# is it normal for lye to "settle" in the cold?



## Jonna (Feb 10, 2009)

We have been making soap for several months now and felt like we had our technique pretty figured out. A couple of weeks ago though (probably about a month really ~ I haven't had time to get on here and ask) we had a batch that turned out weird. It seemed like all of the lye settled at the bottom of the molds, and the tops of the soap were all soft and maleable (sp?). The only thing we did different was that we set the molds up in the utility room to dry for 24 hrs., which is not heated. It got down into the teens that night. Would that have made the difference?


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

I don't think that was due to the cold. I've put logs of soap in the freezer overnight to prevent gel and they all turned out normal. Maybe you had a false trace because the weather is cooler? I keep my house on the cool side and have had to change my technique a bit to accommodate the cooler temps.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Ditto what Heather said. I've heard of soapers putting soap in the fridge to prevent gel so once it's in the mold the cold shouldn't matter. Sounds like it separated for whatever reason. My house is much cooler now too so I take extra care and time to be sure I've got true trace before pouring into the molds.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2010)

You did not get your soap to trace, that is the stage where your lye/water mix is actually forced to stay together with your oil mix.. think in terms of water and oil don't mix... unless they are forced to with a chemical reaction.. by stick blending or stirring for hrs, you are forcing that chemical reaction to happen... so you did not force it long enough... Hope this explains it to you better
Barb


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## Jonna (Feb 10, 2009)

OK ~ good to know. Thanks!


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## kidsngarden (Oct 28, 2007)

When you say the lye settled in the bottom the mold...I wonder if it was not dissolved in the first place. That would definitely keep you from a true trace.


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## tmfinley (Feb 21, 2008)

If it is too cold in your soap room, kitchen or wherever you soap you can get a false trace. In the winter I preheat my soap room before making soap. We keep our house pretty cool in the winter so I spend a lot of time making soap!

Tiffany


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