# how much water is necessary to dissolve lye?



## Shadow Woods Nubians (Nov 19, 2007)

I have always soaped 100% goat milk, frozen, adding lye slowly. I want to try with 50/50 water/milk, adding the lye to water only, and adding the milk at emulsion. But for my recipe I use 638 grams lye and 1200 g milk. If I take half the liquid as water that would be 600 g water. Is that enough to dissolve 638 g lye?
Thanks,
Elizabeth


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2009)

Yep, sure is... Barbara


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## Shadow Woods Nubians (Nov 19, 2007)

Thank you so much: I'm going to try it this afternoon!
Elizabeth


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## Shadow Woods Nubians (Nov 19, 2007)

It worked great! Lavender/Mint, Lemon Verbena, Lavender Amber FO, and OMH are in the oven right now, gelling I hope. It smells so good in my house!
Thanks for the help,

Elizabeth


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Wonderful! I don't know that I've done a single batch 100% gm since I tried it this way.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Is it mostly for the color that you do it this way? (I have sooo much milk right now that if it was for saving on milk it would be pointless.) Are there other reasons? (Like mixing up the lye in advance...does that represent a big time savings?)


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

For me, it's the time savings. I can mix a week's worth of lye up at one time and then soap whenever I want to.


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## Madfarmer (Nov 18, 2008)

My understanding is that you have to be able to calculate the amount of actual lye you're using in each batch. So you wouldn't be able to pre-mix lye for more than one batch if you used less water than lye, right? I use equal amounts of water & lye. I don't discount liquid, so half the liquid in my soap is still GM.

Tom


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

If you used less water than lye you'd still be able to mix more than one batch worth. Say you mixed 40/60, water/lye. Your recipe calls for 6 oz of lye. You'd then need 10 oz of your water/lye mix (because 60% of that 10 oz, or 6 oz, is lye). But personally, I wouldn't mix anything lower than 50/50.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I mix 50/50 because I am math challenged. IF I want to discount liquid further I simply don't add as much milk or other liquid at emulsion.

Both premixing lye and not adding lye slowly to frozen milk, not only gives you much lighter soap but saves soo much time for me. Vicki


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## Narrow Chance (Oct 29, 2007)

:yeahthat I keep mine made up.. along with my oils mixed. 
No way would I EVER go back to the making individual baches. It was fine.. don't get me wrong.. and fun to make maybe two batches in one day.


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