# Straining lye mix?



## nappint

I made a batch of Castile soap yesterday and today when I unmolded it I noticed there were little tiny orange flecks in it. I can only assume it's undisolved lye right? What do y'all use to strain your lye? I have a fine mesh coffee filter basket but there is no way the milk and lye will go through it because it's too thick!

Thanks!


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## Kalne

I don't think excess lye shows up as orange spots. I'd say it more likely to be some of the sugar in the milk discoloring from the heat.

I have not had luck straining my lye liquid *through* a sieve. It just doesn't go through. So what I do is take my strainer and stir my lye liquid with it then just skim anything that might come floating to the top. It would be harder to spot anything with milk for sure.


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## mill-valley

I do strain my lye mixture through a stainless sieve, but I use 100% GM mixed with the lye, so it's not as thick as if you were using water and adding GM at trace. Sometimes I have to stir it around a little in the strainer with my SS spoon, but it does catch a few crystals every time.


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## tmfinley

I use 100% GM for my soap also and I do strain. It only took one time with chucnks in my lye solution for me to change my ways. Like Beth Somethimes I have to do a little stirring but it works.

Tiffany


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## nappint

Thanks for the replies. 

Kathy - I think you're right about the heat causing the spots. After I posted this question I unmolded the leftovers from this batch that I had poured in a milky way mold. That soap didn't gel and it doesn't have any spots (along with being much prettier). 

I'll try to strain my milk/lye through a sieve like y'all posted, hopefully that will take care of the problem.

Thanks again!


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## NubianSoaps.com

I strain all my lye also. I just have a cheapo stainless strainer from walmart with the handle with the hole in it, mine fits right over my soap bucket so I don't have to hold it. Vicki


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## Guest

Your little orange spots are called DOS, stands for Dreaded Orange Spots and soapers have hired chemists etc to figure out what causes them, no one has for sure.. it is purely spots and your soap is usuable and fine.. Sorry, I have only had one case of DOS in my yrs of soaping and I sure don't know how it happened..
Barb


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## mullerslanefarm

I don't strain my 100% milk/lye solution, but I do use a SB (stick blender) on my lye solution before adding it to the waiting oils. Since I use frozen milk chunks for my lye solution and keep it in a cold water bath, I always have frozen milk in my lye solution after I have added all my lye.

The only caution I have to add is if you do this (the SB) make sure you are wearing eye protection and that you keep the SB immersed in the milk/lye solution.


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## nappint

Thanks for the replies everyone, lots of great ideas on straining out the chunks. It never occured to me to stick blend it also. I need to try that.


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## tmfinley

I forgot to add that I also stick blend my lye solution now. I'm telling you I do not ever want to start pouring my lye solution into my oils and find chunks ever again so I make double sure!


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## NubianSoaps.com

I strain because I am using the premixed lye. Stick blending is a very good idea if you aren't. Vicki


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## mamatomany

I was told that if you stick your tongue to your soap and it zaps there is undissolved lye in your soap...can anyone explain ricing and how it is different from DOS.


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## Guest

Hi Linda, I am not sure on the sticking your tongue on the soap and zaps, it probably would zap the first few hrs, after that no... 
Ricing is usually caused by fragrance oils that don't mix well in CP soaps, the soaps start to seize and then it looks like there are little grains of rice all over in the soap, its ugly but doesn't hurt the soap at all.. sometimes its not so ugly and kinda looks cool.. where DOS you usually won't see until you cut your soap and no one knows for sure what causes it, some claim temps, some claims certain oils, Rice bran gets blamed alot..It is just orange dots all over in the soap, I can live with ricing somewhat, but I hate dos... I would shred it up if I had more problems with it, but only once has it happened to me..
Floral fragrances are good at ricing, mixing the fo with a little of the liquid oils from your batch and warming very very slightly always seem to help me with fragrances that seize or rice.
I also will stir stubborn fo's in with a spoon instead of a stick blender, for some reason the stick blender helps them accelerate faster..
Barb


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