It works OK making it with Lye or alcohol or just water. I've done all 3. It's definitely a pain to make it with water. You're very limited as to the strength and it takes forever to make it right, but, it always seemed to me that the water solution was more sensitive than the others and the precipitate seems different, in a more distinct way. I find the alcohol solution the worst. Making DMG test solution is about the only thing I can think of that I follow Hoke on, to the letter.