masterbatch lye ?

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ToniD

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I tried a masterbatch of lye, 50% solution. I mixed it in a HDPE bucket (actually one from OBN that palm came in) It did not stay clear, but got sort of whiteish and had stuff floating on it. I am sure the bucket was clean.

Is this normal?

Thanks
 
When I make mine, I strain the cooled-down lye solution through a fine mesh, stainless steel strainer as I'm pouring it into my final storage container. This makes my 50% solution as clear as a bell.


IrishLass :)
 
can someone explain to me what 50% lye solution means? how do you use it when you go to soap. like if my soap calls for 3.5 oz of lye, how much of that solution would give the proper amount... does that make sense?
 
I don't know how to paste a link in here, but if you go to search and look for a post called "Lye Fumes" and read down a ways, you will find out about this. HTH
 
krissy said:
can someone explain to me what 50% lye solution means? how do you use it when you go to soap. like if my soap calls for 3.5 oz of lye, how much of that solution would give the proper amount... does that make sense?

A 50% lye solution means that half (50%) of the solution is lye and the rest is water. So dissolve lye in an equal amount of water.

If you make up your solution with equal parts then to get 3.5 oz of lye, you would use twice that of the solution.
 
carebear said:
krissy said:
can someone explain to me what 50% lye solution means? how do you use it when you go to soap. like if my soap calls for 3.5 oz of lye, how much of that solution would give the proper amount... does that make sense?

A 50% lye solution means that half (50%) of the solution is lye and the rest is water. So dissolve lye in an equal amount of water.

If you make up your solution with equal parts then to get 3.5 oz of lye, you would use twice that of the solution.
why do you do this in advance ?? just wondering not being smart I promise !
 
I master batch lye because it's easier to have the lye/water ready, cooled, weighed and waiting.

It's a PIA to have to weigh out water and lye for every single batch of soap.
 
Deda said:
I master batch lye because it's easier to have the lye/water ready, cooled, weighed and waiting.

It's a PIA to have to weigh out water and lye for every single batch of soap.
What types of containers do you use for this premade lye ? and you do 50/50 hum ?
 
cwarren said:
What types of containers do you use for this premade lye ? and you do 50/50 hum ?

This is taken from my notes:

"Best container for storing lye solutions is made of polypropylene (#5), since it's resistant to alkali and can withstand boiling water, plus it goes into dishwasher without problems. Next best one is HDPE (#2), though it can only be used at 190 F. After that, you have LDPE (#4) (150F) and PVC (#3) (140F). Try to stay away from PETE (#1), or Polystyrene (PS, #6), which are not heat or alkali resistant.

The numbers in parenthesis are the recycling codes usually found on plastic items."


I personally store my 50% masterbatced lye solution in an HDPE #2 container- an emptied out and clean All Detergent bottle with a spill-proof spout, to be exact.

A 50% solution is great in that it can be easily converted for use in any batch of soap no matter what lye solution you'll be soaping with, be it 33% or whatever. To use my 50% masterbatched lye solution, I first go to an online lye calculator such as SoapCalc, and I type in my recipe as normal, including the superfat and whatever % lye solution I want to use for that particular batch. After it gives me the print-out amounts to use for everything in my recipe, I then employ this simple equation to the lye and water amounts that SoapCalc gave me for my batch:

- LYE: Total recipe amount of lye multiplied by 2 = how much of the 50% lye solution to weigh out for your batch.

-WATER: Total recipe amount of liquid minus half of the 50% lye solution you just weighed out = how much more liquid to add to your batch.

I love masterbatching my lye. Like Deda said, it's so much easier than having to mix up a solution every single time I want to soap. It's such a hassle getting all my protective gear on and clearing out the vicinity and whatnot day after day or however many days in a row I want to make soap. Making up a large enough batch so that I'll only need to go through the hassle once a month is a beautiful thing.


HTH!
IrishLass :)
 
cwarren said:
Thank You ! I will do it !! - ( so are you saying, an old tide bottle will work? ) Liq detergent ...

Just as long as it is made from the right kind of plastic and has a tight-fitting lid. Please refer to my previous post (above) for the right kinds of plastics to use and which ones to avoid with your lye solution. Not all plastics are compatable with lye solutions. As a case in point, back before I knew better, my first ever masterbatch of lye was stored in a plastic Downey fabric softener bottle. Not a good idea. It was made from PETE #1 (one of the non-compatable plastics) and within a few weeks the lye solution ate a hole right through the bottom corner of the bottle and I was left with a lye spill to clean up. Thankfully, I caught it in plenty of time before it turned into something nasty or flowed onto my other things stored nearby. It was small and contained when I spotted it, and I was also nearing the end of the bottle. I think there was only 1 batch worth left in it.

Just look on the bottom of the bottle to see what kind of plastic it is before you decide to use it or not. The All detergent bottle that I use now is HDPE #2 (one of the compatable plastics) and it has never, ever leaked lye solution on me.

IrishLass :)
 
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