Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
Last week, I made soap for two days. Because it's been a while, and my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be, I went slowly and kept my wits about me. I anticipated having some problems, which I did. I was grateful for writing good directions and taking good notes in the recipes I used.
I have two rules for soap making:
1. Patience
2. Don't panic.
It's Rule #2 I want to address here. Hopefully, it will help someone.
On the first day, all went according to plan. I made 2 loaves of Grandma's Old Fashion Lye Soap for a special customer. On the second day, I was making a batch of my Trader Joe's Tea Tree Castile dupe. There was a note that said the previous batch seized on me the last time. So I did what I felt was necessary to prevent that from happening, i.e., I soaped cool (100°-110°F). It seized on me big time anyway! LOL While using my stick blender to combine the lye solution with the oils, the batch grabbed my blender in less than a minute of mixing. It literally stopped and stood straight up, imprisoned in the batch. YIKES!
Plan A: I didn't panic. I set the timer and walked away for 5 minutes... which is what I tell Newbies to do. When I came back, the batch was going into "gel" which is what I anticipated, but the blender was still stuck fast and hard in the center, unable to move.
Plan B: Another remedy for seizing is adding cold water to the batch. So, I went to SoapCalc.net to figure out the amount to add, i.e., full water vs. 1.7:1 ratio, which gave me 5-9 ounces. It took another 5 minutes to do that.
When I returned, the batch was hot, hot, hot and in full gel which is what soap does. The blender moved easily. I added 5 oz of cold water, blended, and added 4 oz. more. I got a lovely fluid result that, once thoroughly blended, poured easily into the two molds ready for filling. Because it was so hot, I was able to smoosh it in, smack it on the counter top and level it without haste. Really workable. I smiled, rather pleased with myself (sorry, can't help bragging at my age! Haha). I took the molded soap to the laundry room, wrapped it in a blanket to insulate and left it to do its thing. Tadah!
Lesson Learned: "Don't Panic" is a rule that I hope will serve you well on your soap-making journey. When I was just starting out, with few batches under my belt, a wise mentor told me that when the unexpected happens, don't panic. Instead, take a breath and trust your own judgment to know what to do. More often than not, you will do the right thing.
I have two rules for soap making:
1. Patience
2. Don't panic.
It's Rule #2 I want to address here. Hopefully, it will help someone.
On the first day, all went according to plan. I made 2 loaves of Grandma's Old Fashion Lye Soap for a special customer. On the second day, I was making a batch of my Trader Joe's Tea Tree Castile dupe. There was a note that said the previous batch seized on me the last time. So I did what I felt was necessary to prevent that from happening, i.e., I soaped cool (100°-110°F). It seized on me big time anyway! LOL While using my stick blender to combine the lye solution with the oils, the batch grabbed my blender in less than a minute of mixing. It literally stopped and stood straight up, imprisoned in the batch. YIKES!
Plan A: I didn't panic. I set the timer and walked away for 5 minutes... which is what I tell Newbies to do. When I came back, the batch was going into "gel" which is what I anticipated, but the blender was still stuck fast and hard in the center, unable to move.
Plan B: Another remedy for seizing is adding cold water to the batch. So, I went to SoapCalc.net to figure out the amount to add, i.e., full water vs. 1.7:1 ratio, which gave me 5-9 ounces. It took another 5 minutes to do that.
When I returned, the batch was hot, hot, hot and in full gel which is what soap does. The blender moved easily. I added 5 oz of cold water, blended, and added 4 oz. more. I got a lovely fluid result that, once thoroughly blended, poured easily into the two molds ready for filling. Because it was so hot, I was able to smoosh it in, smack it on the counter top and level it without haste. Really workable. I smiled, rather pleased with myself (sorry, can't help bragging at my age! Haha). I took the molded soap to the laundry room, wrapped it in a blanket to insulate and left it to do its thing. Tadah!
Lesson Learned: "Don't Panic" is a rule that I hope will serve you well on your soap-making journey. When I was just starting out, with few batches under my belt, a wise mentor told me that when the unexpected happens, don't panic. Instead, take a breath and trust your own judgment to know what to do. More often than not, you will do the right thing.
