, but trying to get 31%... I'd have to sit down and do the math for that one. Can't wrap my brain around it without working it out on paper a few times first.

girlishcharm2004 said:

What do you keep your oils in? I'm planning on purchasing a heating belt (for a 5gal bucket) so I can just dump x amount of premixed/preheated oils into a container and start soaping with my premixed lye. The cost of the belt has been holding me back a little. I hate measuring out all the lye and each oil and heating it. The most exciting part for me is adding all the additives and making a fancy top!

Edit -- 50%, 33%, and 25% seem like the math would be simple, but trying to get 31%... I'd have to sit down and do the math for that one. Can't wrap my brain around it without working it out on paper a few times first.

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Have you considered just setting your bucket on a heating pad? We do it with paint when it gets cold, works like a charm. Not sure it would work in your scenario, but it's gotta be cheaper than a heating belt.

JustBeachy said:

Have you considered just setting your bucket on a heating pad?

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I have! Although, I just assumed it wouldn't get warm enough to melt the oils. I should just try it so I know for sure.

Do you not worry about speeding up rancidity by keeping the ls warm?