After every hardwood fire you have, allow the ashes to cool for a few days. Then collect the white ashes and store them in metal containers. The best hardwoods for lye water include ash, hickory, beech, sugar maple, and buckeye. [2] X Research source To make lye using this method, you’ll need enough ash to nearly fill a wooden barrel. Don’t use ashes from softwood trees, as these don’t contain enough potassium.
Set up a rain barrel in your backyard or under the eaves of your house to collect rainwater. Make sure there’s a filter on the barrel to strain out leaves and organic debris. Soft water has lower concentrations of other elements, so it’s ideal for soap making. Hard water will produce soap that doesn’t lather. You’ll need at least 10 pints (4. 7 L) of soft water to make lye water.
Concentrate the holes near the center of the barrel so the water will drain into a bucket.
The straw and stones will act as a filter. The lye water will drain down through the straw and stones, leaving the ashes and particles on top.
You can also mount the barrel inside an open wooden frame. Make sure the barrel is sturdy and will not fall over.
Glass Stainless steel Number 5 plastics Heavy-duty plastic
Pay attention to how many bucketfuls of water you add. This will give you an idea of how many buckets of lye water to expect from the barrel. You don’t have to put a lid on the barrel, but make sure that it’s protected from rain in case you get a storm.
Goggles Hard shoes or boots Elbow-length plastic gloves
Replace the bucket with a fresh one to catch the rest of the water.
Use pH test strips. You’re looking for a pH of 13. Use a pH meter to see if the pH is at 13. Place a small potato in the lye water. If it sinks, the lye isn’t strong enough. If it floats, the lye is ready. Dip a chicken feather into the lye. If the feather doesn’t dissolve, the lye isn’t strong enough yet.
Replace a bucket under the holes in the barrel. Let the water drain through the ashes again. The lye water that comes out the second time will be stronger. When all the lye water has drained through a second time, test the pH again. Run the lye water through again if necessary.
Potassium hydroxide lye is not ideal for making hard bar soaps. To make these types of soaps, use sodium hydroxide, which you can buy from home improvement stores, farm supplies, and online.
