Soap Makers Help!

[Backyard Buddies]

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Hee hee. I've been wondering the same thing.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

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Hee hee. I've been wondering the same thing.

You 2 are funny

I'll be unmolding in a few hours and as soon as I do I will post pictures

 

[Morgaine]

Have either one of you added your fragrance with your oil (before lye) and then soaped as usual? I was reading about that and I think I might give it a try, it seems so much easier and you know that it is fully mixed.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

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You asked me that in a PM and I don't recall seeing a reply to my PM back to you. Did that message go through??
No, I've never tried it. What are the pros and cons of doing it that way? The full mixing makes sense, and since I had a problem with the vanilla when my hand blender disintegrated mid-batch, the concept intrigues me. But, would you then have to use more fragrance since you'd be mixing without any saponification taking place first?

 

[Morgaine]

No you shouldn't have to use more at all. The way I understand, the lye doesn't saponify with the for or eo anyway, it will only bind with the fats/oils.

Pros (as I see it)
will be fully mixed in
Won't accidentally forget to add it
If coloring a batch different colors, you don't have to add scent to only part
If you have a finicky fo, it can help slow down acceleration by diluting the fo so that it doesn't react to the lye so fast.

Cons
If the fo discolors, the whole batch is that color
If you are doing a lot of swirls or layers, soap can set up to fast

I think that all I have heard. I haven't' tried it yet but I think I will next time. I'll look through the PM's BB I don't remember getting it, but it could have been there and I answered an different one and forgot that one.

One more thing, Shelly, Do you add all your oils to the pot and then add the lye or do you keep some to supper fat with? I was under the impression that you added extra at trace and was wonder why? I thought that since the saponification process was complete for a few hours after, that the lye was reacting with whatever oils were there and you couldn't control what oils were unsaponified(this is for CP only, HP is different).

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Thanks for the explanation! I can't wait to hear what you think after trying it.

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Theoretically, there are two ways to superfat - in the pot or at trace. Technically, the result is the same. If you have exactly the right amount of oil to lye, all the oils are saponified in the process. If you have more oils, whether it be in the pot or at trace, some of the oils will not be used up, and therefore are superfatted.

When I first began soaping, I did a little of each, particularly leaving oils that are naturally high in unsaponifiables (such as avocado) to be added at trace. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but I do notice a difference, but that may be due to a slightly higher superfat % by doing it that way.

However, for ease, I now only add fats at trace if I'm using them as a carrier for other things like colors. When I did the Almond Bliss and added cocoa powder, I held out my almond oil, divided into two parts, adding cocoa powder to one of the parts. I removed the soap that I was going to color and stirred in the almond oil/cocoa powder mix. The remaining plain almond oil went into the batch that remained uncolored.

 

[Morgaine]

OK, I've always just added them all to the pot and I gues what I'm really doing is discounting the lye to leave 8% unsaponified.

I was just wondering and had forgotten to ask before.

I am officially in the Sherwood Renaissance faire! I also going to be doing demos on soap making!

Well I gotta go to Tomball now, talk later!

 

[TM Chickens]

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Oh, wow! I'll have to try that on my next batch.

 

[ametauss]

I put my EO/FO into the extra oil so that it is a bit diluted with any color additions before adding to the oil/lye mixture at trace....

I also heat my solid oils first then add my other oils (especially the olive oil). I think this keeps the olive oil from becoming dark.

I use my farm fresh goat's milk frozen like a slushie for the water w/lye so that it doesn't turn dark...

I've been able to get my soap to be a nice Ivory color w/o coloring by doing the above.... Also letting the oil and lye mixtures come down to around 95degrees before blending seems to help too for some reason.....

This doesn't help when you're making Coffee Goat Latte soap.... It's a dark expresso color no matter which way you look at it....

 

[chiknwhisperer]

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That is so cool!!! Are you doing it the old fashion way? Are you making the whole batch right there? How are you doing it? lol I have soo many questions. My MIL thinks that would be a good idea for me to do here. There is a place here called Buckley Homestead and they do re enactments and have people come in and do things that would be done during that certain time period.

Congrats