Soap Makers Help!

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

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Way to GO!

 

[buffbeauty]

Congrats on your first batch chickster!

 

[ChicksterJo]

Thanks everybody. Here are a couple pics. I was so excited last night all I could think about was unwrapping and cutting into it!

This is a better representation of the color: I think I got 9 2" wide by 3.5" bars and one slightly smaller bar. I also shaved them with a peeler.

I'm making more today!!

 

[buffbeauty]

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Looks great!!

 

[ChicksterJo]

I was reading about hot process and cold process last night, and some people were saying how much easier hot process is (at least, it doesn't "cure" and they can use the soap right away?). Most people on this thread seem to be doing the cold process, including me. Is there a difference in quality?

 

[swirler]

My hot process is certainly ready to use sooner, but I wouldn't call the process "easier" by a very, very long shot. You basically have to do all the steps for a cold process, then cook it long and slow while stirring (hard work with a big batch) and watching out for soap volcanoes that can occur suddenly and make a terrible mess.

Cold process, you mix to trace, pour, and wait. I like it.

 

[ChicksterJo]

Thanks. The blog post I read was loving on hot process more than cold process but I don't really mind the wait time. Plus I don't want to get a crockpot and stir something to prevent volcanic explosions like you said.

 

[MSDeb]

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Good job, that's some nice looking soap.

 

[WomanInTheWoods]

ChicksterJo~ those soaps look great! Congrats!

I made this coffee bar two nights ago for my BIL. He's a mechanic, and while he said the other soap I sent for them did get his hands clean, they didn't remove the gasoline smell. I can't believe how incredibly HARD this bar is! Wow! I hope it works for him, but I'm thinking about grating up a bar and adding it confetti style to a softer, more feminine bar so we can get that coffee power with a nicer scent. This one smells a bit like burnt black coffee so far.

I expect the smell will soften/disappear with time, but would still like to make a nicer, more feminine version for us ladies.

And could someone PLEASE clue me in to what is up with this soap? lol ~ It's a dog shampoo bar I made up last night (my own recipe). I like the color, and expected one or the other, but not really both like this! It's got a lot of neem oil in it, some karanja, other base oils, and lavender & ylang ylang eo's. (I have a little dog with allergies, as does a friend of mine) This is certainly a STRONG smelling soap~ whew! So why did it come out looking two-toned like this? Is it okay? What are the little flecks in there? (I didn't put any pumice-like additives in there) I am thinking maybe they are the eo's~ next time I will try adding them to the warmed oils first, I guess... I brought it all the way to a medium-heavy trace; I ladled/glopped it into the mold, it was certainly past being pourable, and put it in a preheated oven overnight. Any opinions are welcome!!!
(Oh, btw, the reason the bottom doesn't have the "frame" around it like the other 3 sides is I cut the bars in half. I thought a smaller bar would be more comfortable in the hand when trying to handle a wet dog.

)

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

My hot process is certainly ready to use sooner, but I wouldn't call the process "easier" by a very, very long shot. You basically have to do all the steps for a cold process, then cook it long and slow while stirring (hard work with a big batch) and watching out for soap volcanoes that can occur suddenly and make a terrible mess.

Hot process isn't "ready to use sooner" than a CP soap that has gone through the gel stage. HP forces gelling and the saponification to happen more quickly. Since more liquid is used in HP than CP, the 'cure' time (time to allow excess moisture to evaporate out of the bars, making the soap last longer), the 'cure' time for HP can be much longer than CP.

The volcano effect is more like an ooozing up over the pot, not an explosion. See the fifth picture on my CPHP milk soap page. It took 5 hours for this soap to 'cook' and I had to wait 3 months until these bars were as hard as my gelled CP soap.

And could someone PLEASE clue me in to what is up with this soap?

The inside probably gelled. I would expect the insides to look like the outsides the longer they are exposed to air.​