am i ever going to get this right?

[VanessaP]

it has just been one day. You should do nothing and if it does not harden in 3 days then consider rebatching.

When she originally posted the thread yesterday, it had been nearly 3 full days already so today would have made day 4.

 

[new12soap]

Brandica I second what vanessa said, just throw it all in a crockpot, add a little bit more lye dissolved in water, and cook it until it all looks like vaseline. I ran it thru soapcalc and for a 5% discount I also get 7.2oz of lye, and you used 5.4 so I would say use 1.7oz of lye (by weight!) in about 2oz of water.

This is a really good example of why it is so important to get familiar with a lye calculator. Always run any recipe through a lye calculator, from a book, the internet, a friend. Even the most well-intentioned can make a simple typo! Spend some time learning your way around http://www.soapcalc.net/

 

[new12soap]

Oh, and just in answer to your thread title, yes you WILL get it right! this is all a learning process, and a few bumps along the way are to be expected! hang in there, keep asking questions, you will look back on this a year from now and laugh

 

[soapguy]

ok, I am confused. in the post Her recipe:

Coconut 16 ounces weight = 454 grams
Palm 16 ounces weight = 454 grams
Olive 16 ounces weight = 454 grams
Castor 2 ounces weight = 57 grams
Lye 5.4 ounces weight = 155 grams
Water 14 ounces weight = 398 grams

Who is her, because my calculations were not based on 5.4 oz of lye.

 

[soapguy]

I get it, after re-reading "her" is deana. and the soap was re-done at 5.4
I think I need a reading lessons.

 

[Brandica2013]

Not necessarily. 100% coconut oil bars are routinely superfatted at 15-20% to help counteract the stripping effect of all that coconut oil. When I use 50% coconut, I superfat at 10%, regardless of any other oils I use in the formula.

My usual superfat is 7% to 9%. Everyone's skin is different. I know several soapers who live in the Southwest deserts and since its so dry there, they have to use a higher superfat. I live in a more humid climate so I don't HAVE to but it feels nicer to me. You just need to find a good balance for a good recipe AND the superfat level that works for you. new12soap used to stick to 2% and 3% superfat for her bar soap and she liked it.

ETA: But yes, 5.4oz of lye is a 30% superfat. Left alone, it will not harden enough to be usable with that much of a superfat. Best you could do is take the difference in lye, dissolve it in the same amount of water for a 50% strength lye solution, melt down this soap in a pot in the oven or in a crock pot and add the rest of the lye and let it cook. Rebatching isn't that hard, per se, its just a hassle of fixing a batch.

~yeah iv HP Before kind of the same right? That make sense thanks,but would it cook out my sent/color? Or just add more?Thanks so much i was not sure i could save it~!

 

[Brandica2013]

I get it, after re-reading "her" is deana. and the soap was re-done at 5.4
I think I need a reading lessons.

lol im the one who needs the lesson here....always check soap calc =D And thank you for any help! I looked up that soapmaking2 and that looks like something i could use! It cost $$?Or is their a free trial or anything?

 

[Brandica2013]

Oh, and just in answer to your thread title, yes you WILL get it right! this is all a learning process, and a few bumps along the way are to be expected! hang in there, keep asking questions, you will look back on this a year from now and laugh

Thanks I needed that I wish i jumped in and asked some of these questions sooner.....this is such a great group!

 

[Brandica2013]

When she originally posted the thread yesterday, it had been nearly 3 full days already so today would have made day 4.

That is correct Vanessa 4 days.

 

[Brandica2013]

Brandica I second what vanessa said, just throw it all in a crockpot, add a little bit more lye dissolved in water, and cook it until it all looks like vaseline. I ran it thru soapcalc and for a 5% discount I also get 7.2oz of lye, and you used 5.4 so I would say use 1.7oz of lye (by weight!) in about 2oz of water.

This is a really good example of why it is so important to get familiar with a lye calculator. Always run any recipe through a lye calculator, from a book, the internet, a friend. Even the most well-intentioned can make a simple typo! Spend some time learning your way around http://www.soapcalc.net/

I agree thank you so much!!! I honestly knew better....i remember in my researching way before i even made my 1st batch to always check a lye calc...I was over thinking it & maybe i should have went with my gut!

 

[VanessaP]

~yeah iv HP Before kind of the same right? That make sense thanks,but would it cook out my sent/color? Or just add more?Thanks so much i was not sure i could save it~!

If you did more than one color, then your soap will blend together. So, it probably won't be as pretty as it would have been as CP, but a lot of times the scent will stick. As soft as your soap is and as fresh as it is, it won't take long to melt it down and cook it. Some of the scent might get eaten by the lye, but I would rather have a lighter scented batch than toss one out or use more than a safe recommended amount. If it ends up with the scent gone or a color you don't really like, you can shred it or chunk it and use it as embeds in other soaps

 

[Brandica2013]

My recipe:
Your recipe with my comments:
16 oz Coconut (with this much CO, this may be drying to the skin -- but it will work)
16 oz Palm
16 oz Olive Oil
2 oz Castor Oil
13 - 19 oz Water (measured by volume) Full water would be 19 oz
7.4 oz Lye (measured by weight) For a 5% lye discount, it should be 7.2 oz of sodium hydroxide. (7.4 will give you a 2-3% discount; too low IMO)

This recipe makes a batch of 50 oz of oils - yes? The amount of water used will not affect superfatting (your lye discount)
Another thought - did you reach trace? Sometimes a batch may not come together correctly if it wasn't stirred completely. You've got nothing to lose by letting it hang out and see what happens. If it turns out not to be lye-heavy, you can use it.

~~yes it reached a med to heavy trace....it looked like pudding and
it traced when i dribbled the soap.When i got done you can tell in the mold it traced the top did the same as cake batter when you pour..everything went smooth i honestly think 2 little lye..if you look back @ one of my post i posted x2 recipes and i used the 2nd one with only 5.4 oz of lye....

 

[Brandica2013]

If you did more than one color, then your soap will blend together. So, it probably won't be as pretty as it would have been as CP, but a lot of times the scent will stick. As soft as your soap is and as fresh as it is, it won't take long to melt it down and cook it. Some of the scent might get eaten by the lye, but I would rather have a lighter scented batch than toss one out or use more than a safe recommended amount. If it ends up with the scent gone or a color you don't really like, you can shred it or chunk it and use it as embeds in other soaps

thanks and it was a beautiful sparkly mint green and with cucumber melon FO from BB.I also only used like 1.5 ounce of scent.thanks for the help

 

[soapguy]

I looked up that soapmaking2 and that looks like something i could use! It cost $$?Or is their a free trial or anything?

There might be a 30 trial period, but it does allot more than calc your lye. you can also do inventory and more.

 

[pamielynn]

http://www.soapmaker.ca/