Soap Makers Help!

[Morgaine]

Quote:
What were the other oils in your recipe? What temps were you at? I have had all castile soaps that take forever to trace too. They reach the barest thinnest trace and it takes 30 minutes. I go ahead now and pour then and it sets up fine, but usually takes a little longer because it didn't gell all the way.

I would also make sure you clean your food processor very very well. If you are going to br making more soap, you need a stick blender that is only used for soap.

 

[ametauss]

I actually made ninjapoodles cucumber and it did come out VERY nice... I didn't add any fo to it and so the cucumber smell isn't strong.... next time I will add a cuc/melon fo to see how that turns out.

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:
I recently made it too...WOW....its one of my favorites right now!!

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:
What were the other oils in your recipe? What temps were you at? I have had all castile soaps that take forever to trace too. They reach the barest thinnest trace and it takes 30 minutes. I go ahead now and pour then and it sets up fine, but usually takes a little longer because it didn't gell all the way.

I would also make sure you clean your food processor very very well. If you are going to br making more soap, you need a stick blender that is only used for soap.

U can also stir too much....let it rest while stirring.

ALSO...if you pour in the mold...BEFORE trace...you can stir up till gel and a little after. I have babysat several a loaf that was starting to seize...and I just stirred everytime I saw the oil slick...incorporating it back in. Soap turned out fabulous....VERY hard. NO zap....

You always get a second chance...by rebatching...so do not think you made a mistake!! YOU meant to do that...because there was something else meant for that soap!! Another fragrance oil, eo, exfoliant, colorant, wicked yummy skin loving oil.

Seizing is the best mistake...because you learn how to save it.

 

[Morgaine]

Well, I didn't get to soap last night and I didn't get my mold!

Did you guys know that almond oil will freeze solid!!! Dh took the small fridge to the other house while I was gone and put my oils I had in there in the freezer and they were frozen solid! But I'll soap later today and I should get my molds in today!

 

[Morgaine]

You're right, it wasn't 30 minutes of constant mixing. I would stick blend for 3-4 minutes, stop for 5, sb 3-4 min, ect. The soap turned out fine in the end.

I gotta say, I'm not a fan of rebatching, though I do do it when I have too cause I'm not going to waste soap that I can save. I've only thrown out two batches so far, One was spiced mahogany that seized and ended up leaking lye all over the place. and one was Chia tea that seized and I tried to save it but it had a bunch of these hard orange chunks that zapped like a dickens. Live and Learn.

Quote:
What were the other oils in your recipe? What temps were you at? I have had all castile soaps that take forever to trace too. They reach the barest thinnest trace and it takes 30 minutes. I go ahead now and pour then and it sets up fine, but usually takes a little longer because it didn't gell all the way.

I would also make sure you clean your food processor very very well. If you are going to br making more soap, you need a stick blender that is only used for soap.

U can also stir too much....let it rest while stirring.

ALSO...if you pour in the mold...BEFORE trace...you can stir up till gel and a little after. I have babysat several a loaf that was starting to seize...and I just stirred everytime I saw the oil slick...incorporating it back in. Soap turned out fabulous....VERY hard. NO zap....

You always get a second chance...by rebatching...so do not think you made a mistake!! YOU meant to do that...because there was something else meant for that soap!! Another fragrance oil, eo, exfoliant, colorant, wicked yummy skin loving oil.

Seizing is the best mistake...because you learn how to save it.

 

[cheeptrick]

I like to use my rebatched soap to GRATE/slice/cube for confetti or toppings...I'm not a fan of rebatched soap either. I think the floap is cool....but LITE in weight and folks usually give me the eye when I try to push it off on them.

 

[AK_Button_Mama]

ok could you please explain the following to a newbie?

What is
zap
floap
siezed


I used 24 ounzes of EVOO and 16 OZ of lard I used this websites lye calc:

http://www.jsoule-webdesign.com/soapcalc/index.htm

I entered the 16 OZ lard into the super fatting oils area. I dunno why I did that but thats the first time I tried it.

I used 13.3 OZ fresh goat milk and 3.2 OZ lye

even thought it never traced yesterday it set up over night... maybe it will turn out nicely. I turned one bar outta my mold and it looks pretty good. so we will see!!!

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Quote:
ZAP- The feeling on your tongue when you lick a soap that still has lye in it

lol I'm a soap licker

Floap- Is rebatched soap that you sb and it is able to float?

Seize- This happens more then I like but I have been learning how to save it. Its when all of the sudden your soap mixture gets REAL thick. Like heavy custard. Sometimes you can see it happen right away other times it kinda sneaks up when you think all is going good.

 

[dun chick]

I made green tea and rose bud soap today. A sort of mauve color. I still have not got this color thing down yet, better off I think trying a swirl. I tried using my pink clay and think I probally used too much. I will post pic when it's out of the mold tommorow.
I'm new to soaping just started a couple months ago. A zap is when you test your soap when it's molded prior to curing by tasting it. A zap is the same feeling of putting your tongue to a battery, like a stinging. It tells you if you overlyed your soap.
Dh is letting me get a new mold this weekend. When I bought my first one he kinda just gave me a look when I told him I spent 60.oo on this wooden loaf mold. Monday he saw my green mango soap he said how about you get another one of these so you can make more. He knows I am preparing for the apple festival in october. Right now I have a 5lb mold and I'm going to order a six pound mold.