# Gearing up for batch #1!



## Luv2Soap (Feb 22, 2015)

Hi soap friends! First please let me say how inspired I am by seeing all of your beautiful creations - thank you! I'm planning my first soap and wanted to run it past you guys. I'm planning on doing CP soap first because I really want to get to doing those colorful swirls that I see many of you doing. 

Here's what I'm thinking:
55% lard
20% olive oil
20% coconut oil
5% castor oil
Superfat: 8%

I wasn't planning on putting any fragrance in my first attempt, but I'm not sure how the soap will smell naturally. I'd appreciate any advice or suggestions you guys may have to help make this first batch a success! Oh, I plan on taking a video of my soaping so I can keep track of my progress and to have some laughs at the hiccups 

I already have my coconut & olive oils so I just need to pick up the lard at the supermarket and the castor oil from CVS. I have an old stick blender that has been gathering dust for a few year which I'll use. I'm also planning on getting a 1-3 gallon bucket from the hardware store to use to mix my batch and a pyrex measuring cup for the lye mix. Getting Excited!!!


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## Seawolfe (Feb 22, 2015)

I have a recipe similar to that, and I love it. I buy a lard that has no scent, and my unscented bars made from up to 80% of it have no scent as well - just soapy.
I think you will really like it  Good luck and don't stress the temps, but don't soap too hot - If it were me I would aim for about 110-120 deg F.

Todays pyrex will etch from the lye - use a plastic bucket instead.


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## cmzaha (Feb 22, 2015)

Rubbermaid pitchers work very will for lye.


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## Dorymae (Feb 22, 2015)

To me all unscented soap smells a bit like oil. All soap whether made with lard or made with cottonseed oil, it doesn't matter. Open a bottle of corn oil and smell it, that is what soap smells like to me, only lighter.


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## snappyllama (Feb 22, 2015)

Congratulations in advance on making your first batch!

You might want to do a 2lb recipe to start with. It's small enough not to worry about losing a batch but big enough that you can measure without sweating. You might want to go for the 2qt sizes of buckets. You want your container full enough so that your stick blender's head stays under the batter and doesn't whirl in a bunch of air.


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## Luv2Soap (Feb 22, 2015)

snappyllama said:


> Congratulations in advance on making your first batch!
> 
> You might want to do a 2lb recipe to start with. It's small enough not to worry about losing a batch but big enough that you can measure without sweating. You might want to go for the 2qt sizes of buckets. You want your container full enough so that your stick blender's head stays under the batter and doesn't whirl in a bunch of air.




Thanks for the congrats!  I think this is a great suggestion. I was going to ask my husband to make me a 2 pound mold  -  just model the size after Brambleberry's 2# wood mold. I may or may not pick up a silicone mold to go inside to make soaping faster. Lining a mold seems really difficult to me.


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## Luv2Soap (Feb 22, 2015)

Dorymae said:


> To me all unscented soap smells a bit like oil. All soap whether made with lard or made with cottonseed oil, it doesn't matter. Open a bottle of corn oil and smell it, that is what soap smells like to me, only lighter.



I hear you. My husband and oldest son are scent-sitive  They don't like too many smells so I was trying to go for something neutral for my first try.


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## snappyllama (Feb 22, 2015)

Lining can be a pita. I love my silicon liners but have a slab mold that needs freezer paper. I must have failed the 'cut in a straight line' class in kindergarten, so I minimize the cuts I have to make. This is how I do it though there is probably a better way...

Hold my piece of freezer paper firmly over the mold and crease on the inside edges to give me a guide. 
Fold the paper. On two sides I do it exactly on the crease lines - on their opposing sides I go in just a tiny bit. 
Hold the paper lengthwise away from myself. I make two cuts on the lines facing towards me, turn the paper and make two more. 
It looks like an upright box with flaps. I put it in the mold - flappy sides out/shiny side in. I trim down the edges so the sides can be folded over and secure with tape.

The first time it took me about 10 minutes to figure it out. Now I do it without thinking or measuring.


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## Luv2Soap (Feb 22, 2015)

That doesn't sound as scary to me as I thought it was  I feel better knowing that eventually it will come naturally. Thank you so much for the lining tips!


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## Luv2Soap (Feb 24, 2015)

I am thinking of using Brambleberry's Lemon Verbena FO. I see that people report that it really speeds up trace so I'm planning on keeping my water % at 38%.  I'm not doing any colors or swirling ...just pouring it into a 2 lb mold, covering it with a towel and letting it sit for 24-48 hours. Any other advice using a FO that speeds up trace? Should I alter my recipe at all?


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## Rowan (Feb 24, 2015)

IMHO if your fragrance speeds up trace it would be better to add it to your oils before you add your lye water. It should give you a bit more time to get it in the mold.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 25, 2015)

I would go for a single eo that does not speed trace for the first time


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## Susie (Feb 25, 2015)

Good recipe.   Gives a good firm bar with no bad habits.  I am going to second  TEG here on the EO.  Do ONE EO(not FO, in case that would trigger issues in your guys).  I would use Lemongrass, but that is my favorite EO.  I also think it is gender neutral, so your guys should not mind.


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## Luv2Soap (Feb 25, 2015)

I think you guys have a good point about the FO and switching to an EO instead. My family - immediate & extended - are probably going to be my soap test subjects so I need to find an EO that's not overpowering but still masks the scent of the lard, which I've heard can be stinky sometimes. Lemongrass sounds like a really good option Susie - do you have a particular brand that is better than others? Thanks to everyone by the way, for helping me. I feel my addiction growing already and I haven't even made my first bar of soap yet


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## Luv2Soap (Feb 27, 2015)

Luv2Soap said:


> Hi soap friends! First please let me say how inspired I am by seeing all of your beautiful creations - thank you! I'm planning my first soap and wanted to run it past you guys. I'm planning on doing CP soap first because I really want to get to doing those colorful swirls that I see many of you doing.
> 
> Here's what I'm thinking:
> 55% lard
> ...


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## Seawolfe (Feb 27, 2015)

Luv2Soap said:


> How long would you expect this to take to harden enough to remove from a 2# soap mold?


I would guess 18-24 hours if you gel and more if you don't. It also depends on the water amount, soaping temperature, phase of the moon and your planetary alignment.


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## SoapSap (Feb 27, 2015)

Seawolfe said:


> I have a recipe similar to that, and I love it. I buy a lard that has no scent, and my unscented bars made from up to 80% of it have no scent as well - just soapy.
> I think you will really like it  Good luck and don't stress the temps, but don't soap too hot - If it were me I would aim for about 110-120 deg F.
> 
> Todays pyrex will etch from the lye - use a plastic bucket instead.




What brand of lard have you found that does not have any scent?


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## Susie (Feb 27, 2015)

That recipe is what I use all the time.  I gel my soap, and I can remove it from the mold at 16-18 hours.  Sometimes I let it go to 24 depending on what is going on in my life.  I have used lemongrass EO from most of the major suppliers, and love them all.  I usually order it from whomever I order other items from as it is usually reasonably priced, and I save on shipping that way.  I use a LOT of lemongrass, you see.

Most people can't smell lard in CP soap.  I have a very sensitive nose, and can smell it UNLESS I use some sort of EO.  And not more than usual amounts, or even super strong scents.  Just the normal 0.5 oz/PPO.


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## Seawolfe (Feb 27, 2015)

SoapSap said:


> What brand of lard have you found that does not have any scent?



It's not a type, just Manteca at the local supermarket. But I hear the other kinds are good too.

Hubby insisted on an unscented batch, neither of us can smell anything in the soap, just soap.


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 2, 2015)

Over the weekend I was able to buy a bucket of lard from Walmart and I found some awesome little plastic measuring cups that I plan to use when I begin swirling colors! I'll order my mold on Friday and I'm picking up the lye from Ace Hardware sometime this coming weekend. I'm so excited - next week sometime I will be making soap!!!


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## cgpeanut (Mar 2, 2015)

Luv2Soap said:


> Over the weekend I was able to buy a bucket of lard from Walmart and I found some awesome little plastic measuring cups that I plan to use when I begin swirling colors! I'll order my mold on Friday and I'm picking up the lye from Ace Hardware sometime this coming weekend. I'm so excited - next week sometime I will be making soap!!!



Oh the addiction has started.  I can hear it in your posts.  Welcome to the dark side.


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## Cactuslily (Mar 2, 2015)

Welcome to the addiction! I can hear the excitement in your posts  I buy Morrell snow cap lard from the grocery store, and I don't detect any scent. I wasn't able to get lye locally. Checked every Ace, Tru value, home improvement stores etc.. My son said I'd better stop asking stores if they carry lye lest I end up on some crazy list   Be sure it's 100% pure lye. I probably wouldn't use Pyrex for mixing lye. Over time it can etch. So I hear. Have fun! Welcome to the club!


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 3, 2015)

LOL is my addiction that a parent already? Seriously, I cannot wait!


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 3, 2015)

So guess what just happened...my neighbor across the street was throwing out (2) microwaves. My husband picked them up and they both work great! Thank you for always thinking of me God


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## Dorymae (Mar 3, 2015)

Cactuslily said:


> Welcome to the addiction! I can hear the excitement in your posts  I buy Morrell snow cap lard from the grocery store, and I don't detect any scent. I wasn't able to get lye locally. Checked every Ace, Tru value, home improvement stores etc.. My son said I'd better stop asking stores if they carry lye lest I end up on some crazy list   Be sure it's 100% pure lye. I probably wouldn't use Pyrex for mixing lye. Over time it can etch. So I hear. Have fun! Welcome to the club!



I'm up by Phoenix, but true value does have it. However if you ask for lye they will look at you like you have two heads. Instead ask what isle the drain cleaner is in. You'll see it there on the shelf. If they are totally out, they can and will order it for you. Go take a look!


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 4, 2015)

Okay - another question about my recipe for you amazing expert soapers out there:

Here's what I'm thinking:
55% lard
20% olive oil
20% coconut oil
5% castor oil
Superfat: 8%
38% Water

I'm purchasing 1982 Blue Mica & Titanium Dioxide from Brambleberry.com to try doing some swirling in my first batch of soap. My question is, does my recipe look slow moving enough for a beginner? Any suggestions to make this slower so I can try some swirling techniques? As always - thank you for your help!!


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## Cactuslily (Mar 4, 2015)

Your recipe looks good. Remember, I'm a new soaper too, so take this with a bar of soap 
I formulate recipes as well that allot time to play. That being said, I haven't found lard to accelerate my soap. Are you using a FO or EO? If so, watch out for fast movers. Floral and water scents tend to be biggies at least for me. I over blended my first few batches. Then, I became gentle with the SB. Mix to emulsion, divide out colors, then used my SB to blend colors. I have been adding my FO or EO to oils, but only have used oils I know won't accelerate. If I'm using a new one, I'd add it after colors are blended to give me more time. Good luck! Welcome to the club! Please post pics. And...see what others think. I'm too new to give too much advice, only what's worked for me and what I've experienced after 12 whole batches! Congrats on the microwaves! One mans trash truly is another mans treasure. Upcycling is always a good thing!


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 4, 2015)

Thanks Cactuslily   I'm not using any FO or EO - the men in my house would prefer just plain, old soap. The swirling is something I'm interested in so they'll have to deal with the girly swirls   Hey...at least it's gonna be blue


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## Cactuslily (Mar 4, 2015)

BB has great stuff, but check out Nurture soap. Their micas will change your life! Carrie,the owner is amazing, and great customer service!


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## Sonya-m (Mar 4, 2015)

That should be pretty slow moving but be sure to soap pretty cool, I always aim for around 85f and so long as the FO I'm using behaves its plenty of time


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 5, 2015)

I would suggest not swirling for the first batch. Just get used to the process itself with not too much added stress. Too many people wonder why every batch they make fails - the reason is that they are trying to drive In an F1 race the very first time they hold a steering wheel!

I'm not saying that will be the case with you, but it's not like you need to colour the first batch, is it?


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## Susie (Mar 5, 2015)

^What Craig said!

You need to learn all the stages to go through, and what to watch for before trying to swirl.  Get your basic process down first before moving on to more complications.


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## navigator9 (Mar 5, 2015)

I have to echo the above advice. When making your first batch of soap, you will have plenty to keep you busy and occupy your attention.  Do yourself a favor, and don't make it any more complicated than it already is. Keep it simple and you will thank yourself. Save that beautiful blue for a later batch. Good luck!!!


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## Cactuslily (Mar 5, 2015)

Have to say they are probably right. You know the old adage KISS? I didn't heed their advice, but, it's probably best. Aside from soaping cool, also keep notes on everything you did. I'm getting plastic covers for my papers to put into a binder. You can also then get an erasable marker to check off every ingredient as you go. I've had this issue where I couldn't remember if I added something. This way after you are done, you can erase your check marks, and write on your actual recipe any notations and observations you have to keep forever.


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## Susie (Mar 5, 2015)

My recipes are a mess, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I check off ingredients when I weigh them the first time, then highlight them when I add them to the bowl, write notes all over, jot reminders on the back...it goes on and on.  But they are a treasure trove of information that helps me improve my batches.


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 6, 2015)

Okay...I'll crawl before I run  Unscented and uncolored while taking lots of notes.

I just bought this mold:







It says each cavity makes a 5oz bar. So, I'm planning on filling each with 4 - 4 1/2 oz to start with. That makes 18 oz of soap which (I'm assuming) means I'll need 18 total oz of finished liquid soap to fill them. 

I'm buying the lye over the weekend. The mold won't come until Tuesday which means Wednesday I'll be soaping! So excited!​


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## McSpin (Mar 6, 2015)

Luv2Soap said:


> Okay...I'll crawl before I run  Unscented and uncolored while taking lots of notes.



You could add one color without too much added difficulty.  It's the swirling that takes time. You can even stick blend in the color before adding the lye to your oils. Nothing will be rushed before the lye hits the fats.  And since your putting it in individual molds, you can cram it in, even if it seizes on you (which your recipe shouldn't).  I say, go ahead and make it a color you think you'll like.


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## shunt2011 (Mar 6, 2015)

I agree with the others with not using a fast moving EO/FO or trying to swirl on your first couple batches until you get the hang of it.  However, if you want to add 1 color just add it to your oils before your lye mixture and at least you'll have colored soap.   I second using Nurture Soap Supplies colorants. They are reasonably priced, work amazing and service is top notch.


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## Dorymae (Mar 6, 2015)

I suggest you contact Cindy who posted giving away some mica samples. It would be more than enough for your first several batches.


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## hlee (Mar 6, 2015)

I have used BB lemon verbena . I did not have much trouble but it was a simple 2 layer soap.
I soap on the cool side and that may have helped.


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 6, 2015)

Dorymae said:


> I suggest you contact Cindy who posted giving away some mica samples. It would be more than enough for your first several batches.



Dorymae - that would be awesome! I apologize, but I don't know who Cindy is. Would it be strange for me to contact her asking her for mica samples considering I am not sure who she is?


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 6, 2015)

You guys are awesome! So....impatient me wants to make soap right now and not wait for my mold that is coming Tuesday. I bought the rest of my supplies so I'm ready to rock! I think I'm going to head out to the hardware store and get some 3" PVC pipe, line it with parchment paper and try making my batch in there. I've done a ton of online research about it. The only think I didn't see was the question I need to ask. 

When using a PVC mold, do you have to insulate this with towels for 24-48 hours just like a normal mold?


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## Dorymae (Mar 6, 2015)

Luv2Soap said:


> Dorymae - that would be awesome! I apologize, but I don't know who Cindy is. Would it be strange for me to contact her asking her for mica samples considering I am not sure who she is?



Here is her postings the first: 
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=52544

and the second: 
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=52545


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 6, 2015)

Well - it's DONE! I made my 1st batch of soap! It's in a PVC pipe that I converted into a soap mold. Here's a picture of it along with a picture of my 9 year old  He was ridiculously excited about making soap. He even began to make up songs about it - lol.







Here are all my supplies:






I can't wait to see what it is going to look like unmolded! I covered the PVC pipe with a towel and I'm letting it sit until Sunday night. The hardest part is going to be leaving it alone


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## Cindy2428 (Mar 7, 2015)

Please see my post about free mica samples in the ad forum. 1 tsp of the dark colors will give you a nice color for a small batch - 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. The lighter colors, i.e. Lemon Chiffon will give you a more muted pastel in my experience.


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## Cactuslily (Mar 7, 2015)

Congratulations!  See? You did it! You're going to have so much fun! The hardest part for me is waiting to cut and see what you've got. Welcome to the club!


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## Susie (Mar 7, 2015)

Unmold at 18-24 hours.  Not days.  You don't want to wait too long before cutting.  Soap gets brittle and does not cut well if you wait too long.


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 7, 2015)

Thanks to all! I thought I'd share my observations with you guys about soaping for the first time.

First of all, lye fumes are nasty! I now completely understand why you should wear safety goggles. I tried to mix this as far away from myself as possible and I still got 1 or 2 whiffs that caused me to choke a little. My lye temperature got to a maximum of about 190 degrees. That's when I let it sit and moved on to my oils.

I put the hard oils into an old, stainless steel pot and put them on the stove on medium heat to melt. Once melted, I removed them from the heat and added my soft oils. I then transferred all the oils to my mixing container to let it cool. Here's a picture of both the lye mixture & oils mixtures.











I must have done something right because my oils and my lye mixture remained within 5-10 degrees of each other the entire cooling down period (which took about 45 minutes). 

I'll be honest with you...this was the longest wait of all!!! Maybe next time I'll try giving both an ice bath to move the cooling process along a little faster. Anyways...once both got to about 119 degrees F, I decided it was time to start mixing and making soap! I won't lie, I was nervous and called my husband to come up and watch to make sure I didn't do anything silly 

I noticed that the oils and lye came together quickly - about 1-2 minutes of short bursted mixing with my stick blender. Then, thin trace came at about the 3 minute mark. I kept mixing for another 2 minutes until I started to get that beautiful pudding like consistency. This is what I considered to be the beginnings of medium trace. 

I will tell you it felt like I was mixing FOREVER! I wondered for a minute what was wrong with my soap until I remembered that most of the soap videos I've seen speed up the mixing process because it takes awhile.  Felt better after remembering that.

My husband held the PVC pipe as I poured my mixture into it's mold. Then I covered it with a towel and it's now sitting on my kitchen counter - resting. Sorry I couldn't get pics of the mixing process or filling the mold. To tell the truth, I got really excited and forgot all about my camera sitting right next to me.

I started the whole process about 7:30 and ended at about 9:00 pm. I think that speeding up the cooling of the ingredients will help shorten this time. 

I'm really excited about unmolding this! Susie, I'll probably unmold this around 4pm today (19 hours) and see what I get. I'll make sure to take tons of photos!!!!


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## Dorymae (Mar 7, 2015)

Ah, the addiction is now complete, there is no going back now. Hold onto your hat, it can be a wild but very fun ride!


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 7, 2015)

Dorymae said:


> Ah, the addiction is now complete, there is no going back now. Hold onto your hat, it can be a wild but very fun ride!




Lol !   I must remember not to drink when reading this.


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 7, 2015)

Dorymae said:


> Ah, the addiction is now complete, there is no going back now. Hold onto your hat, it can be a wild but very fun ride!




LOL! I have to remember not to be drinking when reading this forum.


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## FlybyStardancer (Mar 7, 2015)

Good job! 

And as an interesting note, it looks like you and I have the same stick blender!


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 7, 2015)

15 hour after pouring the soap - I decided to unmold it. It ws good timing for this recipe. Here are some photos. My husband had a brand with a "B" on it (our last name begins with a B). He thought it would be fun to brand them. lol

Here is the soap straight out of the PVC pipe before unwrapping it






My hubby was complaining about how crooked I cut the soap, so he decided to take over. LOL - think I may have a helper in the future!!






I put them on a baking rack after he cut them. In some of these, you can actually see that the soap went through gel!






Now it's time to let them cure for a few weeks. I couldn't help trying a small piece and it really lathered amazingly! Hands are dry feeling afterwards though. I'm sure that will change with age. Thanks to all who helped me with this! Can't wait to make more!


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## hlee (Mar 7, 2015)

Yay! They look great. Nice job.


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## CiNuggets (Mar 8, 2015)

Congratulations on the first batch! It's looking really good, seems like your husband might be bitten a little by the soapmakingbug :wink:
Mine are cut terribly crooked aswell, but atleast they're all evenly cut terribly crooked


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## Susie (Mar 8, 2015)

Congratulations!  The soaping addiction is wonderful, clean addiction!

Tell hubby that he needs to press straight down, rather than saw, with that blade.  Keeps you from having "saw marks" on the side.  And I would suggest a stainless steel knife, as you don't know what that saw blade is made of.  Getting black marks on your soap from a reaction between aluminum and the lye would be sad.  If he is handy, ask him nicely if he could make you a miter box with only the 90 degree angle(or go get a cheapo one from the local hardware store).  The plastic ones from the hardware store can be marked with a marker at one inch(or whatever you like), and tossed in the dishwasher when done.


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## Luv2Soap (Mar 8, 2015)

Thanks guys  So I got up the nerve to stick my tongue to one of my soaps and prepared for the worst. Nothing happened...no zap...no taste...nothing!  Now it's time to let them dry out and see what happens.

I have a question about superfatting because I think I'm a little confused on the subject. If I go into soapcalc and enter my recipe and say I want to superfat at 8%, does that mean that the calculator automatically adds in the correct amount of oils to my recipe to make it 8% more than it was? Or...am I doing it wrong?

I added no additional fats to my soap above and beyond what the soapcalc told me to. I superfatted the recipe to 8%. Am I missing something or did I do things right?


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## kchaystack (Mar 8, 2015)

Actually what it does is reduce the amount of lye you use to prevent that % of your total oils from saponifying.  If you go back into the calc and change the sf amount to 0, you should see that the NaOH amount go up.


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## Susie (Mar 8, 2015)

You did exactly right.  And kchaystack is correct.  What soapcalc gives you is a lye discount, which we refer(wrongly) to as superfat.  I know it is confusing, but if you follow exactly what you put into the calculator, then you get out safe soap.


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## FlybyStardancer (Mar 8, 2015)

Congrats! They look wonderfully creamy!


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## Cactuslily (Mar 8, 2015)

They look great! I love the branded "B" 
And so it begins...


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## jules92207 (Mar 8, 2015)

Woo hoo, congrats! They look awesome!


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