Lye Flecks

[pacmarrin]

Dear Soap Friends, I notice that when I dissolve lye into distilled water that sometimes (not always) there are some "flecks" that don't seem to dissolve. It doesn't seem to harm anything but I'm wondering what it is and if there is something I should do differently. As always, thanks!

 

[LBussy]

It's probably some carbonate that's formed from exposure of the lye to the air. If it floats/makes a skin then it's 99% likely to be a carbonate and no issue for your soap. If it's little discrete "chips" that look like the original lye, the best bet is to try to crush them and/or remove them. You do not want to add undissolved lye to your soap. I have seen people pour the lye in through a fine SS strainer to avoid it as well.