Lye: Difference between revisions
created the page on lye, including a few uses and two basic production methods |
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Lye is a caustic base, either sodium hydroxide (soda lye) or potassium hydroxide (potash lye). It's most commonly used for making [[soap]] by mixing lye with animal fat, but can also be used to cure and tenderize foods in small amounts. | Lye is a caustic base, either sodium hydroxide (soda lye) or potassium hydroxide (potash lye). It's most commonly used for making [[soap]] by mixing lye with animal fat, but can also be used to cure and tenderize foods in small amounts. | ||
== | == Materials needed == | ||
* A salt-tolerant '''plant''' as glassworts, saltworts, or kelp | |||
* '''[[Fire]]''' | |||
* '''[[Water]]''' | |||
== Crafting instructions == | |||
Soda lye is much easier to produce compared to potash lye, but which you can make is dependent on your location. | Soda lye is much easier to produce compared to potash lye, but which you can make is dependent on your location. | ||
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Start by burning wood, and leaching the ash. Boil off the resulting water to create potash. When mixed with limewater, it produces lye (potassium hydroxide). While easier to create, this method is much less favorable to the soda ash method, as the resulting lye is of lower quality and yeild. | Start by burning wood, and leaching the ash. Boil off the resulting water to create potash. When mixed with limewater, it produces lye (potassium hydroxide). While easier to create, this method is much less favorable to the soda ash method, as the resulting lye is of lower quality and yeild. | ||
== Uses == | |||
Lye is a powerful base, particularly useful in the production of [[Soap|soap.]] | |||
== Dependencies == | |||
* Lye | |||
** [[Soap]] | |||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
* [[Soap]] | * [[Soap]] | ||
Revision as of 19:46, 7 May 2025
Lye is a caustic base, either sodium hydroxide (soda lye) or potassium hydroxide (potash lye). It's most commonly used for making soap by mixing lye with animal fat, but can also be used to cure and tenderize foods in small amounts.
Materials needed
Crafting instructions
Soda lye is much easier to produce compared to potash lye, but which you can make is dependent on your location.
Soda Ash Lye
First, burn any 'halophyte' (salt tolerant) plant such as glassworts, saltworts, or kelp, leach the ashes, and boil the resulting liquid to produce soda ash (sodium carbonate). Add the resulting soda ash to limewater for a final product of lye (sodium hydroxide).
Wood Ash Lye
Start by burning wood, and leaching the ash. Boil off the resulting water to create potash. When mixed with limewater, it produces lye (potassium hydroxide). While easier to create, this method is much less favorable to the soda ash method, as the resulting lye is of lower quality and yeild.
Uses
Lye is a powerful base, particularly useful in the production of soap.
Dependencies
- Lye