Lye Disaster

NOTE: Sodium Hydroxide is an ingredient in soap, period.  When mixed with distilled water it becomes lye.  The lye is then combined with oils and stirred for 90 minutes until it saponifies (becomes soap).

I tried to make my first batch of soap last weekend but could not quite get the hang of the lye solution.  It is recommended that you use a 40 ounce glass bottle with a tight fitting lid.  The lid should have two holes drilled - one for venting and the other for a steady pour.  Finding a 40 ounce glass bottle in today's plastic world is almost impossible. 

Extreme danger!

I did find a 50 ounce bottle and took it to Dixieline to have the holes drilled into the lid.  Well, the mouth of the bottle was not wide enough to accommodate the Sodium Hydroxide chips (even after shaking the canister) so some fell on the ground.  I set it aside thinking the solution was ruined.  I then bought a replacement kit and mixed it in a 64 ounce Pyrex measuring cup.  Success.

Proceed with caution!

The lye solution heats to 200 degrees when mixed but needs to cool to 100 to match the heat of the oils.  Well, I let the Pyrex batch cool to 40 so I tried to re-heat with a hot bath but according to the thermometer I could only get it to 80 degrees.  During the course of the bath some tap water made its way into the mixture and it was ruined.  I then took the 50 ounce bottle which was cold (found out the lye could still be used even though about a tablespoon was missing) but it too took on water.  Ruined.  Back to square one!


So that brings me to today.  I have all the elements I need to try again and an assistant to help me through the process.  I will report my findings later.


Wish me luck!