Farmfresh
City Biddy
Actually that sounds a lot like me! 
I always jump into things with both feet. 
I always jump into things with both feet. 
Soap Making 101
- Thread starter me&thegals
- Start date
I know it's supposed to set for 2448 hours or that was what the websit I followed said. I ended 3pm pst yesterday should it feel like a pumpkin pie that's just been taken out of the fridge? A reallt cold fridge texture wiseagainst the saran wrap?
So to share my adventure/disaster into the soap making world: My husband was home yesterday and he was going to keep me company in the kitchen and help me out. His main job was going to be my consult on the internet instructions I was using. So right after I got everything measured and started to add the frozen goat's milk to the lye he announces he has taken some pain pills and is going to sleep. So I am at the no turn back point, my instructions are on the other side of the room and I am stirring the mixture. Great! So I got confused (big surprise) and thought this was what need to come to trace. so I stirred that so oh 45 min before I left it to look at the instructions and found out it was actually where it needed to be. So I moved on to melting the oil mixture. Once that was done I moved to mixing the two together. switching between my whisk and stick blender it seemed to stay at a gross oatmeal stage forever. I then realized that none of my molds had freezer paper in them. I need to keep stirring even though I was now convinced all I had made was oil oatmeal, so I ripped out freezer paper and went back to it. About the time I was ready to throw the entire batch out into the blackberry's hoping at least that the lye might kill them it turned into the cream trace it was supposed to look like. What I hadn't really thought out was how to get the soap into the molds. I was using my crock pot and it's bowl is a huge heavy porcelain thing. So I grabbed a big measuring cup and poured them in that way. dribbling soap everywhere. what did spill turn to a wax almost immediately so I am encouraged that this mess might turn out okay.
I also have been curious. I have organic soap that I have had FOREVER! Is there a preservative that needs to be put in to keep soap from going rancid? What do you all use??
Kristina
I also have been curious. I have organic soap that I have had FOREVER! Is there a preservative that needs to be put in to keep soap from going rancid? What do you all use??
Kristina
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Just remember this ... you will never have to do a "First" batch ever again and it all gets easier from here!
I personally don't use any preservatives in my soap it seems to do fine without it. Grapefruit seed extract is an organic preservative that I have heard of, but never used.
Keep us informed about that hard first batch. It might just turn out great despite the difficulties.
I personally don't use any preservatives in my soap it seems to do fine without it. Grapefruit seed extract is an organic preservative that I have heard of, but never used.
Keep us informed about that hard first batch. It might just turn out great despite the difficulties.
Gallina Vecchia
Power Conserver
I know you have gotten a lot of great recommendations for recipes and good books to use and I would like to add my favorite to the list. It is an e-book, so it is a quick download and it is under ten dollars. You can make Amy's recipes easily by yourself and they are really easy to adapt to what you want the final soap to be. http://www.soapcrone.com/ebook.php
Also, remember the old saying "add the lye to the water if yer doin what ya oughter" for lye safety. Farmfresh gave me lots of tips in the beginning which really helped, as well.
Also, remember the old saying "add the lye to the water if yer doin what ya oughter" for lye safety. Farmfresh gave me lots of tips in the beginning which really helped, as well.
I wondered about that as I was putting the frozen goats milk in the lye. I had gotten it in my head backwards, another reason I wanted my backup. but it went okay thankfully. Will Really double check things twice before starting next time.
Kristina
Kristina
Bettacreek
Almost Self-Reliant
Soapmaking isn't quite as "cut and dry" as some people like to say. I do most of my stuff completely "wrong". I don't insulate my molds, add my lye first and fluid later and stop stirring whenever the heck I feel like it. I also don't care what temperature anything is. I don't even own a non-medical thermometer! Sometimes I soap when everything is cold, sometimes my oils are warm and the lye is cold, sometimes the lye is warm and the oils warm and sometimes everything is warm. I've only had 2-3 batches turn out a little funky and have to be redone or tossed. You also don't need to stir constantly. I used to leave my soap sit for hours and stir whenever I remembered that I had soap sitting somewhere. That was manual (fork) mixing though and I had about six hours until it turned solid. I also pour in many different ways. Sometimes I scoop it out, sometimes I pour it, whatever. I'm also that freak that doesn't use protective gear. But I do use a lid on my lye container so that no fumes are released, because that stuff burns the lungs... ask me how I know. But honestly, soaping isn't quite what some people make it out to be... It's basically always an experiment, no matter how many times you've made the same recipe.
Sounds like you did OK! I hate being distracted while I am soaping- one time I tried to make a batch with my in-laws visiting. I forgot to add half the oils. It took me days to figure out why it wasn't setting up correctly.
gettinaclue
Almost Self-Reliant
I soap after the kids have gone to bed, the dogs are locked up in the kennels and the cats have been shut up in a room. This way, I don't have to worry about having anyone or anything under my feet tripping me up while I have lye or lye water.
I set everything out on the counter that I will need for that recipe, measure it all and then begin mixing. I soap at room temp or slightly above, so I have to wait for the lye water to cool but that's no biggie to have out since everyone is in bed or locked away.
I don't insulate my molds because I soap at such a low temp, but have recently been thinking of soaping at a higher temp and insulating the molds. From what I have read, it's supposed to help prevent ashing?
Does anyone know if this is true?
I have used plastic wrap and that did a really good job keeping the ash off, but you have to make sure there are no wrinkles and no air pockets. Does insulating the mold help with the ash?
I set everything out on the counter that I will need for that recipe, measure it all and then begin mixing. I soap at room temp or slightly above, so I have to wait for the lye water to cool but that's no biggie to have out since everyone is in bed or locked away.
I don't insulate my molds because I soap at such a low temp, but have recently been thinking of soaping at a higher temp and insulating the molds. From what I have read, it's supposed to help prevent ashing?
Does anyone know if this is true?I have used plastic wrap and that did a really good job keeping the ash off, but you have to make sure there are no wrinkles and no air pockets. Does insulating the mold help with the ash?
okay, today a 3pm pst will be 48 hours and the soap is well finger printable. it's not hard not mushy but I can make an indentation with my finger by not pushing too hard. Where am I at? total flop? still salvageable?
Kristina
Kristina
