Crockpot rebatch. Started out scary.

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cdwinsby

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I decided to rebatch some ends and scraps because I wanted to try rebatching with the crockpot. Started out with my bits and grated them.

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Set the pot on high and walked away for 1/2 hour. Smooshed it down. Started to get a little clear looking. Came back in another 1/2 hour and this is how it looked after I mixed it up a little.

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Pretty ugly huh! My first thought was that I had wasted some perfectly good soap on an experiment. Why, oh why did I do this? Since it was already done, I just slopped it into the mold and huffed away to try and forget about it.

I left it in the mold for 2 days because it still looked ugly and I was cranky. Well, I finally got around to cutting it and I guess there is something to be said for not judging something by its outward appearance. I am thrilled with how it turned out. My expectations were set very, very low!

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Rebatching isn't something I'de do for fun but at least I know that I can at least salvage a batch if I have to. :D
 
Interesting pics! :) Did you add any liquid or just heated the soap as is? So far all my rebatching attempts have been a failure.
 
I think it's very pretty, kinda like Terrazzo.

My rebatching efforts are saved only for the worst cases.
Burn the soap one time and it changes your whole perception of the process. It goes from labor intensive and slow to stinky, yucky, rather change diapers.
I wouldn't wish burned soap on anyone.
 
Only about 3 tablespoons of water. The soaps are made with coconut, palm, olive, shea, castor and cocoa butter.
 
I did a rebatch yesterday. It came out similar to yours except mine has a purple hue with white flecks instead of green with blue. It's not the prettiest soap in the world but it is still functional and smells heavenly.

Lovehound said:
Interesting pics! :) Did you add any liquid or just heated the soap as is? So far all my rebatching attempts have been a failure.
What kind of problems are you having with your rebatches Greg?
 
Chay said:
What kind of problems are you having with your rebatches Greg?
Being a newbie. I believed the web pages that said add 12 oz water for every 16 oz of soap shavings.

I think it's more like 1-2 tablespoons per pound, maybe even less.
 
Wow, those look great! I usually melt down my scraps to make new bars (for myself) in the microwave, but ours died so I'll have to try it in the crock pot. Did you add any water?
 
I love, love, love those bars. Reminds me of my kitchen counter top. Thanks for sharing those pics, but I don't see any green in the soap pieces in the first picture. How did you get the green color?

Laurie
 
Laurie said:
How did you get the green color?

Silly girl.....yellow and blue make.....green! :lol: That's what I forgot when making it and was so disappointed. Not sure what color I thought they would be. I didn't think at all is more like it. :oops: I'm happy with the results though.

Thank goodness I wasn't mixing up some green and pink.....that could have made a mud brown!
 
This silly girl couldn't see that your soap was yellow. It looks slightly off white on my screen. Come to think of it I know I have some yellow and some blue around. Hmmm. Nah. It never turns out the same. We'll see.

I don't know, you seem to have a knack for turning out just lovely soaps. They seem to have the soft colors. I don't know if you have heard of Stampin'Up, but their soft and subtle color set is my favorite.

Laurie
 
I use oxides, mica, pigments and natural colorants like comfrey, carrot, etc. I quite often will mix them up and use some of this and some of that. I try not to use a lot since I do like the softer colors.
 
I re batched last night! Instead of putting my shavings into the pot, I double layered them with freezer bags and boiled 'um for about half an hour... Cut the corner off and piped the melted shavings into molds. Worked great!
 
I think they're very pretty and quite earthy looking.

I'm going to keep your method in mind, because I hate to waste - even shavings.
 
Lane said:
I re batched last night! Instead of putting my shavings into the pot, I double layered them with freezer bags and boiled 'um for about half an hour... Cut the corner off and piped the melted shavings into molds. Worked great!

This is the re-batch method I use as well. No mess.
 
Lane said:
I re batched last night! Instead of putting my shavings into the pot, I double layered them with freezer bags and boiled 'um for about half an hour... Cut the corner off and piped the melted shavings into molds. Worked great!

What a wonderful idea! Now I'm going to have to try it. :D
 
It is the only way I will do Rebatch. I lay a big towel on the counter and every half an hour, I smush the soap around and then put it back in the pot. I really recommend wearing oven mits!!! It gets hot!
 
Lane said:
I re batched last night! Instead of putting my shavings into the pot, I double layered them with freezer bags and boiled 'um for about half an hour... Cut the corner off and piped the melted shavings into molds. Worked great!

:shock:

huh? I'm sorry, but I don't understand this at all.... what is "double layering", and are freezer bags like the zippered freezer gallon bags you get in the baggie isle at the grocery store?

:oops:

Sorry.... I'm still really wet behind the ears with all this stuff....
 
SoapyGal said:
huh? I'm sorry, but I don't understand this at all.... what is "double layering", and are freezer bags like the zippered freezer gallon bags you get in the baggie isle at the grocery store?
Go to the grocery store and get the thick, zip-lock freezer bags. One gallon size sounds right. Grate your soap into shavings using a grater or food processor. Put the shavings in a bag, push the air out, zip it up. Then put that bag in another bag and do the same thing. Then get a big pot of water simmering and toss it in, cover the pot so that the steam will hit the side that is facing up, giving the soap all around heat. I would keep it at a very low simmer, NOT a boil. That should do it, although I haven't tried this myself yet. :)
 
I just did my first crock pot rebatch with my usual instructions except for the oven! LOL Anyway soap came out the same as my oven method with the exception that in the crockpot its easier to add the ingredients, stir, and pour into my mold! Yes I said pour LOL I also made some soap balls since I made too much turkish mocha gm soap!
 
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