Chunks in my lye solution

[Catscankim]

My project tonight is Zanys no slime castille, which is going to double as my string pull challenge this month.

Made the distilled water/sea salt/baking soda solution earlier. So now im ready to soap. I added my usual amt of sugar, added my lye and it turned dark like beer, then fizzy and started forming clumps on top. It was getting REALLY fizzy...enough that i got nervous and put gloves on (i normally dont when just mixing the lye water).

So ok, the water was at room temp to start, so i decided that was the problem and figured this batch is going to be drain cleaner.

I made a new batch, but this time i put the measured out water in the freezer to chill (added a little sugar, but not as much as i normally do). Ensured that everything is mixed/dissolved the whole way...

This second is normal color, but still has floating lumps in it. Looks like wax. Its not the lye itself. The container is half gone as i have made a few batches out of it already.

The first batch of lye has since calmed down, but its still a little foamy on top and still has chunks. It was pretty scary in the beginning. It was like you took a can of beer and dumped it in a glass all at once. I had to keep stirring to keep it at bay.

As i am typing this, i keep going back and stirring and they seem to be dissolving a little, but they are still there. Maybe the baking soda??

 

[KiwiMoose]

Don't worry about it Kim - it always does that. it a soda ash type thing. Just stir it well and pour. through a strainer into your oils

 

[Catscankim]

I kept stirring until they mostly dissolved. Never had this before so i got nervous. I did strain it, some of them made it through, but i didnt notice it in the batter at all.

Keeping my fingers crossed

 

[KiwiMoose]

It's the nature of the beast - the faux sea water always does that.

 

[Catscankim]

Good to know. Thank you. I still have the first lye solution. But i think im going to still use it for drain cleaner, cause im not doing another castile any time soon lol.

One of my first soaps were castile, and i HATE them. They are close to six months old now. I keep trying to like them lol. Not only are they slimey, they just have zero bubbles. Hopefully these with the sugar and castor make them more likable.

 

[AliOop]

Thanks for reporting on this. I have a modified ZNSC on my Try List and appreciate not being ambushed by foaming brown lye water.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Thanks for reporting on this. I have a modified ZNSC on my Try List and appreciate not being ambushed by foaming brown lye water.

LOL - I said nothing about foaming and brown - that's all Kim and her sugar antics! It does go cloudy though so don't be alarmed about that. @Catscankim I use the 85OO/10CO/5Castor version and mine has great bubbles! No sugar needed.

 

[AliOop]

LOL - I said nothing about foaming and brown - that's all Kim and her sugar antics! It does go cloudy though so don't be alarmed about that. @Catscankim I use the 85OO/10CO/5Castor version and mine has great bubbles! No sugar needed.

Yup, sorry, should have made it clear that I was responding to Kim, since I also use sugar.

 

[cmzaha]

This is why I never add anything to my lye water. I hope you like that soap better than I did, plus mine came down with dos. I just did not find it to be any magic Castille soap.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

So ok, the water was at room temp to start, so i decided that was the problem and figured this batch is going to be drain cleaner.

For what it's worth, I make my faux sea water and keep it in the fridge until I'm ready to soap. (I actually do that with all my soaps. That's the way I was taught to do it.) I'm sorry I can't be more help. I don't use sugar in my lye water but I know others have, without incident as far as I know. Thanks for posting this. Good to know!

I use the 85 OO/10 CO/5 Castor version and mine has great bubbles! No sugar needed.

Me too!