PJ - I believe that when "sebastes" mentioned full conversion, she/he was referring to the fact that when you bake your baking soda it changes chemically. Sodium bicarbonate converts to sodium carbonate which is more basic (less acidic) and should provide better browning. The NYTImes had a great article about this: "For Old-Fashioned Flavor, Bake the Baking Soda". Personally, I think the minor precautions needed to use lye are well worth it! Ah, I see; I was thrown by sebastes' reference to temperature, taking it as baking temperature for the pretzels. Lye does work well, but I wouldn't feel confident recommending it to a wide audience with various levels of culinary skills; baking soda works well and is a whole lot safer for big audiences! Thanks for your feedback here - PJH

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