Can I save my batch of soap
- Thread starter belleisa
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
Im not sure what happened. Did you:
1) mix up the appropriate lye + water for this batch of soap, and accidentally pour that into the melting oils before they were melted?
or
2) have a lye container full of pre-mixed lye and water, and accidentally pour way way too much lye and water into your oils?
or
3) accidentally pour the plain water that was meant to mix with the lye into the oils?
If # 1 you are fine, many people use the reaction heat to melt the oils
If #2 I dont think you can fix it without very exact measurements of whats in there
If #3 you can still mix the remaining water with the lye IF the water amount that didnt go into the oils is at least a little more than the lye by weight but be careful as this will be a very very strong lye solution! Or you can just let the oil and water separate, pour off the oil on top (let a little water pour with it) recover your water and mix it with the lye along with the other 25% of water that you didn't pour in.
1) mix up the appropriate lye + water for this batch of soap, and accidentally pour that into the melting oils before they were melted?
or
2) have a lye container full of pre-mixed lye and water, and accidentally pour way way too much lye and water into your oils?
or
3) accidentally pour the plain water that was meant to mix with the lye into the oils?
If # 1 you are fine, many people use the reaction heat to melt the oils
If #2 I dont think you can fix it without very exact measurements of whats in there
If #3 you can still mix the remaining water with the lye IF the water amount that didnt go into the oils is at least a little more than the lye by weight but be careful as this will be a very very strong lye solution! Or you can just let the oil and water separate, pour off the oil on top (let a little water pour with it) recover your water and mix it with the lye along with the other 25% of water that you didn't pour in.
The other way of getting back the water is to freeze it and remove the frozen oil. Remember you only need 50% of your water amount for mixing your lye.
As long as you don't actually lose any of the oils or waters, and there's at least a little more water than lye, you should be ok in the end. Take it slow and breathe 
And of course always add the lye to the water, not the water to the lye.
And of course always add the lye to the water, not the water to the lye.
Last edited:
Take it slow and breathe
And of course always add the lye to the water, not the water to the lye.
Very important!!.
I did the reverse with a 5 gallon bucket at work. ONCE. Luckily I was standing far enough back that the lye/steam volcano missed me but WOW I got to learn a lesson!
Poor metal bucket was never the same. I kept it around for a couple of years. see that? don't EVER do what I did!
If you worry about losing a little oil you can always add in a squirt of your oil. I am guessing you are superfatting so you will be fine and there is a margin for error in soap calcs. We would have to test all batches of oils to know the exact sap value of the oil/oils we use. Not saying to not worry about measuring correctly, but do not stress over a few lost grams of oil. Just put all your liquid and oil back in the pot. You only need equal parts liquid and lye to mix. If you lose some water you will be using a slightly stronger lye concentration, if you lose some oil you will just lose some superfat value. I personally superfat low, lol, disregarding an error I made with a camel milk soap I made a few months ago.
