Question about my 50/50 Lye Solution with Aloe Vera Juice

[perfectsoap]

I have a question about aloe juice! I just noticed that it says to be refrigerated after opening, I didn't do that... Do you think it is just to keep it fresh for those who drink it? I looked in the open bottle and there are little floaties in it, like pulp in OJ.
Ok, I just finished of the last of my Lye making a batch of 50/50 aloe juice from an unopened container and lye and it has little floaties in the mix, just like the unrefrigerated open juice jug. Not quite sure what it is... I am hoping it wont hurt anything!
Any thoughts?
Maybe I'll write the company!
Jeff

 

[itsmeroro]

Maybe I added the lye too fast, or stirred too vigorously or something? :shock:

Oh well, what's done is done. I am SO thrilled to have finally made GM soap!
I was so intimidated making milk soaps after reading all the stories about it...but this was easy-peasy!

From the moment I tried it, I really liked doing RTCP. Now I love having the lye solution premade. It makes soaping so much more fun! Thanks Paul for sharing your method!

dana

Hi Dana

I love GM SO MUCH - that I am thinking of getting 2 Alpine Goats this week! My poor DH! Another one of my ideas! My GM supply is not reliable and I use it in most of my soaps.

I am still trying to wrap my mind around Paul's RTCP method and think I finally understand. I am still trying to find an container that I can store my lye solution in... I am going to give it a try though.

Cheers!

 

[itsmeroro]

Maybe I added the lye too fast, or stirred too vigorously or something? :shock:

Oh well, what's done is done. I am SO thrilled to have finally made GM soap!
I was so intimidated making milk soaps after reading all the stories about it...but this was easy-peasy!

From the moment I tried it, I really liked doing RTCP. Now I love having the lye solution premade. It makes soaping so much more fun! Thanks Paul for sharing your method!

dana

I even like the idea of adding the GM to the oils and lye before trace... this has worked out for me better instead of worrying about scortching the GM with the lye.

 

[itsmeroro]

I have a question about aloe juice! I just noticed that it says to be refrigerated after opening, I didn't do that... Do you think it is just to keep it fresh for those who drink it? I looked in the open bottle and there are little floaties in it, like pulp in OJ.
Ok, I just finished of the last of my Lye making a batch of 50/50 aloe juice from an unopened container and lye and it has little floaties in the mix, just like the unrefrigerated open juice jug. Not quite sure what it is... I am hoping it wont hurt anything!
Any thoughts?
Maybe I'll write the company!
Jeff

Hey Jeff! I dont put mine in the fridge (although I should)... As I mentioned earlier, my aloe juice is clear - I will have to go look at the container - I dont think there are floaties in the jug...

I wonder if the high heat (by a fast lye pour) has anything to do with the scum or floaties?? Hm. Go figure.

Hey Jeff - is your aloe clear or slightly tinted?

Cheers!

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Hi, my way of making soap on the fly is super easy and works great! I make between 1/2 to 1 gallon of 50% lye solution, using aloe vera instead of water as my liquid, and also add silk threads. As long as the 50% solution is tightly capped, no moisture can get in to weaken it, and none can evaporate, it will last and be potent, well, many, many months at least! Since sodium hydroxide id humidstatic in nature, drawing in moisture, as long as it is capped, no problems. I recently made 5 gallons of my favorite recipe up, melting the hard oils and adding the soft oils together to make the 5 gallons. After about 48 hours, it has set up to a very heavy gravy consistency. I simply measure out how many ounces I need for my mold I'm using at that time. If the recipe for that amount of oild calls for, say 8 ounces of lye, I measure out 16 ounces of the premixed 50% lye solution. I slowly add about 1/2 of the lye solution to the oils stirring. I can feel within about 2 minutes the reaction starting to heat up. I then add my room temperature goats milk, yes, I said room temperature goats milk to that to bring the solution down to about 33%. I then add the rest of my lye solution to the batter. I then remove some for swirling different colours. If the base, or the colours in cups start to thicken, I simply add enough room temperature goats milk to bring it back to light/medium trace, and proceed to layer base, then swirl, then a layer of base....etc. I can take as much time as I want this way, and by adding a tablespoon or so of additional goats milk, the total solution strength may end up between 30 and 33%.

I'm going to have my wife video my RTCP demo using RTGM when I do it this Saturday and I'll post it on U-Tube. I'll post the link next week to the video.

Super easy peasy. It tool longer to type this than it does for me to make a 4 pound batch of soap, with a 3 colour swirl!!

Paul

 

[IanT]

oooo :shock: looking forward to the video~!!!

 

[itsmeroro]

Hi, my way of making soap on the fly is super easy and works great! I make between 1/2 to 1 gallon of 50% lye solution, using aloe vera instead of water as my liquid, and also add silk threads. As long as the 50% solution is tightly capped, no moisture can get in to weaken it, and none can evaporate, it will last and be potent, well, many, many months at least! Since sodium hydroxide id humidstatic in nature, drawing in moisture, as long as it is capped, no problems. I recently made 5 gallons of my favorite recipe up, melting the hard oils and adding the soft oils together to make the 5 gallons. After about 48 hours, it has set up to a very heavy gravy consistency. I simply measure out how many ounces I need for my mold I'm using at that time. If the recipe for that amount of oild calls for, say 8 ounces of lye, I measure out 16 ounces of the premixed 50% lye solution. I slowly add about 1/2 of the lye solution to the oils stirring. I can feel within about 2 minutes the reaction starting to heat up. I then add my room temperature goats milk, yes, I said room temperature goats milk to that to bring the solution down to about 33%. I then add the rest of my lye solution to the batter. I then remove some for swirling different colours. If the base, or the colours in cups start to thicken, I simply add enough room temperature goats milk to bring it back to light/medium trace, and proceed to layer base, then swirl, then a layer of base....etc. I can take as much time as I want this way, and by adding a tablespoon or so of additional goats milk, the total solution strength may end up between 30 and 33%.

I'm going to have my wife video my RTCP demo using RTGM when I do it this Saturday and I'll post it on U-Tube. I'll post the link next week to the video.

Super easy peasy. It tool longer to type this than it does for me to make a 4 pound batch of soap, with a 3 colour swirl!!

Paul

Hey Paul --

How long is the lye mix able to be stored? Does it loose potency over time?

Cheers

 

[perfectsoap]

Rachelle

Hey Jeff - is your aloe clear or slightly tinted?

I get my aloe juice is from sams club, it is translucent with a yellow tint. It is sold as a drink for the benefit of aloe (yuck). Maybe that is why it says to refrigerate after opened. After mixed with lye it is off white, maybe a little grayish.
I keep it in a beach bottle locked up.
Jeff

 

[Soapmaker Man]

I have stored 50% premixed lye in a air tight container for a few months with no ill effects. I use the big Gain container with a spigot. Since lye is a humidistat, meaning it draws moisture to it, as long as the container is sealed, no issues. Draino, Liquid Plumber, both liquid drain cleaners are still almost straight lye solution, and they stay potent.
Just adding liquid to your lye won't effect it as long as you keep it sealed.

Paul