beeswax/saddle soap

[Megan L-T]

Oops, I posted this in the Introduction Forum by mistake because I'm new to the forum (but not new to soapmaking....I've been making soap for 14 years now). I'm trying to incorporate as much beeswax as possible into a basic Castile (OO) soap to make a saddle soap. In today's test batch I used a ration of 8 parts OO to 1 part beeswax and the soap seized up as soon as I added the lye water.

Has anyone else experimented with just how much beeswax can be added to a CP soap? I could make an OO soap, let it cure, then grate it into water, add the beeswax melted into more oil, and then pour it in to tins.........but I'm trying for a harder bar-type saddle soap.

Any thoughts?

This forum should be lots of fun! I just discovered it.

Megan

 

[carebear]

Try HPing it.

 

[Megan L-T]

Okay....call me dumb (please, feel free!) but is HP short for Hot Process? As opposed to the Cold Process I do? If so, I don't know how to do that. I DID just find something on the net about how beeswax really speeds up the trace, as in, almost instant trace. I think that's what happened with this batch. I'll try backing off the percentage of beeswax a bit.

 

[Megan L-T]

Thanks for the idea to add the beeswax at a light trace. I have always (13 years) mixed my soaps by hand so haven't used a mixing stick (does everyone prefer that method, the mixing stick?).....I'll keep my sturdy spatula going full tilt when I add the beeswax.

I just uncovered yesterday's seizing batch and it actually looks very cool!!! Tiny little bits of beeswax (NOT lye) are sprinkled throughout the soap. This must have been wax that hard started to cool just enough to solidify. It looks very neat.

Anyway, I think I've pushed the percentage of beeswax to the maximum and then some. I believe I'll back it down.

 

[dieSpinne]

Megan L-T,

Pics?? I would love to see the speckled effect you are talking about.

 

[Megan L-T]

And I'd love to be able to show them to you but, at this point, I don't know HOW to post pictures...I'd like to put a little picture up by my user name as many people do...and post a picture of the soap....but I'm MUCH better at making soap than understanding and using computers.

sigh. ONE of these days I'll enter the 21st century.

 

[Fragola]

I believe I'll back it down

If you want a lot of beeswax in your soap, don't give up yet

I often like to learn by experimenting with small quantities. When you do your next batch, you could set aside and heat a half cup of soap which you mix with a couple tablespoons of molten beeswax to see what happens.

Alternatively, you can try to rebatch a small quantity from your current soap, heating it until you melt the wax (or even add a little more). Unless you like the new look. Now I totally want to make a beehive soap having little wax pieces inside !

I am speaking here as a new soaper who often likes to push quantities over the edge, and i often find that it works. One way or another

 

[Megan L-T]

I love to experiment and push the boundaries as well. I'll do some re-batching. I've only ever done CP soap. Is there a place on this forum that details HP soap? I'm game to give it a try!

 

[Fragola]

HP is very simple. To prove that, my very first soap ever was HP following a CP recipe from a CP soap book

Shortly: you simply heat your CP soap while stirring.

There are many tutorials out there, but many of them tend to overcomplicate things:

http://allcrafts.tripod.com/
http://www.candletech.com/soap-making/h ... tructions/

Since you mix by hand, you could follow these steps:

1. Melt your oils, and add the lye.
2. Heating gently while mixing, until it reaches trace.
3. Keep it on medium heat, and stir every 10-15 minutes, until it gets really thick, and difficult to stir.
4. Boil some more until it has gelled completely and it has a mashed-potato consistency.
5. Test if the soap is ready and throw it into the mold.

Different methods of heating include crockpot, double boiler, oven, etc.

There are other things to consider:

- the temperature is largely flexible, I feel safer using gentle heat
- the more you heat and the less you stir - the bigger the splashes, or chance of overflowing
- if the water evaporates, and your soap paste gets too hard, you can add a little hot water at a time, but it can be tricky to guess how much water to add
- putting the HP soap into the mold is a different experience than with CP (if you don't watch out, you could have the soap become too hard to mold or to cut nicely)
- I am trying to explore methods to make this job easier:
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... um+lactate

does everyone prefer that method, the mixing stick?

Yes, they do, for reaching trace, because it speeds up things.


P.S. Speaking of beeswax, I finally found the picture of my first beehive bar (CP):

Probably topping the soap with beeswax isn't a practical idea, but I couldn't resist the cuteness

 

[Megan L-T]

Wow! Thanks for the HP tips. And, I LOVE the way your beeswax bar looks. That's great.

More soapmaking tomorrow, I can see that!!!

 

[Soapy Gurl]

I can give you some help at getting pics loaded. I warn you I am not the best at it, but if you can get them loaded onto your computer, I can tell you how to use photobucket. Then it is easy to get pics on here. (as long as you can find your camera...)

 

[carebear]

Don't try adding beeswax at trace. It will be a mess.

 

[Megan L-T]

Okay, I won't try adding beeswax at the trace. Thanks for the warning...that was on my "try this" list!

Also, thanks for the offer of help on posting photos. I'll take you up on it when I find my camera!!!

And, I started a new topic asking for anyone's opinion of what make of stick blender to get.

HOW did I get along for the past 13 years making soap without this forum???

 

[Soapy Gurl]

I really thought I was the only one who couldn't find my camera!

But letting the stick blender stand up on its own and just holding it so it doesn't tip over works really well for me. I make 54oz batches. I do move it around sometimes, lol. I tend to pour and a light to med trace.

 

[Fragola]

Oops ! I guess it's too late now. Sometimes I'm totally the curious cat and just had to see what's the deal with this saddle soap business.

I did a small batch testing some flavours and colours, and put aside maybe 2 oz for the saddle thingy

Anyhows, it went pretty smooth until I poured it into the mold, we'll see if something disastrous happens when unmolding. I did forget to grease my molds.

 

[Megan L-T]

Hi Fragola, The saddle soap thing came about when a horse-riding neighbor asked me if I could make some for her! Now it's snowballed and I lie awake at night thinking of all the different possibilities and ways to work beeswax into soap because I really love beeswax for some reason!

 

[Fragola]

Here is the picture.

Me and my stick blender, we apologize for the ugly air bubbles. They happen when mixing such small quantities. But the wax itself was added at trace and hand-mixed, trying to follow exactly my own suggestion (and using about 1 to 8 oil ratio).

Now, I am not sure this is saddlesoap or what to do with it. After a bit of net searching, other ingredients might be required.