another batch in the books

[JLem]

This is my second batch this week. This is really too addicting...I would have made yet another batch today if I hadn't run out of coconut oil (I thought about trying something without it...then thought about running to the store for more...then realized I had to eat lunch and then pick up the kids...and clean up!). My next batch will just have to wait a couple of days

Anyway...here's what I did (~1.5 lb batch):

30% Coconut oil
30% Palm oil
25% Olive oil
11% Sunflower oil (mid oleic)
4% Sweet Almond oil

38% water
7% superfat

added ~2 teaspoons each of Lemon and Cedarwood EOs at trace.

Everything seemed to go well...except I forgot to grease my tuperware mold...hope it won't be too difficult to remove. (UPDATE: it stuck to the mold something fierce...but I managed to force it out)

And here's a photo right after pouring:

 

[silhouette]

Love the color of ur soap!

 

[JLem]

Thanks! The photo is from right after I poured it, so I imagine the color will change as it solidifies and cures. No colorant used here...just the base oils and EOs

 

[lsg]

As an enabler I will tell you that palm kernel flakes can be substituted for coconut oil. Just make sure to run the recipe through a lye calculator as the sap value is different.

 

[Susie]

Welcome to the addiction! Now you know why we call it an addiction.:-D

 

[JLem]

Update.

This batch stuck pretty badly to the mold. I was afraid to rush it, but also afraid to let it sit too long in the mold, so after 36 hours I forced it out. Some of the edges are a little worse for wear, but otherwise I think it is OK. Based on my very novice eye, it looks like I might have had a partial gel here too...there's definitely something different about the edges vs the middle. There also seems to be a fair amount of ash...I don't think I am lye heavy - I use SoapCalc and use a scale to measure ingredients to the nearest gram. Clearly I'm on the steep part of the learning curve!

First photo is the soap in the mold after 24 hours. As expected it lightened considerably to a pale yellow/cream. BTW, it smells fantastic...not overpowering at all. The lemon and cedar go very nicely together. And, oh, BTW, batch #3 was made late last night and is in the mold as I type (I'll wait until I cut that one to post pictures!). I'm going to need to a room to hold all this soap!

 

[Susie]

Yep, that is partial gel. Partial gel is not the end of the world. Just a cosmetic issue. If it bothers you, you can always put them in the fridge or freezer for 24 hours to prevent gel.

I think I also see some soda ash. I don't have hard water, so I am going to let someone who knows more than me help you with that.

And those aren't too bad. You waited a tad too long to unmold them. I unmold somewhere between 18-24 usually if they are not in a silicone mold. Silicone molds need longer before unmolding if in individual bar molds.

If those molds are not flexible, you can line those with plastic(Ziploc or trash bags cut open) or freezer paper to help unmold next time. I use 2lb or larger batch sizes in a drawer organizer I bought from the dollar store. No liner required, but if in doubt, I do line with a gallon Ziploc bag cut open. I don't line the ends, just the long sides to help me lift it out. I re-use the same bag over and over. Just wash with water in the sink, and let air dry.

As for storage, go get some of those cheap plastic rectangular organizer baskets from the dollar store. You can put one layer of soap in each then stack the baskets criss-crossed one on top of the other.

 

[JLem]

Yep, that is partial gel. Partial gel is not the end of the world. Just a cosmetic issue. If it bothers you, you can always put them in the fridge or freezer for 24 hours to prevent gel.

I think I also see some soda ash. I don't have hard water, so I am going to let someone who knows more than me help you with that.

And those aren't too bad. You waited a tad too long to unmold them. I unmold somewhere between 18-24 usually if they are not in a silicone mold. Silicone molds need longer before unmolding if in individual bar molds.

If those molds are not flexible, you can line those with plastic(Ziploc or trash bags cut open) or freezer paper to help unmold next time. I use 2lb or larger batch sizes in a drawer organizer I bought from the dollar store. No liner required, but if in doubt, I do line with a gallon Ziploc bag cut open. I don't line the ends, just the long sides to help me lift it out. I re-use the same bag over and over. Just wash with water in the sink, and let air dry.

As for storage, go get some of those cheap plastic rectangular organizer baskets from the dollar store. You can put one layer of soap in each then stack the baskets criss-crossed one on top of the other.

Thanks for the tips. I might try the ziplock bag idea. I tried unmolding at 18 hours but it was stuck...so I let it sit and tried at 24 hrs, but it still stuck...so I finally forced it out at ~36 hours. I don't mind the partial gel...these are all for personal use and I am still playing around with this hobby so I expect to have some "issues" at this point. I wonder why I got the partial gel though - I guess it wasn't as insulated as I thought it was..it is also a shallow container, so I imagine it loses heat pretty quickly. I used a deeper, but less wide mold for the batch I did last night and wrapped towels all around it, so maybe that will help.

As for the ash...not sure what is going on there. I used distilled water for this batch and, like I mentioned, I used SoapCalc for the amount of lye and precisely measured out all the ingredients.

Ultimately though, I am happy with having homemade soap...as long as the soap works like it is supposed to...aesthetics are secondary.

 

[Susie]

That is exactly my attitude. I don't really care what it looks like as long as I can get it to do what I want it to do. I do use olive oil infused with paprika to color some soaps, and I added cocoa to make one batch brown. That is about as adventuresome as I get on the aesthetics.

But, let's talk cure time. You are SO going to want to use these in about 2-3 weeks(if you last that long). You can use them early, but they get so very much better if you wait 4-6 weeks minimum. They will lather better and moisturize better. Don't ask me why. That is a question for our soap guru DeeAnna. So, don't judge the soap too harshly until you have given it adequate cure time.

 

[Jerry S]

I really like your yellow color on that first batch...I have never used Tupperware for a mold but sounds interesting....what do you use as a mold release before pouring your soap in the Tupperware....Jerry

 

[JLem]

I really like your yellow color on that first batch...I have never used Tupperware for a mold but sounds interesting....what do you use as a mold release before pouring your soap in the Tupperware....Jerry

All the photos in this thread are from the same batch...the bright yellow in the first photo was immediately after pouring. As expected the color changes/faded as it saponified.

On my first batch I greased the tuperware with Crisco...I didn't know if it would work given that Crisco will saponify like any other fat...but that soap popped out with no problem. This time I didn't use anything and it stuck to the mold. I had to force it out. I'm looking to upgrade to a silicone loaf mold soon.

 

[Susie]

I am not fond of the silicone molds. They do not hold their shape unless you use the individual bar molds, then those aren't great about unmolding and not good with gel phase. People also have trouble with air bubbles forming on the surfaces that touch the mold.

I am having a wooden mold made "soon". Until then, I use the plastic drawer organizers from the dollar store. No lining needed, and easy to unmold the soap. All I have to do is use a second one on the outside to give it a bit more strength. I have also used masking tape(painter's tape) to go across the top and prevent bowing.

I am not trying to keep you from buying the molds. I am only trying to let you know the problems I(and others) found with them. You may love them.
But new soapers usually have limited budgets.

 

[JLem]

I am not fond of the silicone molds. They do not hold their shape unless you use the individual bar molds, then those aren't great about unmolding and not good with gel phase. People also have trouble with air bubbles forming on the surfaces that touch the mold.

I am having a wooden mold made "soon". Until then, I use the plastic drawer organizers from the dollar store. No lining needed, and easy to unmold the soap. All I have to do is use a second one on the outside to give it a bit more strength. I have also used masking tape(painter's tape) to go across the top and prevent bowing.

I am not trying to keep you from buying the molds. I am only trying to let you know the problems I(and others) found with them. You may love them.
But new soapers usually have limited budgets.

Thanks for the insights. When you use the plastic drawer organizer molds...do you prepare it beforehand with anything (e.g., mineral oil, vasoline)?