Soap Making 101

[Damummis]

krisac, I'm still working on getting perfectly smooth wax paper in the mold.

And when you use Soapcalc, do the following (and I just learned this not long ago, before I hated soapcalc).

Step 1: Go to blue # 2 and change the weight to oz.
Step 2: Go to the list of drop-down oils. Pick the oil you want to use. Click on it to highlight it.
Step 3: Go to blue # 6 and click the red + to add the oil to your list.
Step 4: Go to the columns to the right and click so the oil measurement is oz
Step 5: Repeat steps 2-4 if you have more than one oil
Step 6: Click "calculate recipe"
Step 7: Click "view recipe"

You'll see the water comes to 6.08 oz and the lye comes to 2.09 oz. If you want to use goat milk, you can either replace the water completely or combine the two so they equal 6.08 oz. In this calculator you don't add the liquid, the recipe will calculate the lye and the liquid for you.

Wax paper defeats me. I changed to parchment.

 

[Gallina Vecchia]

I use saran wrap to line my slab/loaf molds which are dishpans or drawer organizers from the dollar store. I would be interested in a 4 pound mold from your dad, Katie.

 

[savingdogs]

When I used the Crisco recipe and added goat milk, I did not use soap calc at all. I just used the EXACT amount of goat milk as they required water (as per glenolam, who makes tons of goat milk soap). You don't need to put goat milk into a calculator, I made great goat milk soap without looking at a computer. Just use that exact crisco recipe but substitute the water in it for the goat milk.

I would still make a batch with plain water first, but you don't need to change the crisco recipe to make it goat milk soap. I've done it three times now, the first time half water, half goat milk,and now the second two times with just straight 100 percent goat milk as the water, with NO change whatsoever in the original recipe.

Crisco is not 100 percent soybean oil is why you got something different when you used "Crisco" as opposed to "soybean".

 

[Emerald]

Here are some pics of the new wooden molds!

Empty mold:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/DSC05140.jpg

After I poured in the soap (Tropical Vacation scented):
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/DSC05143.jpg

Getting ready to cut the soap, so I use the wax paper to lift the whole bar out, then put the bar back in minus the wax paper:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/DSC05145.jpg

Then cutting each bar. The mold will hold 4 lbs of soap, which makes 13 1" bars:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/DSC05150.jpg

And the finished bars ready to cure:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n143/aggieterpkatie/DSC05151.jpg

Some of them are a tad thicker than others because of my cutting, which needs a little more focus. I love the mold though!!! I just pour in the soap and pop it in the fridge and then cut 24 hrs later.

Here is just a thought on getting your bars a tad more even... once you take the soap out put the end back on. push the soap firmly to the end and then cut with your knife. Next bar.. push to the end firmly again and make the cut, next bar.. just repeat till all cut. that should make them a bit more uniform for you. A friend has a bread slicing guide that is built the same way.. she said that was the only way to get even slices. and it should work great for the soap too. Also if you know someone with a guitar have them save you the smaller strings when they change them. my son's friend gave me one for when I slice my cheesecake.. I washed it well and then wrap the ends around old handles from wooden spoons. works great on cheese too.

 

[krisac]

okay so I actually tried things the right way tonight. Wow that was a little different. I had been adding so much liquid that I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about the lye. Whoa nelly! so I turned it into pudding and it is sitting in it's molds. we'll see what happens.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Here is just a thought on getting your bars a tad more even... once you take the soap out put the end back on. push the soap firmly to the end and then cut with your knife. Next bar.. push to the end firmly again and make the cut, next bar.. just repeat till all cut. that should make them a bit more uniform for you. A friend has a bread slicing guide that is built the same way.. she said that was the only way to get even slices. and it should work great for the soap too. Also if you know someone with a guitar have them save you the smaller strings when they change them. my son's friend gave me one for when I slice my cheesecake.. I washed it well and then wrap the ends around old handles from wooden spoons. works great on cheese too.

Thanks! Yeah, when I uploaded the pictures then I wanted to kick myself because I realized I had been taking the end off. Next time I'll definitely leave the end on.

 

[krisac]

Have any of you tried using the plastic muffin containers you get when you buy muffins from the store as molds? I crisco'd mine up nad made 11 of the cutest round bars of soap. they wash up great, I don't have to keep throwing them out since I'm a muffin addict and lousy baker. The soap popped out really nice.
Kristina

 

[krisac]

update": so my soap popped out of the molds it's really adorable from the muffin containers they look like little pies! They are on was paper in an open coke box (i cut the top off) and sitting in my cupboard. Do I need to turn them every so often???
Kristina
PS. Thanks for the link to the scents I think it was swiss army wife...WOW too many to choose from and too long til pay day

 

[krisac]

Hello everybody, hope we had a good weekend. I had a sick husband all weekend so at least he was out of the way on the couch with football
As the apparent Idiot Savant of the group my new questions are : how much fragrance per pound of soap? AND after they are out of the molds how often do you turn them?
ThanksKristina

 

[savingdogs]

Yes, you need to turn them about every day or so.

Different scents are strong than others. I've been using approx 2 oz to my 3-pound batches of soap. So far I've used "Black Amber and Lavender" and "Baby Rose" from brambleberry and that was a good amount to use, the scent stayed with the soap until it was used up.

Maybe someone has a better formula for you, but I know people talk about certain fragrances being stronger and therefore cheaper to use over at Soapmakers Help at Backyardchickens.com Have you read that thread? Lots of good information there.