How to make caustic potash aka potash from hard wood ash and rain water. While learning about this process I discovered there is a widely shared MYTH that this process results in Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) however that is NOT the case, if it actually mostly Potassium Carbonate (K2C03) and Sodium Carbonate (NA2C03) and a bit of CA(OH)2. If you watch a YT channel and they say the resulting water (from wood ash and water leeching) is KOH they are just repeating what they 'think' they know...and that is wrong, ask yourself what else are they simply repeating and don't know!

Even thought this is not KOH it is still one way that our ancestors made soap from scratch using this potash solution and fat. I am working on making a good recipe for soap and have tried several with no good result. It is next to impossible to find a solid recipe online. I have tried 4 parts Lye solution to 1 part fat (no luck) and 3/8 cup lye to 1 cup fat (no joy) so I am still working on that...that said this video is on how to make the lye solution. Once I get the soap making down I will link to this video.

Source info on which lye solution is really in potash and not KOH: https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/q...

https://classicbells.com/soap/woodAsh...

https://cavemanchemistry.com/oldcave/...

https://thegreenergrassfarm.com/2015/...