Batch size

[idreamaboutsoap]

I'm a newbie so my questions may seem completely ignorant. Please bear with me! Is there a way to tell based on the amount of ingredients about how many bars a batch will produce?

 

[Obsidian]

It depends on the mold you use. I generally make a 2lb batch and I can get anywhere from 9 to 11 bars 1" thick.

 

[judymoody]

For me 100 grams of oils makes 1 bar of soap measuring 1x2.5x3.5 inches, the standard interior dimensions of a loaf mold (x number of inches in length).

 

[bjannr]

I am also new to this and wanting to try out different combos of oils and additives. After my second batch I leatned yo keep my total amt of oils below 500 gms. This way I am not overwhelmed by bars of soap.

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[idreamaboutsoap]

Ok so if I were using this recipe about how many bars do you think I'd get?

 

[AnnaMarie]

You have almost 60 oz accounted for in this recipe, so it will be about a 5 lb batch. Theoretically, you should get around 15-16 one inch bars of soap- if my math is correct here. It looks like a lovely, creamy recipe!
Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[idreamaboutsoap]

Can I just say I love this app?? Everyone has been so friendly and helpful! Thanks so much

 

[AnnaMarie]

Sorry! My math was off a bit. Your batch size should be about 3.75 lb, so about 12-13 one inch thick bars in a traditional mold. I just ran it through the lye calculator to double check- always a good idea

 

[new12soap]

That's a good question, don't be afraid to ask! The answer is it will depend on the size of your cut bars. I usually get 10 bars that start out around 5oz (less when cured of course) from 2lbs of oils, 12-14 bars from 2lbs 10oz of oils.

I STRONGLY recommend making nothing smaller than a 1.5 - 2 lb batch for beginners. Anything smaller just does not give you enough margin for any errors, larger can make too many bars before you know what you like, and can waste ingredients if things go horribly wrong. A 2lb batch is the goldilocks batch IMO.

That recipe looks nice but I would also suggest starting a little more simply. When you throw that many ingredients in at once it is hard to tell what characteristics each oil brings to the soap. Palm, olive, and coconut oils make a lovely soap. Add avocado or shea butter one batch at a time. I would never waste jojoba in soap but that's just me. YMMV.

 

[Susie]

That was a really good question! I learned something new!

I am also of the opinion about too many oils for a new soaper. You need to figure out a basic recipe using basic oils to then add one "special" oil or butter at the time to learn what qualities each bring to the soap. Then, if you like them all, you can rebatch them into one loaf and use the combination. Chances are, however, you are going to figure out that more than one or two "special" oils don't bring any improvement to your soap.

Be sure to run EVERY recipe for soap through a lye calculator FOR YOURSELF. Do not take anyone's recipes and use them without double checking. I even re-run recipes I have printed out from the calculator to be double sure they are correct before using them. It is your safety and your family's skin at risk.

 

[Seawolfe]

I can get a HUNDRED bars from a 2 lb batch! Mind you, they the size of matchbooks...
I'd advise making 2 lb batches if you can, to find out what you do and don't like. And check all your recipes in a calculator like soap calc. Making soap isn't like cooking where you can add a little more of something, or less of something else and it will be fine. But it is like cooking in that if you follow a good recipe exactly, you'll make soap.

If you're used to cooking, I don't think that's a crazy soap list, just go slow and set everything up ahead of time. But I do like mastering a simple soap first, and learning new things from there. I'm also starting to save the expensive oils for things that don't rinse off, like body butter.

 

[cmzaha]

If you use a log mold measure the length and divide the length by the width bars you want to cut. The weight of you soap can very depending on additives and amount of liquid used. I get 14-16 bars from my 5lb molds. If I am using my discounted water formula I use several ounces more oils resulting in heavier bars so I use my cutter that cuts 16 bars if using higher liquid I use my 14 bar cutter. This gives me my min 5.5 oz bars of soap

 

[idreamaboutsoap]

I'm finding soap calc mind numbing lye difficult to use I think bc the water is only listed as a percentage. If I could enter it in ounces I could probably get it. Any tips there?? I so want to master this! I'm obsessed with beautiful soap and hand making them that I'm literally dreaming of them every night.

 

[Seawolfe]

Just let soap calc use the default 38% water as percent of oils to start with, fill in the total of oils and the separate amounts of oils, then click the calculate button, THEN click the View or Print Recipe button. When you do that you will see the amount of water needed on the page it produces.
Its a calculator - so it calculates the amount of water and lye needed for the amount of oils you are using.

I'm finding soap calc mind numbing lye difficult to use I think bc the water is only listed as a percentage. If I could enter it in ounces I could probably get it. Any tips there?? I so want to master this! I'm obsessed with beautiful soap and hand making them that I'm literally dreaming of them every night.

 

[idreamaboutsoap]

Again...I LOVE THIS FORUM! You're all gems on here! Thanks for all the input and patience with my obviously basic questions

 

[shunt2011]

Being a beginner I would start with 2 lb batches. They are managable and easy to rebatch if need be. I make 5 lb batches and get 14 - 1 1/4 in bars per batch.