Miz Jenny
Well-Known Member
My coffee lightened with the fo's. Cut mine this AM
Still a little softer than I like. Gonna give it a nice long cure.
Still a little softer than I like. Gonna give it a nice long cure.
Coffee soap - still gellin'
- Thread starter Miz Jenny
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Bicycle808
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This thread is awesome. I've been making coffee soap in PVC molds for years now. It will be darker if it gels, but I've never made any quite as dark as CursiveArts' soap. I make 2 versions; one is my usual olive/palm/coconut/castor w/5% SF and 33% Coffee (instead of water); the other is exactly the same, except I rebatch with some confetti'd soap and add ground cinnamon and coffee grinds. The plain version is my slowest seller, but the goofy rebatched one is one of my most popular offerings.
The discoloration noted up-thread happened to me BITD, when I used spent coffee grinds, straight from the brewer. B/c the coffee grinds were still wet, they leached out some water which would discolor the soap; in one case, the bars started weeping from the excess liquid coffee present in the grinds. I toss in unused, dry coffee grounds, now. To cut costs and ensure some truly dank, stank, and strong stuff, I've been using Cafe Bustelo or Cafe Supremo (super-cheap, super-dark coffee available in the "Latin" section of most grocery stores.) Because I am a coffee snob/ pt barista, some folks do get upset by this. The way I look at it, it isn't worth it to toss some high-buck FTO/organic stuff into a soap recipe. Hence, the Cafe Bustelo. (Which does, indeed, hold more aroma.)
Keep this thread going a while; i'll try to find the time/energy to post some pics.
The discoloration noted up-thread happened to me BITD, when I used spent coffee grinds, straight from the brewer. B/c the coffee grinds were still wet, they leached out some water which would discolor the soap; in one case, the bars started weeping from the excess liquid coffee present in the grinds. I toss in unused, dry coffee grounds, now. To cut costs and ensure some truly dank, stank, and strong stuff, I've been using Cafe Bustelo or Cafe Supremo (super-cheap, super-dark coffee available in the "Latin" section of most grocery stores.) Because I am a coffee snob/ pt barista, some folks do get upset by this. The way I look at it, it isn't worth it to toss some high-buck FTO/organic stuff into a soap recipe. Hence, the Cafe Bustelo. (Which does, indeed, hold more aroma.)
Keep this thread going a while; i'll try to find the time/energy to post some pics.
Lotus
Well-Known Member
Hey Bicycle, can I ask a question (slightly hi-jacking the thread), and then we can all get back to coffee soap. I don't really want to start a whole new thread for this. I've never rebatched soap before, and I was wondering, first, is it just a matter of "melt and pour," more or less? Do you just melt it on the stove and then reset it in a mold? That's it?
Second question, you mentioned "confetti soap." I saw this in another thread. I assume you just make confetti sized pieces out of your soap (then referring to the rebatching). But, theoretically, could I take left over scraps from different soaps with different recipes and do this as well? Or would the differences mess with the whole thing?
Perhaps I should have just started a new thread, anyway.
. . . okay, back to coffee. My soaps are still looking pretty. : )
Edit: never mind!! I found this thread! Awesome one, too. : ) http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/question-about-melting-cp-soap-34295/
Second question, you mentioned "confetti soap." I saw this in another thread. I assume you just make confetti sized pieces out of your soap (then referring to the rebatching). But, theoretically, could I take left over scraps from different soaps with different recipes and do this as well? Or would the differences mess with the whole thing?
Perhaps I should have just started a new thread, anyway.
. . . okay, back to coffee. My soaps are still looking pretty. : )
Edit: never mind!! I found this thread! Awesome one, too. : ) http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/question-about-melting-cp-soap-34295/
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Bicycle808
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To be fair, I'm not rebatching in the melt and rebatch sense of the term. Rather, I'm just taking the ugly end pieces of my soap-logs and confetti-ing those into a new batch. Usually, old soap only makes up 5 to 10% of the new batch. Waste-not, want-not, plus some folks think it looks cool (even if it lists "uglies" in the ingredients...)
Lotus
Well-Known Member
Oooh! I like that idea, since it looks like the basic rebatch is so sad looking. I like your idea. : ) Thanks. I have a bunch of end pieces too. I was sure there was something I could do with them, so I hadn't thrown them away, yet.
cursivearts
Well-Known Member
I like this thread. I so miss working at a coffee shop.
tryanything
Well-Known Member
I live out on the coast in Oregon and I've never been to a place with so many drive through coffee stands! Anyway, my next project is a coffee soap. Hubby bought a Starbucks brand coffee that he ended up not liking so he gave me the bag for soaping. I don't drink coffee but I love the smell of it. I'll have to order a nice coffee FO first!
Bicycle808
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Ha. I've been working int he same coffee shop for close to ten years. (Sundays only for at least half of that.) I had to give it up briefly due to schedule conflicts, and I missed it immediately. Nowadays, I sometimes ask myself why I still work there; I certainly don't need the money anymore. But, you know what? If I even take a single week off, I miss making lattes, the regulars, and the atmosphere.
Most of the soap I make involves coffee or tea. The shop has certainly been an inspiration.
