Could someone please double check this recipe?

[littlefrodo]

This is my first time figuring my own recipe without using an online calculator, because I want to do a 20% superfat. Here is what I have come up with.

32 oz coconut oil
12 oz coconut milk instead of water
4.864 oz lye (20% superfat)

Is this right? Thanks in advance.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Why not use SoapCalc? They'll let you do any superfat you want, including 20%.

As far as your recipe goes... Without knowing how much fat is in the coconut milk, I'd say you're pretty close. Soapcalc shows a slightly less amount of lye, but I can't factor in the fat in the coconut milk to see if that would make up the difference in lye amounts.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Aye, nothing wrong with using soapcalc when formulating a mix of oils, but it is also handy to know how to calculate the lye without it. Did you do this with a spreadsheet or really very manually?

Slight variations in the lye amounts can come from the sap value that you use - it can well be different as it is an average figure rather than an exact one.

 

[littlefrodo]

I did try soapcalc, but all the inputs got me confused and I wasn't sure if what I put in was correct. I did these figures manually, using the sap value of .19 for the coconut oil.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

1.8 would also be good, and explains the difference that fly found. As you are using the milk, 1.9 should be fine.

 

[SoapyWater]

Ok. Be prepared to move fast since your only using a solid oil.

32oz Coconut Oil

4.7 ozs Lye (20%)
12.2 ozs of Coconut Milk

I recommend 5.6oz Lye though

This is safe. Using less lye is very dangerous. If you want to have more superfat add an extra oil during the trace stage.

Good Luck

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

..... Using less lye is very dangerous......

Interesting - why is it so dangerous?

.
......If you want to have more superfat add an extra oil during the trace stage.

Good Luck

Adding at trace makes no difference than adding it at the start, so surely that would be the better idea for getting a higher superfat? In which case, one could just reduce the lye amount?

 

[Susie]

I did try soapcalc, but all the inputs got me confused and I wasn't sure if what I put in was correct. I did these figures manually, using the sap value of .19 for the coconut oil.

Here is an excellent tutorial:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49627

And if you have ANY questions about using it, please just ask. We are more than happy to help. It was confusing to me for a long time. There are also other, simpler, lye calculators out there.

I use this one for liquid soap, but it can be used for bar soap also:

http://summerbeemeadow.com/sites/all/sbm_calc_input/calc_input_page_1.1.html

Or this one:

http://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx

 

[SoapyWater]

..... Using less lye is very dangerous......
[/QUOTE

Interesting - why is it so dangerous?




Adding at trace makes no difference than adding it at the start, so surely that would be the better idea for getting a higher superfat? In which case, one could just reduce the lye amount?

Using the 4% range of lye to make a soap at 20% superfat can cause the soap to be lye heavy. Keeping the soap fat heavy will insure that the soap don't become lye heavy. If you run the original recipe through the soap calculator (MMS www.the-sage.com) it will tell you that the recipe is in the 4% lye red (danger) zone. Its not recommended for use at the amount of lye.

 

[SoapyWater]

Also note adding an extra oil during trace may help not cause a lye heavy soap. An extra oil that is not calculated into the original recipe...

Using 1 TB ppo of a butter or an oil may through off the 4% danger zone for this soap.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Ah, I see! I've never used that calculator and I think that, as long as you are making batches at a reasonable size (larger than 500g should be okay) things should be okay. People regularly make 0-1% sf recipes and it doesn't cause issues.

If people are getting a large variation in measurements at these sorts of amounts, there are other issues going on.

I agree that adding in more oil would give a buffer, but I fail to see why adding it in at trace matters. Put it in the pot with the rest of the oils and be done with it - less faffing around at trace

 

[littlefrodo]

I'm still a relatively new soaper (about 2 years), but I don't understand how using less lye could make a lye heavy soap?

 

[SoapyWater]

I'm still a relatively new soaper (about 2 years), but I don't understand how using less lye could make a lye heavy soap?

I found a link to a website to explain how the MMS soap calculator work. It took a while for me to find it lol

HTH

http://www.millennium-ark.net/News_Files/Soap/Lye_Fat_Table.html

 

[Seawolfe]

Huh? the MMS calculator tells you to add LESS lye for MORE superfat, like any other lye calculator. What it does that is different is give you a range of lye discount/superfat to choose from.

 

[SoapyWater]

Well... if you want to experiment and go against the grain and soap in the "red zone" hey you never know until you try it He wants to soap at 4%. 5% + is recommended..

 

[Seawolfe]

I was responding to the statement that using less lye would make a lye heavy soap, that simply isn't true.

The original post says the superfat will be 20% - so Im not sure why you're worried about the "red zone"

If we are talking about adding more superfat at trace - you can't selectively superfat CP soap, just put it all in at the beginning.

Well... if you want to experiment and go against the grain and soap in the "red zone" hey you never know until you try it He wants to soap at 4%. 5% + is recommended..

 

[littlefrodo]

I want a soap with a 20% superfat. 100% coconut oil. My original question was simply a request to have someone check my math to make sure I was close to correct. I have since been able to get the soap calc figured out, and I was very close with my original calculations. Thanks for the help - I think something must have gotten confused along the way.

 

[Seawolfe]

Im sorry littlefrodo, your recipe is awesome, I want to try it as well, and I cant wait to see and hear how it turns out

 

[SoapyWater]

Well from my experimenting with superfat on about 20 batches of soap more than half of them cured with DOS or spoilage issues because of too much superfat and the other ones were lye heavy...

The wonderful world of experimenting.. Superfatting is usually recommended to stay below 15%. But also the lye to stay at 5% or above... the world of soapmaking gives you a lot of play time to see what you can get away with and what you cant.

Everyone has their own opinions and rules.. thats the fun part about it. Just be careful in the process

 

[shunt2011]

There are many that use a lower superfat with no problems even though I think the most common is 5 or above. Also, with 100% CO or with Salt Bars the majority of us superfat at 15-20% with no issues. I've done both and have never had DOS (except 1 shampoo bar left sitting in water). It's a personal preference. Also, MMS is the only calc I've seen that has anything lower than 5% in red. That's one persons opinion on what's acceptable or not. That's the joy of experimentation. We find out what works best for us.