Lye water process

[SSC Oregon]

I started out soaping pretty hot (10 degrees of each other etc etc)
And have tried a couple different ways to make an efficient process...
But now for my base recipes I've switched to this process:
Making my lye water for my 3 lb soap recipe, pouring it cool into plastic lye bottles..and later - when it's soap time...
after I've heated my hard oils to 170 plus, let cool some ,adding my soft oils (fo) and then using my lye water that's been prepared ahead and soapy soaping.

This system is working really well for me.
Is there any thing unsafe or problematic that I'm not seeing?
Thank you

 

[KiwiMoose]

Looks ok to me.

I make my lye water first (but during the same soap session) and put it in the sink in cold water bath to help it cool. Then I measure out and melt my hard oils on the stove ( I don't measure temp, I just put on low heat until all melted) then add the liquid oils and remove from heat. They are usually about 45 - 48 degrees at that point so I wait a bit ( not long coz I'm impatient) until they get to between 38 - 42 before I start soaping. I will usually add the FO (unless it's a naughty one) before mixing the lye in which also helps to cool it a bit. If I'm using coconut cream I add that too, which also helps to cool it quickly.

 

[SSC Oregon]

Ok. Thank you Kiwi!

 

[DeeAnna]

SSC is talking temp in degrees Fahrenheit. Kiwi is talking temp in degrees Celsius. Might want to be careful to specify the units to avoid major confusion ... or share temps in both units.

 

[KiwiMoose]

SSC is talking temp in degrees Fahrenheit. Kiwi is talking temp in degrees Celsius. Might want to be careful to specify the units to avoid major confusion ... or share temps in both units.

Oops! Sorry i was at work and writing in a rush - I usually try to look up the translation

 

[KiwiMoose]

45 c = 113 fahrenheit
48 c = 118 fahrenheit
38 c = 100 fahrenheit
42 c = 107 Fahrenheit

 

[Shelley D]

I find it interesting how much the process varies from one person to the next
Due to limited working and storage space, I start by measuring everything first and get everything where I need it to be. The hard oils get measured into a stainless steel bowl and set over boiling water to start melting. Next measure the lye, set aside. Then measure my frozen liquid of choice (usually milk), and straight away add the lye to it and give it a stir. Then I measure my liquid oils into a container and check the hard oils/butters and give them a stir. Stir the lye solution until the hard oils are fully melted, then remove the melted oils from the stove and pour in the liquid oils (which are at room temperature), which helps bring down the temperature of the oils. Then I finish stirring the lye solution and as soon as it's fully dissolved (it's usually around 90°F at this point due to starting with fully frozen milk) add the lye solution to the oils (which have usually cooled to about 100-110°F) and SB to trace and pour into molds and voila! Done!
Sometimes I wish I had room to mix up solutions and oil blends ahead of time but I have no place to store them. As it is, my tiny apartment has a tiny pantry closet (literally about 18 inches wide) and it has all my soaping stuff (containers, molds, tools, oils, butters) and it's jam packed

 

[SSC Oregon]

I have found the whole process fascinating too.
Thank you for sharing both of yours!