lye and water mixture

[invalid_username]

What are those floating on top? Can i still use the mixture?

 

[Susie]

That looks like "lye lint", which is easily strained out if it bothers you. I would just use as is. You won't see it in the soap, nor will it cause issues one way or the other. Just be sure the lye is not settled on the bottom. That was strictly lye and water, right?

Also, please don't mix lye and water in Pyrex. It can shatter. Use plastic with a 2 or 5 in the triangle in the bottom or stainless steel.

 

[lsg]

It looks like impurities from the lye. I would either strain the mixture or use as is.

 

[kchaystack]

I would say it is soda ash, where the lye is reacting CO2 in the air.

I agree it is harmless.

 

[dixiedragon]

I used to pour my lye water in the oil, then fill the lye pitcher with water and use that to clean my stick blender. I found that when I stopped doing that, I got very little of that stuff. My theory is that greasy soap batter is very hard to clean and there was a bit on the sides of my pitcher.

That being said, when those floaties appear, I still use the water.

 

[IrishLass]

That used to happen to me when I used to wash out my lye-mixing container with soap and water and didn't rinse as well as I thought I had. Basically, the lye would react with whatever unseen soapy residue that was left on my container and cause the floaties. I no longer use soap to wash out my lye container. I just rinse it with water, and no longer get the floaties.

Ditto what Susie said about not using Pyrex to mix your lye.


IrishLass

 

[ngian]

I would say it is soda ash, where the lye is reacting CO2 in the air.

I agree it is harmless.

Well I am thinking that because of the fact that soda ash is water soluble, with a little stir it would just disappeared...

 

[Susie]

It isn't able to be stirred away. I have had it many times.

 

[penelopejane]

It isn't able to be stirred away. I have had it many times.

Is this why people strain their lye? I've never seen and could never work out why people strain the lye in videos.

 

[TeresaT]

It reminds me of soap scum in the bath tub floating on top of the bath water; which is why I haven't taken a bath in YEARS. I mean, the idea is to get clean, why do you want to sit in that stuff? Showers all the way.

Oh. Sorry. I guess I have nothing constructive to add to the conversation. Once again...

Wait!! Yes, I do. Ditto what Susie and IL said. Don't use glass for mixing lye. That's some bad mojo right there. Microscopic fissures then BAM! Glass shatters and lye flying in all directions.

 

[Susie]

Is this why people strain their lye? I've never seen and could never work out why people strain the lye in videos.

Not usually. People normally strain their lye when they use an opaque liquid (such as milk or coffee) to dissolve their lye in. They can't see whether there are any undissolved lye crystals remaining, so they strain it to be safe. They could also be using a liquid with fat in it, so they are straining out bits of saponified oils, which sort of makes no sense if you ask me.

 

[IrishLass]

I master-batch my lye into a 50% solution and always strain it (once it has cooled down) when I'm transferring it from my mixing container into my storage container. The reason why is because I add raw silk fibers to my water that oftentimes have tiny pieces of the cocoon nibs or somesuch still attached, which oftentimes don't completely dissolve as well as I'd like. I know of other soapers who strain for the same reason (because of the silk they use).


IrishLass