# How To Use Soap Calc Tutorial



## LunaSkye

This is for the newbies who are new to the world of soap-making. soapcalc.net is actually my favorite online calculator to use. It is intimidating with all the things that you have to enter, but it gets easier to use as time passes. My hope is that this post helps to demystify soapcalc, section by section (listing numbers correspond to the section):







1. Type of lye is where you select the  lye you want to use. You may already know this, but sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is used for making bar soaps whereas potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used for making liquid soaps.

2. Weight of oils simply allows you to select the measuring weight you want to use. There is also a green box below to enter the amount of oils you will use if you choose to view the recipe in percentages. Details about that will be addressed later.

3. Water as % of oils asks you for the amount of water you plan to use. If you are a newbie, I'd suggest you stick with this option until you feel more comfortable using the water:lye ratio or the lye concentration options. Also note that the soap will trace faster if you use a lower percentage of water. That is referred to a water discount.

4. Super fat is where you enter how much of a lye discount you want for your soap. The higher the SF%, the more oils will be left in the soap for the conditioning. However, higher SF% may also make your soap prone to DOS, depending on the oils used and how much you are superfatting. As a note, superfatting with a specific oil can only be done in the HP method of soap making. Lye converts oils indiscriminately into soap, so the SF is often referred to the lye discount.

Below Super Fat is Fragrance. By default, .5oz/lb is figured into the recipe.

5. Soap qualities in the white column describes the qualities that each oil, butter, or fat contributes to the soap. Additionally, the white column also provides information on the fatty acid molecules that is found in a particular oil, butter, or fat. The numbers in the green column shows the properties of the soap based on which oils, butters or fats are found  in the calculated recipe.

More information can be seen when you hover the mouse icon over each of qualities listed, but I'll probably post a link for further explanation.

Oils, fats, and waxes is a list of many ingredients that can be used to make soap. Below that list are two boxes that show the saponification values for both NaOH and KOH. You may already know that saponification is the process that converts oils and lye into soap and glycerine. The values below the list will vary depending on the oil you select.

6. Recipe oil list is where the selected oils will be listed. The add button will add the selected oil to the list while the remove button will remove the oil from the list (depending on the number entered in the green box next to it). Please note that the red plus and minus signs will allow you to swipe out an oil from the recipe much more easily than using the remove button. That is just my opinion, however.

The two columns with the dots above them give you the option of viewing the recipe in percentages or by the weight you selected in section 2. In whichever column you select, you can enter the amount of oil that you plan to use.

The drop-down box that reads recipe 1 is available for you to save multiple recipes. You can save up to 8 recipes, but be careful as you will lose the recipes if you are on a private browser or if you delete your cookies.

7. When you are done making your recipe, press the calculate recipe button so that you can view the recipe. You will also be able to see the soap's qualities in section 5.

After the recipe is calculated, you have the option of viewing the recipe on another page (from which you can print it if need be). Two selectable options are also available for easier viewing. Multiple tabs allow you to view multiple recipes in different tabs while bold adds a bold effect to the number values.

Lastly, the reset all button will send your page into the default setting. That said, be careful not to press it.

Here are some additional links that I hope will be helpful:

Post #8 on this thread gives a good overview on how the type of lye and oil used in soap-making effects the outcome of the soap.
Simplified information on the fatty acids can be found here and here.
Soap dish also has a chart of what fatty acid is found in a specific oil.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman

A great overview. I think soapcalc looks worse than it is which causes a panic and a mental shutdown on it.


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## Susie

Thank you!  Good job and great timing!  I just gave this link to the newbie in the intro section, and I am bookmarking it!  I can see lots of linking this in my future!


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## snappyllama

Nice post!  SoapCalc is a great tool, but the interface is a bit intimidating for first timers.  Thanks for demystifying it.


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## Dahila

Not really this is the only one I can work from the first soap without difficulties.  The one people use for liquid soap http://summerbeemeadow.com/content/advanced-calculator-solid-cream-or-liquid-soaps is very difficult for me.  First of all I work with grams, and i have no idea what percentage of KOH i should put in there(


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## LunaSkye

Dahila said:


> Not really this is the only one I can work from the first soap without difficulties.  The one people use for liquid soap http://summerbeemeadow.com/content/advanced-calculator-solid-cream-or-liquid-soaps is very difficult for me.  First of all I work with grams, and i have no idea what percentage of KOH i should put in there(



28.3495231 is the magical number to convert grams to ounces (through division) or ounces to grams (through multiplication). Thanks for sharing that link, BTW. 

Thank you all for you thoughts and support.  Happy Soaping!


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## cmzaha

Dahila said:


> Not really this is the only one I can work from the first soap without difficulties. The one people use for liquid soap http://summerbeemeadow.com/content/advanced-calculator-solid-cream-or-liquid-soaps is very difficult for me. First of all I work with grams, and i have no idea what percentage of KOH i should put in there(


This site has a great free convert program for windows. 
http://joshmadison.com/convert-for-windows/


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## Susie

Dahila said:


> Not really this is the only one I can work from the first soap without difficulties.  The one people use for liquid soap http://summerbeemeadow.com/content/advanced-calculator-solid-cream-or-liquid-soaps is very difficult for me.  First of all I work with grams, and i have no idea what percentage of KOH i should put in there(



I use the summerbeemeadow advanced calculator, and yes, it is very intimidating.  I also really, really wish that it would be able to use grams.  But it doesn't.  There are many conversion tools on the internet.  I just type convert ounces to grams, and get my answers.  

As far as using the calculator, just add what you need, and leave blank the other boxes.  I also ignore all the part about neutralizing because I use 0-3% superfat.


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## KatieShephard

Nice tutorial LunaSkye!


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## grumpy_owl

Thank you so much for this, LunaSkye! I have looked at the soapcalc but then I get a headache and run away terrified. My 5% SF soaps are coming out soft and I plan to use this calculator in future so I don't have mushy bath balls.
Mushy Bath Balls is the name of my band, of course.


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## Dahila

Susie you are awesome so are the others.  I downloaded and will try use the calculator again.  I got everything for Irishlass gliceryne soap but i do not need numbers.  I will hopefully figure it out thank you!!!


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## LunaSkye

Dahila said:


> Susie you are awesome so are the others.  I downloaded and will try use the calculator again.  I got everything for Irishlass gliceryne soap but i do not need numbers.  I will hopefully figure it out thank you!!!



I've been trying to find the time to apologize for not really answering your question. I misread your first post and didn't realize it until after I read the other posts. cmzaha and Susie had the best suggestions for using Summer Bee's calculator. I thing their help icon would be more helpful than I could be as well.


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## Dahila

I checked a few of calculators and they all give me 
max about 375 ml of water for a 1000 grams of oils (35.2 oz) and Summer bee meadow gives me the number of 22.41 oz of water, which is 635 g. I put superfat as 3%
Am I doing it wrong? 
Is it possible that the number is wrong?  Susie help please
could you take a look , please


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## Susie

OK, something did not look right, so I ran that through the advanced calculator.  And the numbers are different.  Close, but not quite right. And SBM uses more water than other calculators.  That is why it works so much better for liquid soap.  

My results call for 22.21 oz(629.6 g) of water, and 7.4 oz (209 g) KOH.

So, your recipe would look like this:

Castor oil-99g
Coconut oil, 76 degree-250 g
Olive oil, pomace- 649 g

KOH-209 g
Water- 629.6 g

If I were going to fragrance that, I would use 28 g of EO, but use according to your FO or EO usage rates.


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## Dahila

Susie thank you so much, you are a jewel.  I will copy it.  I actually used regular calculator and is not so much of but it is somehow.  
In grams it looks like that
Olive oil 650 g\
castor oil 100 g
Coconut oil 250 g

KOH 211.7 g
Water 635
Thank you so much, I am going to use Irishlass way with the glicerin.  It is my fist shot at liquid soap, I will update when done.  It is probably going to be a disaster )


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## Lambandpeach

*Soap very very newbie*

Hi everyone
I see the soap calc online but how do you know how much the recipe will yield?  I have a 4 lb loaf mold and would like the recipes to fit that. Thanks. Any info would be helpful


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## Dahila

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=51000&highlight=calculating+mold+volume


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## LunaSkye

Lambandpeach said:


> Hi everyone
> I see the soap calc online but how do you know how much the recipe will yield?  I have a 4 lb loaf mold and would like the recipes to fit that. Thanks. Any info would be helpful



The total yield of your recipe will be shown after you choose to view your recipe. It will display the total weight of the oils, liquid, lye, and fragrance used in the recipe. Keep in mind:

1. You should set the fragrance amount to the exact amount you want to use, otherwise the total weight shown will reflect the wrong weight.

2. You may want to use less than 4lbs of oil in the recipe to minimize the amount of leftover soap batter you will have. It may sound redundant, but some people (like myself) use residual batter for soap balls and/or samples. The may not worry too much about how much batter is left over (I know I don't).

3. The water discount will affect the overall weight, but lowering it will also affect how fast the soap reaches trace. I've found that a lower discount resulted in a faster trace.


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## claryza

I use the soapcalc.net and I do calculate my oils randomly. I think that if my soap at the end , the Hardness, bubbly, creamy, iodine number between those numbers shown its good enough to be made. Or this is wrong?


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## Susie

claryza said:


> I use the soapcalc.net and I do calculate my oils randomly. I think that if my soap at the end , the Hardness, bubbly, creamy, iodine number between those numbers shown its good enough to be made. Or this is wrong?



Each oil brings certain qualities to soap.  If you randomize your oils, you are never going to get a reliable recipe that you can then compare your other soaps to.  For instance, if you made a soap that took a long time to unmold, then you used random oils after that rather than increase the hard oils, then you would only hit on a good recipe by happenstance.  

You need to identify what you like about a recipe(or what you don't), then improve it using systematic changes to achieve good soap that behaves like you want it to.


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## skayc1

I was intimidated by this lye calculator, until I watch a video someone made explaining that, in adding oils in percentages,  I was checking to see the quality of the bars. someone told me this calculator does not take in consideration that olive oil makes a hard bar of soap, is this true? Also how impotant is it to keep the iodine within the range?


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## not_ally

Skayc, take soapcalc with a big pinch of salt. It is invaluable for calculating lye, and water percentages if you are math challenged like me.  And maybe good when you are just really starting out, just to get a sense of what does what.  But after that it is really better to use your own knowledge/research/experience/observation of what the different oils/fatty acids do, and what *you* want in the soap.  IMO, anyway.  Eg, no one would ever make a salt bar if they looked at the soapcalc nos.


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## JayDSoaper

I've only made 4 batches of soap so far and was able to use the SoapCalc.net website. It's a great tool and the overview you gave was great. But I have one question for the more experienced soapers. What is the best way to determine the amount of oils you need to generate the right amount of soap to fit the molds you are using. I have found it difficult at times to resize some of the recipes I've used.  Is it really just a matter of knowing the total volume of the mold and working through the weight of each of the ingredients?  Any short cut tips?  Thanks.


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## Arimara

JayDSoaper said:


> I've only made 4 batches of soap so far and was able to use the SoapCalc.net website. It's a great tool and the overview you gave was great. But I have one question for the more experienced soapers. What is the best way to determine the amount of oils you need to generate the right amount of soap to fit the molds you are using. I have found it difficult at times to resize some of the recipes I've used.  Is it really just a matter of knowing the total volume of the mold and working through the weight of each of the ingredients?  Any short cut tips?  Thanks.



I think using the search tool would prove more useful. someone very recently posted a thread about the same thing you're asking about.

Edit: look here


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## jod58

Good question?


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## DeeAnna

What question are you asking about, Jod58? There are a lot of questions asked here, so context is important.

If it's the question about the amount of oils to fill a mold, click the link that Arimara kindly provided. If you have further questions about that topic, ask them in that thread or start a new thread. You'll get better answers.


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## Zany_in_CO

JayDSoaper said:


> What is the best way to determine the amount of oils you need to generate the right amount of soap to fit the molds you are using.



TIP: Weight of Oils/Fat X 1.37 = Weight of Soap

So my standard recipe uses 60 oz oils:
60 oz X 1.37 = 82 oz soap (rounded)

Working backward, I have a mold that holds 40 oz soap:
40 oz / 1.37 = 29 oz. oils/fats

There are variables that come into play, of course, but this gives you a base line to work with. With experience, you'll learn exactly how much oils/fats to use to fill any given mold with soap.

HTH   :bunny:   ​


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## Quri

awesome info, thanks!


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## Zany_in_CO

Quri said:


> awesome info, thanks!


Hiya Quri, and Welcome!

TIP: When responding to a post in a thread like this, it's best to click "Quote" in the lower right corner of the post you are responding to and then write your comment below that. I'm not sure whether you are thanking me (in which case I gave you a "like") -- or to the thread in general (in which case the OP -- Original Poster) might give you a like. 

HTH    :bunny:​


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## Mae01

I had to learn the formulas to figure it out for myself.  Soap calc started giving me an error message when trying to get to the lye and water amounts.  Disappointing because I always loved that site.


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## DianaMoon

Is there a soap calculator that allows you to factor in both KOH and NaOH? Soap Calc allows you to do 90% KOH but what if you want to do 60/40? (Yes, I'm thinking of trying a shaving soap...this is becoming addictive.)


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## artemis

I think soapee does?


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## earlene

DianaMoon said:


> Is there a soap calculator that allows you to factor in both KOH and NaOH? Soap Calc allows you to do 90% KOH but what if you want to do 60/40? (Yes, I'm thinking of trying a shaving soap...this is becoming addictive.)


Yes, I use soapee: http://soapee.com/calculator  for dual lye soap recipes.


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## DianaMoon

earlene said:


> Yes, I use soapee: http://soapee.com/calculator  for dual lye soap recipes.



Many thanks.


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## justrambling

Thank you so much for this post!  I was so confused about how to use the calculator.  LOL!  Your explanation really helped me go step by step and figure it out.  Now I can figure out how to change some oils etc, in recipes.


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## Cherrydene soapy

I have found this thread so informative thank you everyone for you input  

When working out my amount of oils for my mould I used this  calculation :
Internal measurements of mould
W x H x L = in square x 0.4 = amount of oz needed
Example: 
Mould size: W 2.75 in x H 3 in x L 10.25 in = 84.56 in square 
84.56 x 0.4 = 33.82 oz
You could round it up to 34 oz   
I hope this helps


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## Zany_in_CO

Cherrydene soapy said:


> When working out my amount of oils for my mould I used this  calculation


Or... you can use this link... it does the calculation for you:
http://summerbeemeadow.com/sites/all/sbm_calc_input/calc_input_page_1.1.html


> See your calculated recipe with correct alkali amount and minimum water needed. Then use our Recipe Resizer to fit your mold, rectangular or round.


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## LaToya

Alright I am so confused at this moment... (maybe it is just a moment) but I need help. Am I overlooking on the SoapCalc where you include your additives or is there no place for them? I noticed on Soapmakingfriend.com its clear where to put EVERYTHING. Which Calc do you all use the most?


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## Meena

I use soapcalc, but there isn't a place for additives.  I saw that they added all that to soapmakingfriend yesterday, and was a little confused about why, but I haven't spent a lot of time looking at 'friend' yet.  I think it's not really necessary for the calculators to include additives.

If your additives are liquid, like using aloe vera liquid or gel, people use that in place of all or part of the water, but the total amount of "water" (whether water, milk, aloe, etc) stays the same.

The powder/herb additives don't make any difference to the lye & water amounts, nor to the properties of the oils, and that's the focus of the calculators.  If you use clays, most people mix them with a little water because they will absorb some of the recipe's water otherwise.

Do you have any specific additives you are thinking about?


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## atiz

Latoya D. said:


> Alright I am so confused at this moment... (maybe it is just a moment) but I need help. Am I overlooking on the SoapCalc where you include your additives or is there no place for them? I noticed on Soapmakingfriend.com its clear where to put EVERYTHING. Which Calc do you all use the most?


After you hit View/print Recipe on soapcalc, there is a column where you can enter additives; these will show up when you print out (or save) your recipe. (They won’t affect the calculation; if your additive makes a difference in the oil/lye amount, you have to do the math by hand.)


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## LaToya

@atiz  Right. So it's pretty much there so that you have an accurate recipe. That way it can be saved or printed.


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## KimT2au

Latoya D. said:


> @atiz  Right. So it's pretty much there so that you have an accurate recipe. That way it can be saved or printed.


Have you tried the lye calculator that is being developed here at the SMF, @Latoya D. ?  It allows you to select your additives rather than type them in yourself and will automatically adjust your lye requirements if necessary.  It is my favourite lye calculator.  https://www.soapmakingfriend.com/soap-making-recipe-builder-lye-calculator/


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## Dahila

wow it looks incredible that calculator


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## LaToya

@KimT2au I discovered it last week! I haven't used it yet though. I was so happy when I saw it... Thinking now this is a lot easier, just plug everything in!


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## Clarice

IT ROCKS!  I just used for first time


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## KimT2au

It is an amazing lye calculator.  I just love it.


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## Kurt

When I use Soapcalc, I think to myself, this is what Isaac Newton must have felt like when he discovered the Law of Universal Gravitation.


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## reinbeau

Seems SoapCalc has been purchased by Wholesale Supplies Plus and is now only available on their website.....


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## Cherrydene soapy

KimT2au said:


> Have you tried the lye calculator that is being developed here at the SMF, @Latoya D. ?  It allows you to select your additives rather than type them in yourself and will automatically adjust your lye requirements if necessary.  It is my favourite lye calculator.  https://www.soapmakingfriend.com/soap-making-recipe-builder-lye-calculator/


This is the one I use it is so simple to use it’s fabulous x


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## Curious

LunaSkye said:


> This is for the newbies who are new to the world of soap-making. soapcalc.net is actually my favorite online calculator to use. It is intimidating with all the things that you have to enter, but it gets easier to use as time passes. My hope is that this post helps to demystify soapcalc, section by section (listing numbers correspond to the section):
> 
> 
> View attachment 10182
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Type of lye is where you select the  lye you want to use. You may already know this, but sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is used for making bar soaps whereas potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used for making liquid soaps.
> 
> 2. Weight of oils simply allows you to select the measuring weight you want to use. There is also a green box below to enter the amount of oils you will use if you choose to view the recipe in percentages. Details about that will be addressed later.
> 
> 3. Water as % of oils asks you for the amount of water you plan to use. If you are a newbie, I'd suggest you stick with this option until you feel more comfortable using the water:lye ratio or the lye concentration options. Also note that the soap will trace faster if you use a lower percentage of water. That is referred to a water discount.
> 
> 4. Super fat is where you enter how much of a lye discount you want for your soap. The higher the SF%, the more oils will be left in the soap for the conditioning. However, higher SF% may also make your soap prone to DOS, depending on the oils used and how much you are superfatting. As a note, superfatting with a specific oil can only be done in the HP method of soap making. Lye converts oils indiscriminately into soap, so the SF is often referred to the lye discount.
> 
> Below Super Fat is Fragrance. By default, .5oz/lb is figured into the recipe.
> 
> 5. Soap qualities in the white column describes the qualities that each oil, butter, or fat contributes to the soap. Additionally, the white column also provides information on the fatty acid molecules that is found in a particular oil, butter, or fat. The numbers in the green column shows the properties of the soap based on which oils, butters or fats are found  in the calculated recipe.
> 
> More information can be seen when you hover the mouse icon over each of qualities listed, but I'll probably post a link for further explanation.
> 
> Oils, fats, and waxes is a list of many ingredients that can be used to make soap. Below that list are two boxes that show the saponification values for both NaOH and KOH. You may already know that saponification is the process that converts oils and lye into soap and glycerine. The values below the list will vary depending on the oil you select.
> 
> 6. Recipe oil list is where the selected oils will be listed. The add button will add the selected oil to the list while the remove button will remove the oil from the list (depending on the number entered in the green box next to it). Please note that the red plus and minus signs will allow you to swipe out an oil from the recipe much more easily than using the remove button. That is just my opinion, however.
> 
> The two columns with the dots above them give you the option of viewing the recipe in percentages or by the weight you selected in section 2. In whichever column you select, you can enter the amount of oil that you plan to use.
> 
> The drop-down box that reads recipe 1 is available for you to save multiple recipes. You can save up to 8 recipes, but be careful as you will lose the recipes if you are on a private browser or if you delete your cookies.
> 
> 7. When you are done making your recipe, press the calculate recipe button so that you can view the recipe. You will also be able to see the soap's qualities in section 5.
> 
> After the recipe is calculated, you have the option of viewing the recipe on another page (from which you can print it if need be). Two selectable options are also available for easier viewing. Multiple tabs allow you to view multiple recipes in different tabs while bold adds a bold effect to the number values.
> 
> Lastly, the reset all button will send your page into the default setting. That said, be careful not to press it.
> 
> Here are some additional links that I hope will be helpful:
> 
> Post #8 on this thread gives a good overview on how the type of lye and oil used in soap-making effects the outcome of the soap.
> Simplified information on the fatty acids can be found here and here.
> Soap dish also has a chart of what fatty acid is found in a specific oil.




Hi LunaSkye!

Thanks so much for posting this.  I'm a newbie & like others, I ran away screaming in terror when I first saw the lye calculator.  With your explanation on how to use it, I'm still running away but I don't have as much terror.  I think I'm gonna stick with the basic recipes I have but when I'm brave enough to try something else, I'll definitely refer to this post.


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## shunt2011

Curious said:


> Hi LunaSkye!
> 
> Thanks so much for posting this.  I'm a newbie & like others, I ran away screaming in terror when I first saw the lye calculator.  With your explanation on how to use it, I'm still running away but I don't have as much terror.  I think I'm gonna stick with the basic recipes I have but when I'm brave enough to try something else, I'll definitely refer to this post.



Lunasky hasn’t been on here in 4 years. Probably won’t see your comment.


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## Curious

thanks for that detail shunt2011 - I'm sending gratitude her way (though she may not see it)  and into the universe


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## melinda48

Curious said:


> Hi LunaSkye!
> 
> Thanks so much for posting this.  I'm a newbie & like others, I ran away screaming in terror when I first saw the lye calculator.  With your explanation on how to use it, I'm still running away but I don't have as much terror.  I think I'm gonna stick with the basic recipes I have but when I'm brave enough to try something else, I'll definitely refer to this post.


You can also download the instructions on the SoapCalc site. I did this early on and it was very helpful.


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## Ohenna

You probably don't realise just how much you've helped me right now! I was about to waste a lot of money buying completely the wrong amounts


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## Gator Packaging

Nice Post Thanks For Sharing


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## Arimara

shunt2011 said:


> Lunasky hasn’t been on here in 4 years. Probably won’t see your comment.


 I can pass it along to her. I know her.


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## AliciaE

Hi, Looking for specification on "Weight of oils" section.

My mold holds 40 liquid oz. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FYD78G6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Do I need to calculate the 38% water out of that before inputting the amount for "weight of oils"? I ask because when I put 40 oz I assumed it would take the water/lye out when I select 38%  for "water as % of oils" but when I put in my percentages for each oil it adds it up to 40 oz total for the oils.

Thanks in advance!


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## melinda48

It does not. You need to enter the weight of the oils keeping in mind  the volume of your mold.


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## AliciaE

melinda48 said:


> It does not. You need to enter the weight of the oils keeping in mind  the volume of your mold.



Thank you!


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## AliciaE

Hi @melinda48, I calculated the weight of the oils alone today for a recipe. To my knowledge I calculated everything correctly and came out with only enough soap to fill half of my mold. 

Am I missing something here?
Mold holds 40 oz, multiply that by .38 for 38% water as percent of oil weight, gives me 15.2 oz. I bumped it to 16 oz to give myself a little wiggle room. Soap calc pulled up this for me :http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/ViewRecipe.asp but like I said, when I measured it all out and started working with it, I only had enough for half of my mold.


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## Claudette Carignan

LunaSkye said:


> This is for the newbies who are new to the world of soap-making. soapcalc.net is actually my favorite online calculator to use. It is intimidating with all the things that you have to enter, but it gets easier to use as time passes. My hope is that this post helps to demystify soapcalc, section by section (listing numbers correspond to the section):
> 
> 
> View attachment 10182
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Type of lye is where you select the  lye you want to use. You may already know this, but sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is used for making bar soaps whereas potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used for making liquid soaps.
> 
> 2. Weight of oils simply allows you to select the measuring weight you want to use. There is also a green box below to enter the amount of oils you will use if you choose to view the recipe in percentages. Details about that will be addressed later.
> 
> 3. Water as % of oils asks you for the amount of water you plan to use. If you are a newbie, I'd suggest you stick with this option until you feel more comfortable using the water:lye ratio or the lye concentration options. Also note that the soap will trace faster if you use a lower percentage of water. That is referred to a water discount.
> 
> 4. Super fat is where you enter how much of a lye discount you want for your soap. The higher the SF%, the more oils will be left in the soap for the conditioning. However, higher SF% may also make your soap prone to DOS, depending on the oils used and how much you are superfatting. As a note, superfatting with a specific oil can only be done in the HP method of soap making. Lye converts oils indiscriminately into soap, so the SF is often referred to the lye discount.
> 
> Below Super Fat is Fragrance. By default, .5oz/lb is figured into the recipe.
> 
> 5. Soap qualities in the white column describes the qualities that each oil, butter, or fat contributes to the soap. Additionally, the white column also provides information on the fatty acid molecules that is found in a particular oil, butter, or fat. The numbers in the green column shows the properties of the soap based on which oils, butters or fats are found  in the calculated recipe.
> 
> More information can be seen when you hover the mouse icon over each of qualities listed, but I'll probably post a link for further explanation.
> 
> Oils, fats, and waxes is a list of many ingredients that can be used to make soap. Below that list are two boxes that show the saponification values for both NaOH and KOH. You may already know that saponification is the process that converts oils and lye into soap and glycerine. The values below the list will vary depending on the oil you select.
> 
> 6. Recipe oil list is where the selected oils will be listed. The add button will add the selected oil to the list while the remove button will remove the oil from the list (depending on the number entered in the green box next to it). Please note that the red plus and minus signs will allow you to swipe out an oil from the recipe much more easily than using the remove button. That is just my opinion, however.
> 
> The two columns with the dots above them give you the option of viewing the recipe in percentages or by the weight you selected in section 2. In whichever column you select, you can enter the amount of oil that you plan to use.
> 
> The drop-down box that reads recipe 1 is available for you to save multiple recipes. You can save up to 8 recipes, but be careful as you will lose the recipes if you are on a private browser or if you delete your cookies.
> 
> 7. When you are done making your recipe, press the calculate recipe button so that you can view the recipe. You will also be able to see the soap's qualities in section 5.
> 
> After the recipe is calculated, you have the option of viewing the recipe on another page (from which you can print it if need be). Two selectable options are also available for easier viewing. Multiple tabs allow you to view multiple recipes in different tabs while bold adds a bold effect to the number values.
> 
> Lastly, the reset all button will send your page into the default setting. That said, be careful not to press it.
> 
> Here are some additional links that I hope will be helpful:
> 
> Post #8 on this thread gives a good overview on how the type of lye and oil used in soap-making effects the outcome of the soap.
> Simplified information on the fatty acids can be found here and here.
> Soap dish also has a chart of what fatty acid is found in a specific oil.



This is going to be so helpful! Thank you for sharing.


----------



## DeeAnna

AliciaE said:


> Hi, Looking for specification on "Weight of oils" section. My mold holds 40 liquid oz.... To my knowledge I calculated everything correctly and came out with only enough soap to fill half of my mold. Am I missing something here?....



Estimating the total weight of oils to fill a mold with soap batter is done a different way than the approach you're taking. Briefly put, the usual way the estimate is done is using this formula --

*Weight of fat, ounces = 0.40 X Mold volume*

...where the mold volume is in cubic inches, not fluid ounces. The 0.40 is a factor that also includes the volume of the lye and water for a basic soap recipe that uses 28% lye concentration without any additives. Just water, fat, and alkali (NaOH).

If your mold holds 40 fluid ounces, convert that to cubic inches --

Cu in = Fl oz x 1.8 = 40 x 1.8 = 72 cu in

Putting that into the formula at top --

*Weight of fat =* 0.4 x Cu in = 0.4 x 72 = *about 29 weight ounces*

Here's a tutorial with more info about how to do this -- https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/how-to-figure-how-much-oil-for-mold.2909/

Here's my article with more background information -- https://classicbells.com/soap/moldBatchSize.asp


----------



## gorio

soapcalc.net still down as of 2 march I am using soapee and find that great --though  admit if you add titles and desc.then you run on to 2 page print


----------



## dianaabuela1

LunaSkye said:


> This is for the newbies who are new to the world of soap-making. soapcalc.net is actually my favorite online calculator to use. It is intimidating with all the things that you have to enter, but it gets easier to use as time passes. My hope is that this post helps to demystify soapcalc, section by section (listing numbers correspond to the section):
> 
> 
> View attachment 10182
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Type of lye is where you select the  lye you want to use. You may already know this, but sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is used for making bar soaps whereas potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used for making liquid soaps.
> 
> 2. Weight of oils simply allows you to select the measuring weight you want to use. There is also a green box below to enter the amount of oils you will use if you choose to view the recipe in percentages. Details about that will be addressed later.
> 
> 3. Water as % of oils asks you for the amount of water you plan to use. If you are a newbie, I'd suggest you stick with this option until you feel more comfortable using the water:lye ratio or the lye concentration options. Also note that the soap will trace faster if you use a lower percentage of water. That is referred to a water discount.
> 
> 4. Super fat is where you enter how much of a lye discount you want for your soap. The higher the SF%, the more oils will be left in the soap for the conditioning. However, higher SF% may also make your soap prone to DOS, depending on the oils used and how much you are superfatting. As a note, superfatting with a specific oil can only be done in the HP method of soap making. Lye converts oils indiscriminately into soap, so the SF is often referred to the lye discount.
> 
> Below Super Fat is Fragrance. By default, .5oz/lb is figured into the recipe.
> 
> 5. Soap qualities in the white column describes the qualities that each oil, butter, or fat contributes to the soap. Additionally, the white column also provides information on the fatty acid molecules that is found in a particular oil, butter, or fat. The numbers in the green column shows the properties of the soap based on which oils, butters or fats are found  in the calculated recipe.
> 
> More information can be seen when you hover the mouse icon over each of qualities listed, but I'll probably post a link for further explanation.
> 
> Oils, fats, and waxes is a list of many ingredients that can be used to make soap. Below that list are two boxes that show the saponification values for both NaOH and KOH. You may already know that saponification is the process that converts oils and lye into soap and glycerine. The values below the list will vary depending on the oil you select.
> 
> 6. Recipe oil list is where the selected oils will be listed. The add button will add the selected oil to the list while the remove button will remove the oil from the list (depending on the number entered in the green box next to it). Please note that the red plus and minus signs will allow you to swipe out an oil from the recipe much more easily than using the remove button. That is just my opinion, however.
> 
> The two columns with the dots above them give you the option of viewing the recipe in percentages or by the weight you selected in section 2. In whichever column you select, you can enter the amount of oil that you plan to use.
> 
> The drop-down box that reads recipe 1 is available for you to save multiple recipes. You can save up to 8 recipes, but be careful as you will lose the recipes if you are on a private browser or if you delete your cookies.
> 
> 7. When you are done making your recipe, press the calculate recipe button so that you can view the recipe. You will also be able to see the soap's qualities in section 5.
> 
> After the recipe is calculated, you have the option of viewing the recipe on another page (from which you can print it if need be). Two selectable options are also available for easier viewing. Multiple tabs allow you to view multiple recipes in different tabs while bold adds a bold effect to the number values.
> 
> Lastly, the reset all button will send your page into the default setting. That said, be careful not to press it.
> 
> Here are some additional links that I hope will be helpful:
> 
> Post #8 on this thread gives a good overview on how the type of lye and oil used in soap-making effects the outcome of the soap.
> Simplified information on the fatty acids can be found here and here.
> Soap dish also has a chart of what fatty acid is found in a specific oil.


Can I substitute the water for star anise water?


----------



## cmzaha

dianaabuela1 said:


> Can I substitute the water for star anise water?


I am not sure what star anise water is but any water, milks and thin purees can be substituted for water. It is alcohol and chunky purees that can cause issues. 

While Luna Skye gave a good breakdown for using soapcalc.net I do not totally agree with her #3 recommendation. Most of us here soapers use Lye Concentration of 33%  which is quite workable while I know one uses 40%. 

Using lower liquid does not cause the overheating issues of the recommended 38% Water as % of oils, which is around a 27% lye concentration ( full water) which is considerably more liquid in your recipe than a 33% lye concentration. The higher liquid, many times, leads to a hotter gel which can cause separation, volcanos, glycerin rivers, and crackling. In other words, it can be pesky, not always and some soapmakers always use what is considered full water but it always gave me problems.

 A lot of tracing issues are recipe dependent and fat choices.  For example, Lard and Olive Oil will slow trace considerably. Hope this was not to much information.


----------



## Ron Martinez

Hello everyone please forgive me, but I am a total newbie.  I am a dad with an autistic daughter who has taken to Soap Making for a hobby, but is now obsessed with it.
We started with Melt and Pour then she wanted to make real soap (her words).  We have looked at countless you tube videos about Soap Calc, and tried to follow instructions, but we continue to either make too much or too little.
our mold is 3x3x10=90 Then we multiply by .40 = 36oz Soap Calc reads 55.60 total which included Lye and Water this was too much for our mold.
Then I saw on you tube someone said to subtract the water and lye basically keep lowering weight of oils on option #2 in soap calc until you get the 36oz in total. This turned out to be too little.  
Please help I really don't want my daughter to lose interest since it's her calming time when we do this together.


----------



## Arimara

Ron Martinez said:


> Hello everyone please forgive me, but I am a total newbie.  I am a dad with an autistic daughter who has taken to Soap Making for a hobby, but is now obsessed with it.
> We started with Melt and Pour then she wanted to make real soap (her words).  We have looked at countless you tube videos about Soap Calc, and tried to follow instructions, but we continue to either make too much or too little.
> our mold is 3x3x10=90 Then we multiply by .40 = 36oz Soap Calc reads 55.60 total which included Lye and Water this was too much for our mold.
> Then I saw on you tube someone said to subtract the water and lye basically keep lowering weight of oils on option #2 in soap calc until you get the 36oz in total. This turned out to be too little.
> Please help I really don't want my daughter to lose interest since it's her calming time when we do this together.View attachment 44753


There are three options to choose from, one of which is the lye concentration and the other is the ratio. You can choose the ratio and use 2:1 water to lye. Also, from your pic, you can use double the amount of water from the amount of lye you need (you need almost 5oz of lye, so you would use about 10 oz water).


----------



## Ron Martinez

Thank you for the fast response. So would I keep everything the same just change lye and water ratio? Would this make my soap batch reach top of mold?


----------



## Arimara

I've never calculated a recipe from measurements so this was a first. I used SoapMakingFriend.com to help me out. If you want the total batch weight to be about 36 oz, you would want to use 22oz of oils. So instead of the 36 you put for your oils, you would put 22 and then input your percentages.

By the way, your soap recipe will need at least a 3 month cure. This is only due to the amount of Olive oil you have in it.


----------



## cmzaha

The 36 oz is the amount of oil you would use for your mold this is what the calculation gives you. You may have a little extra so just have a little mold or even a deli cup etc you can pour any extra in. The number soap calc gives you is the total batch weight, which your mold should hold. Since you are using such a high percentage of OO I would use option #2 (Lye Concentration) in Section 3 and type in 33%. This will reduce your water usage by giving you a lye concentration of 33% instead of the 25.9% your recipe shows.

The mold I use takes 59 oz oils according to the formula you used 
H x W x L x .40=oil weight but my total batch weight is 101 oz


----------



## Ron Martinez

cmzaha said:


> The 36 oz is the amount of oil you would use for your mold this is what the calculation gives you. You may have a little extra so just have a little mold or even a deli cup etc you can pour any extra in. The number soap calc gives you is the total batch weight, which your mold should hold. Since you are using such a high percentage of OO I would use option #2 (Lye Concentration) in Section 3 and type in 33%. This will reduce your water usage by giving you a lye concentration of 33% instead of the 25.9% your recipe shows.
> 
> The mold I use takes 59 oz oils according to the formula you used
> H x W x L x .40=oil weight but my total batch weight is 101 oz


Thank you this helped me tremendously!!!


----------



## Chach

Just found this this morning after churning out a quick batch. I had been using BB soap calculator but was a little miffed that I could not get any feedback or input on what my recipe might yield (Im new and would LOVE a spot where i can show a recipe and have experienced folks or a calc weigh in on what my bar might be like...). Then I went to SoapCalc and YIKES it is intimidating but I put in the recipe and Soap Cal's recommendation for amount of water and lye were slightly different from BB's. Am I in trouble or is that usual?


----------



## DeeAnna

You're okay.

The various calcs use slightly different data and assumptions, so you're going to see some variations if you compare results.

My advice is to pick one calc, get familiar with how it works, and don't worry that its answers are a little different than the other calcs.

Have you looked at the Soapee.com calc or the Soapmaking Friend calc? I like them better than Soapcalc, not because they're better or more accurate, but because I like their user interfaces better than Soapcalc.

_"...would LOVE a spot where i can show a recipe and have experienced folks or a calc weigh in on what my bar might be like ..."_

There's the recipe feedback forum. Would that work?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

AliciaE said:


> I calculated the weight of the oils alone today for a recipe. To my knowledge I calculated everything correctly and came out with only enough soap to fill half of my mold. Am I missing something here?


To figure the amount of soap I end up with based on the amount of oils/fats, I use a factor of 1.37:
*40 oz X 1.37 = 54.8 oz. soap (approx.)*

To calculate the amount of soap my mold holds, I use Summer Bee Meadows
*Calculator and Recipe Resizer*

First use the calculator to calculate 40 oz. of oils.
The water and NaOH are calculated on the next page. 
Scroll down to where you can *resize your batch* *based on the size of your mold*. Enter the Length, Width and Height of your mold and hit calculate to get the amount of soap your mold holds. There you have it.
PS: Can you tell I'm not only math-challenged but a bit of a lazy-daisy as well?  

HTH & HAPPY SOAPING!


----------



## michael732

Sometimes I sit at my desk at work and build hypothetical recipes in soap calc. Just to see how the bar will end up.


----------



## pamarachi500

LunaSkye said:


> This is for the newbies who are new to the world of soap-making. soapcalc.net is actually my favorite online calculator to use. It is intimidating with all the things that you have to enter, but it gets easier to use as time passes. My hope is that this post helps to demystify soapcalc, section by section (listing numbers correspond to the section):
> 
> 
> View attachment 10182
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Type of lye is where you select the  lye you want to use. You may already know this, but sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is used for making bar soaps whereas potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used for making liquid soaps.
> 
> 2. Weight of oils simply allows you to select the measuring weight you want to use. There is also a green box below to enter the amount of oils you will use if you choose to view the recipe in percentages. Details about that will be addressed later.
> 
> 3. Water as % of oils asks you for the amount of water you plan to use. If you are a newbie, I'd suggest you stick with this option until you feel more comfortable using the water:lye ratio or the lye concentration options. Also note that the soap will trace faster if you use a lower percentage of water. That is referred to a water discount.
> 
> 4. Super fat is where you enter how much of a lye discount you want for your soap. The higher the SF%, the more oils will be left in the soap for the conditioning. However, higher SF% may also make your soap prone to DOS, depending on the oils used and how much you are superfatting. As a note, superfatting with a specific oil can only be done in the HP method of soap making. Lye converts oils indiscriminately into soap, so the SF is often referred to the lye discount.
> 
> Below Super Fat is Fragrance. By default, .5oz/lb is figured into the recipe.
> 
> 5. Soap qualities in the white column describes the qualities that each oil, butter, or fat contributes to the soap. Additionally, the white column also provides information on the fatty acid molecules that is found in a particular oil, butter, or fat. The numbers in the green column shows the properties of the soap based on which oils, butters or fats are found  in the calculated recipe.
> 
> More information can be seen when you hover the mouse icon over each of qualities listed, but I'll probably post a link for further explanation.
> 
> Oils, fats, and waxes is a list of many ingredients that can be used to make soap. Below that list are two boxes that show the saponification values for both NaOH and KOH. You may already know that saponification is the process that converts oils and lye into soap and glycerine. The values below the list will vary depending on the oil you select.
> 
> 6. Recipe oil list is where the selected oils will be listed. The add button will add the selected oil to the list while the remove button will remove the oil from the list (depending on the number entered in the green box next to it). Please note that the red plus and minus signs will allow you to swipe out an oil from the recipe much more easily than using the remove button. That is just my opinion, however.
> 
> The two columns with the dots above them give you the option of viewing the recipe in percentages or by the weight you selected in section 2. In whichever column you select, you can enter the amount of oil that you plan to use.
> 
> The drop-down box that reads recipe 1 is available for you to save multiple recipes. You can save up to 8 recipes, but be careful as you will lose the recipes if you are on a private browser or if you delete your cookies.
> 
> 7. When you are done making your recipe, press the calculate recipe button so that you can view the recipe. You will also be able to see the soap's qualities in section 5.
> 
> After the recipe is calculated, you have the option of viewing the recipe on another page (from which you can print it if need be). Two selectable options are also available for easier viewing. Multiple tabs allow you to view multiple recipes in different tabs while bold adds a bold effect to the number values.
> 
> Lastly, the reset all button will send your page into the default setting. That said, be careful not to press it.
> 
> Here are some additional links that I hope will be helpful:
> 
> Post #8 on this thread gives a good overview on how the type of lye and oil used in soap-making effects the outcome of the soap.
> Simplified information on the fatty acids can be found here and here.
> Soap dish also has a chart of what fatty acid is found in a specific oil.


Good job  but it's not really easy for we newbies


----------



## Zany_in_CO

pamarachi500 said:


> Good job  but it's not really easy for we newbies


True. But it will get easier after you start using it on a regular basis. Like so many other soapers, when I first started making soap, I would spend hours (no kidding!) running formulas through SoapCalc to see what I came up with.


----------



## shunt2011

pamarachi500 said:


> Good job  but it's not really easy for we newbies


The OP hasn’t been here in 2 years.  And just like everything else worth learning the calculator gets easier as you ise it.  If not there is Soapmaking Friend on this forum.  They all have a learning curve.


----------



## pamarachi500

shunt2011 said:


> The OP hasn’t been here in 2 years.  And just like everything else worth learning the calculator gets easier as you ise it.  If not there is Soapmaking Friend on this forum.  They all have a learning curve.


The soap making friend is it apart from this forum


----------



## shunt2011

pamarachi500 said:


> The soap making friend is it apart from this forum



Yes, it is.


----------



## pamarachi500

shunt2011 said:


> Yes, it is.


Will I understand much in the forum.  I can fill the table but don't understand fully the exact thing am doing  like, superfat 
Lye 
Water 
Fragrance  ie


----------



## shunt2011

pamarachi500 said:


> Will I understand much in the forum.  I can fill the table but don't understand fully the exact thing am doing  like, superfat
> Lye
> Water
> Fragrance  ie



Here's a good place to read on many subjects regarding soapmaking.  You need to take time to educate yourself on what things in the lye calculator mean.  I truly helps.   I also recommend you read the most current 10 pages in each of the forums (beginners and lye).  There's a lot of information to glean from it.    Superfat is a personal preference.  People use anywhere from 2% to 7 or 8 %.   It generally depends on what oils/butters you are using.






						Soapy Stuff
					

Classic Bells restores antique sleigh bells and manufactures bell home decor. Wholesale. Retail.




					classicbells.com


----------



## michael732

pamarachi500 said:


> Will I understand much in the forum.  I can fill the table but don't understand fully the exact thing am doing  like, superfat
> Lye
> Water
> Fragrance  ie


I like to tinker with soapcalc. I change recipies and change the % of super fat, I note the the lye amounts. Just search recipies that use percentages of oil and plug them in and tweak them just to see what happens.

And also, super fat is the amount of oils that are not changed to soap via the saponification process. I like to think of it as a buffer to ensure i don't create a lye heavy soap.


----------



## pamarachi500

*Can superfat be increase from 5-10 *


----------



## shunt2011

pamarachi500 said:


> *Can superfat be increase from 5-10 *


You can set your superfat to whatever you want. It would depend on your recipe. You may be better to start a new thread with your questions.  Also to go to the introduction forum and tell us a bit about yourself.


----------



## pamarachi500

I have done that before


----------



## Treats Soapworks

LunaSkye said:


> This is for the newbies who are new to the world of soap-making. soapcalc.net is actually my favorite online calculator to use. It is intimidating with all the things that you have to enter, but it gets easier to use as time passes. My hope is that this post helps to demystify soapcalc, section by section (listing numbers correspond to the section):
> 
> 
> View attachment 10182
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Type of lye is where you select the  lye you want to use. You may already know this, but sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is used for making bar soaps whereas potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used for making liquid soaps.
> 
> 2. Weight of oils simply allows you to select the measuring weight you want to use. There is also a green box below to enter the amount of oils you will use if you choose to view the recipe in percentages. Details about that will be addressed later.
> 
> 3. Water as % of oils asks you for the amount of water you plan to use. If you are a newbie, I'd suggest you stick with this option until you feel more comfortable using the water:lye ratio or the lye concentration options. Also note that the soap will trace faster if you use a lower percentage of water. That is referred to a water discount.
> 
> 4. Super fat is where you enter how much of a lye discount you want for your soap. The higher the SF%, the more oils will be left in the soap for the conditioning. However, higher SF% may also make your soap prone to DOS, depending on the oils used and how much you are superfatting. As a note, superfatting with a specific oil can only be done in the HP method of soap making. Lye converts oils indiscriminately into soap, so the SF is often referred to the lye discount.
> 
> Below Super Fat is Fragrance. By default, .5oz/lb is figured into the recipe.
> 
> 5. Soap qualities in the white column describes the qualities that each oil, butter, or fat contributes to the soap. Additionally, the white column also provides information on the fatty acid molecules that is found in a particular oil, butter, or fat. The numbers in the green column shows the properties of the soap based on which oils, butters or fats are found  in the calculated recipe.
> 
> More information can be seen when you hover the mouse icon over each of qualities listed, but I'll probably post a link for further explanation.
> 
> Oils, fats, and waxes is a list of many ingredients that can be used to make soap. Below that list are two boxes that show the saponification values for both NaOH and KOH. You may already know that saponification is the process that converts oils and lye into soap and glycerine. The values below the list will vary depending on the oil you select.
> 
> 6. Recipe oil list is where the selected oils will be listed. The add button will add the selected oil to the list while the remove button will remove the oil from the list (depending on the number entered in the green box next to it). Please note that the red plus and minus signs will allow you to swipe out an oil from the recipe much more easily than using the remove button. That is just my opinion, however.
> 
> The two columns with the dots above them give you the option of viewing the recipe in percentages or by the weight you selected in section 2. In whichever column you select, you can enter the amount of oil that you plan to use.
> 
> The drop-down box that reads recipe 1 is available for you to save multiple recipes. You can save up to 8 recipes, but be careful as you will lose the recipes if you are on a private browser or if you delete your cookies.
> 
> 7. When you are done making your recipe, press the calculate recipe button so that you can view the recipe. You will also be able to see the soap's qualities in section 5.
> 
> After the recipe is calculated, you have the option of viewing the recipe on another page (from which you can print it if need be). Two selectable options are also available for easier viewing. Multiple tabs allow you to view multiple recipes in different tabs while bold adds a bold effect to the number values.
> 
> Lastly, the reset all button will send your page into the default setting. That said, be careful not to press it.
> 
> Here are some additional links that I hope will be helpful:
> 
> Post #8 on this thread gives a good overview on how the type of lye and oil used in soap-making effects the outcome of the soap.
> Simplified information on the fatty acids can be found here and here.
> Soap dish also has a chart of what fatty acid is found in a specific oil.


Could you please tell me how to calculate the amount of oils for a specified weight? Example I have all the percentages but none of the quantities for a particular recipe. So if my mold holds 50 ounces, and I have a recipe with the following:

45 % EVOO
30 % Coconut 76
12 % Cocoa
10 % Avo Oil
3 % Castor
7% superfat
25% H20

How do I calculate the amount of oils for the mold and plug into soap calc? 

Please and Thank you!!! Here is my soap calc.

I soaped at 75 degrees in the room, @ 87 degrees batter, over stick blended a little. The batter got thick extremely quickly after adding color and FO, and this should have been slow moving, used midnight waters from BB, which has notes saying only slightly accelerates. 

So if someone could also make some comments on the fragrance portion of Soap Calc that would be great!!


----------



## amd

Treats Soapworks said:


> Could you please tell me how to calculate the amount of oils for a specified weight?





Treats Soapworks said:


> How do I calculate the amount of oils for the mold and plug into soap calc?


The soap calc will do that for you. This is from soapcalc.net, but most soap calcs work the same.





Select the units you want the recipe to be in and the total amount of oils.







When you list your oils just keep the % and when you calculate recipe it will give you the amounts of each oil.

Soapcalc.net does not help you calculate for a total batch weight of 50oz though - I was confused by your question which way you were trying to figure things out.


----------



## Loni S

I've tried running my goat's milk soap recipe through the calculator following your instructions, but can't find anywhere to add the goat's milk?  This is my recipe:

36oz olive oil
12oz grapeseed oil
8oz goats milk (that I add to the oils)
16oz coconut oil

10oz water
8.9oz lye

Trying to put this through numerous soap calculators has stumped me numerous times!!!  So, I'm fairly intimidated by them still .  Any help you can give me would be SO MUCH appreciated!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Loni S said:


> I've tried running my goat's milk soap recipe through the calculator following your instructions, but can't find anywhere to add the goat's milk?


Hiya Loni!

The goat's milk is used for the water portion to make the lye solution. That's the short answer. The longer answer involves soaping "cool" to prevent the GM from scorching. This technique has been discussed many times. You can do a search by using the magnifying glass icon in the top menu, upper right corner of this page. 

Once you have your recipe, you can go to the *RECIPE FEEDBACK* Forum for input. 

And here is a link to SoapCalc which is the *lye calculator* shown in the post above.


----------



## Loni S

Zany_in_CO said:


> The goat's milk is used for the water portion to make the lye solution. That's the short answer. The longer answer involves soaping "cool" to prevent the GM from scorching. This technique has been discussed many times. You can do a search by using the magnifying glass icon in the top menu, upper right corner of this page.




That totally makes sense, thank you!  But it does lead me to another question - what about the fat content of the milk?  I imagine it wouldn't be taken into consideration if the GM is added & included in the water amount, so wouldn't that have an affect on the superfat and/or amount of lye needed?


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## Zany_in_CO

Loni S said:


> That totally makes sense, thank you!  But it does lead me to another question - what about the fat content of the milk?  I imagine it wouldn't be taken into consideration if the GM is added & included in the water amount, so wouldn't that have an affect on the superfat and/or amount of lye needed?


Correct. That has been discussed many times. Search "Goat Milk Soaps".


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## StainsAndGrains

I hope this hasn't been asked, I wasn't able to find an answer to this through search so I figured i'd ask...is there a way when using the calculator to START with the total amount of pre-pour soap volume you want to have? I'd like the option to say "I want to make a batch thats 1900ml total volume, using these oils, etc, and then it spits out the amount of each oil, lye, water to use depending on what %lye I want to use. 
It seems like a logical thing to start with the batch volume you want to make right? I'm a newb but it would seem that people want to make batches in certain sizes to fit their molds, am I missing some super obvious way to do this?


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## KimW

StainsAndGrains said:


> I hope this hasn't been asked, I wasn't able to find an answer to this through search so I figured i'd ask...is there a way when using the calculator to START with the total amount of pre-pour soap volume you want to have? I'd like the option to say "I want to make a batch thats 1900ml total volume, using these oils, etc, and then it spits out the amount of each oil, lye, water to use depending on what %lye I want to use.
> It seems like a logical thing to start with the batch volume you want to make right? I'm a newb but it would seem that people want to make batches in certain sizes to fit their molds, am I missing some super obvious way to do this?


Hiya!  Yes.  There is an option: "Resize your recipe to fit mold size ?" where you can size the recipe based on dimensions or volume (total size) of a mold.  _*Be aware*_ that it is only accurate if you leave all amount defaults "as is" in the calculator.  So, you must leave the "Amount of Liquid in recipe", "Superfat" and "Fragrances" at default settings.  I'm sure it will be fixed one day, but for now that's its one flaw to consider.
ETA:  The "dimensions" option also currently only works with rectangular/square molds.  Pretty sure they're working on getting it fixed for cylinders, but I just checked and the cylinder "by dimensions" isn't working yet (though it will of course work with the above mentioned caveats it you plug in the volume).


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## StainsAndGrains

KimW said:


> Hiya!  Yes.  There is an option: "Resize your recipe to fit mold size ?" where you can size the recipe based on dimensions or volume (total size) of a mold.  _*Be aware*_ that it is only accurate if you leave all amount defaults "as is" in the calculator.  So, you must leave the "Amount of Liquid in recipe", "Superfat" and "Fragrances" at default settings.  I'm sure it will be fixed one day, but for now that's its one flaw to consider.
> ETA:  The "dimensions" option also currently only works with rectangular/square molds.  Pretty sure they're working on getting it fixed for cylinders, but I just checked and the cylinder "by dimensions" isn't working yet (though it will of course work with the above mentioned caveats it you plug in the volume).



Can you be a bit more specific i'm not seeing that option anywhere on soapcalc.net


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## AliOop

StainsAndGrains said:


> Can you be a bit more specific i'm not seeing that option anywhere on soapcalc.net


It is not on SoapCalc - it is in SoapmakingFriend.com.


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## KimW

StainsAndGrains said:


> Can you be a bit more specific i'm not seeing that option anywhere on soapcalc.net


oops - My apologies!!  I should have been more careful with my reading of your post.  As @AliOop said, I was referencing Soapmaking Recipe Builder & Lye Calculator.  So very sorry about that!


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## Zany_in_CO

StainsAndGrains said:


> .is there a way when using the calculator to START with the total amount of pre-pour soap volume you want to have? I'd like the option to say "I want to make a batch thats *1900ml total volume*, using these oils, etc, and then it spits out the amount of each oil, lye, water to use depending on what %lye I want to use.


You need to figure the amount of oils/fats you need to make the amount of soap you want to make. There's a formula for doing that. For example, I know my *Crafters Choice Silicone Loaf Mold 1501* holds 44 oz max. soap
44 oz. soap/ 1.37 = 32 oz. oils/fats
I don't want my mold to overflow, so I use 30 oz. oils/fats.
30 oz. wt. oils X 1.37 = 41 oz. soap
Once you know the amount of oils/fats you need, the rest is fairly easy to calculate. It's best to use the default settings at the beginning. After that, once you have a better understanding, you can change them.

All measurements are by weight, not volume. So instead of *1900ml total volume*
Use 1900 *grams* *total weight *( however much 1900ml weighs).

It is up to you to decide how much of each oil to use. If you go to the Beginners Forum, look for a simple tried and true recipe to play with until you get the hang of it. Make small 12-16 oz. batches to start with.

HTH (Hope This Helps!) and HAPPY SOAPING!


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## aosproducts

Nice post, we really love it to share the thought of this tutorial at our profile, ok, can we share it?


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## Krn

Lambandpeach said:


> *Soap very very newbie*
> 
> Hi everyone
> I see the soap calc online but how do you know how much the recipe will yield?  I have a 4 lb loaf mold and would like the recipes to fit that. Thanks. Any info would be helpful


After calculating the recipe,  the total weights are listed under the oils, lists in pounds, ounces and grams.


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