(dumb) question about superfat

[Zany_in_CO]

David Fischer's soap making info is now located at "The Spruce" https://www.thespruce.com/candle-and-soap-making-4127412

That's true about David Fischers new site, The Spruce. Did the link I posted not work for you, DeeAnna? It works for me, and I hope for others.

 

[toxikon]

As for calculating batter amount (oils + lye + water) for my mold size, I just tinker with Soapee until it's where I want it. It's very very easy to do and takes the guesswork out.

If my mold can hold 60oz, I'll start with guesstimating around 40oz oils in "Oils total", then take a peek downwards at the "Total Batch Weight". Then I'll play with it a bit, maybe take it down or up a few ounces until that Total Batch Weight equals 60oz.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Let me put it this way... to find out how much soap your batch of oils makes, multiply by a factor of 1.37.

EXAMPLE: 80 oz oils X 1.37 = 109.6 oz. soap = 109.6 oz soap / 16 oz = 6.85 lbs.

PS: 1.37 is a factor I came across some 13 years ago, early in my soaping career... Lord knows where I got it, probably from one or more of the books I read early on... but it's fairly accurate. I use it a lot to reverse engineer formulas. (Listen to me -- one would hardly believe how math challenged I am!

)

 

[toxikon]

Let me put it this way... to find out how much soap your batch of oils makes, multiply by a factor of 1.37.

EXAMPLE: 80 oz oils X 1.37 = 109.6 oz. soap = 109.6 oz soap / 16 oz = 6.85 lbs.

PS: 1.37 is a factor I came across some 13 years ago, early in my soaping career... Lord knows where I got it, probably from one or more of the books I read early on... but it's fairly accurate. I use it a lot to reverse engineer formulas. (Listen to me -- one would hardly believe how math challenged I am!

)

Just out of curiosity, I wanted to test out your method vs. my extra lazy Soapee method.

I'll stick with my mold = 60oz assumption. Let's do a Castille with full water, 5% SF and no fragrance.

40oz oils x 1.37 = 54.8oz

Soapee Total Batch Weight with 40oz oils = 60.35oz

Not a huge difference there, but I still think I prefer using Soapee!

 

[drunkonlife]

Let me put it this way... to find out how much soap your batch of oils makes, multiply by a factor of 1.37.

EXAMPLE: 80 oz oils X 1.37 = 109.6 oz. soap = 109.6 oz soap / 16 oz = 6.85 lbs.

PS: 1.37 is a factor I came across some 13 years ago, early in my soaping career... Lord knows where I got it, probably from one or more of the books I read early on... but it's fairly accurate. I use it a lot to reverse engineer formulas. (Listen to me -- one would hardly believe how math challenged I am!

)

Thanks. I knew that there was math behind the madness (math is life). And it is only slighlty off from the various online calculators I've been messing with.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Soapee Total Batch Weight with 40oz oils = 60.35oz

I think everyone should stick with what they know and feel comfortable with. That being said, "Batch Weight" is not the same as the weight of finished soap. Batch weight is given on all calcs, I believe. You might want to weigh your soap after cure to get a better idea of how the factor of 1.37 works. Maybe???

 

[Susie]

Just out of curiosity, I wanted to test out your method vs. my extra lazy Soapee method.

I'll stick with my mold = 60oz assumption. Let's do a Castille with full water, 5% SF and no fragrance.

40oz oils x 1.37 = 54.8oz

Soapee Total Batch Weight with 40oz oils = 60.35oz

Not a huge difference there, but I still think I prefer using Soapee!

Using a soap calculator is the best idea by far. My rule of thumb for guesstimating how much oil to use is that each batch is 2 parts oil to 1 part lye water. Until you get the right amount of batter is to have extra small molds just in case. But in your case, you have huge molds, so just figure out a 1.5 lb of oil batch of soap.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

That 1.37 figure is based on "full water" and an average of some oil specific gravities to get the idea of volume to weight. It's not bad, but does make assumptions about your recipe

 

[DeeAnna]

Here's one thread where we talked about the "mold volume vs. weight of oils" rule in more detail: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=58581

 

[Zany_in_CO]

That 1.37 figure is based on "full water" and an average of some oil specific gravities to get the idea of volume to weight. It's not bad, but does make assumptions about your recipe

^^^^^ Ditto.

ETA: On that note, and with apologies to the OP for the hijack, I'm wondering if we can get back on topic? Or maybe admin could move this discussion to its own thread? It's a good discussion and I would hate to see it get buried here... but that's just me, and I'm new to SMF, and if I'm outta line, I apologize to all.

:bath1:
​

 

[DeeAnna]

That's true about David Fischers new site, The Spruce. Did the link I posted not work for you, DeeAnna? It works for me, and I hope for others.

Yes, it works, but your link is to the old About.com location and it ends up being redirected to The Spruce. URL redirects are slow, they sometimes do not work at all, and sometimes they are eliminated. Why not use the correct URL, now that we know it?

 

[dixiedragon]

Thanks you guys!

Quick question. I know that to produce a 5 pound loaf (approximately), I need 51.6 oils without superfatting. Using that logic, it would be roughly 10.32 ounces per pound. Could I simply reduce my recipe that way and then adjust my percentages to ounces accordingly?

It's always best to run the recipe through a lye calculator. Print it off and check off each oil as you add it.

Here's my process -
soap batter is roughly 2/3 oil and 1/3 water. 1 oz of oil (by weight) takes up the same space as 1 oz of water (by volume). This is not exact but it's good enough for this.

My mold holds 60 oz if I fill it to the tippy-top. I don't want to fill it to the tippy-top, so I calculate it as holding 54 oz - a 10% reduction.

54 divided by 3 = 18. So, my soap will be 18 oz of water and 36 oz of oil.

When I calculate my recipe, I put in my percentages of my recipe and then put in 36 ounces for my weight. It will divide those 36 ounces among the percentages I put in.

You want to do all of your thinking and math BEFORE you start measuring and pouring. I've been lazy once or twice and though - I'll just use this printed recipe sheet and double every thing. It usually works out fine. USUALLY. But those times when I make a mistake and then have to weigh stuff and mentally backtrack to see what I didn't add - not worth it.

 

[WeaversPort]

Here's my thoughts, if I had a bunch of oils and a willingness to see what happened..

I'd use a soap calculator and do a bunch of single oil soaps (100% Coconut, 100% Palm, 100% whatever). I'd use the recommendation to pour only an inch thick, just because I know that I'm not really in it for the full batch. I'm there to find out the properties. Plus I'd need to figure out where to cure it.

Then I'd play with the various recipes, changing the percentages and the superfat to see how each one feels. I'd color the different batches and give them to people as a blind study to see what people like - 2%, 5%, whatever superfat.

AND I'd use paper or yogurt cups to pour small batches of soap and test fragrance oils.. That way I can see how my various fragrances act in cold process.

That's what I'd do.. But I can't help you on the superfat math question..

:bath1:

 

[DianaMoon]

Like cmzha says, lotion bar. They're awesome and easy to make.

1/3 jojoba oil
1/3 beeswax
1/3 cocoa, shea or mango butter
some scent

I can't make them fast enough to keep my daughters supplied in the winter.

is wasted in soap, honestly. I did the same thing you're doing when I started out - I even considered soaping tamanu oil - but the folks around here talked me out of it.

Is this a soap, that you mix with lye? Confused.

 

[cmzaha]

Is this a soap, that you mix with lye? Confused.

If you are talking about this ^^^ No it is a lotion bar, not soap. Lotion bars are created with oils, butters, beeswax and will melt on the skin when you rub them on. They are considered an anhydrous product (all oil no water) This thread is a bit old so you would be better starting a new thread

 

[Geaux Soap]

yeah, I was using a recipe from the SQ. I actually already made my first batch and it was okay but a bit too drying (as many of the other soapers have commented on a previous soap. It's funny how that is...the verbage on most blogs call CO "cleansing" when actually a better adjective (albeit not as nice) would be "stripping".

As far as the poundage, I'm kind of in it to win it, lol. Been buying oils bulk at the Bulk Apothecary to keep costs down and my first two molds are 5 pounders. So, it's all trial by fire on my end.

Do you mind sharing your recipe. I’m brand new. I agree that we start off smaller. I would appreciate you. I started with the 33/33/34. Thanks.

Good to know. Anyone on the forum want to buy a gallon of jojobo oil? (JK). In all seriousness, I hate that I bought it now but probably can make use of it down the road.

Are you using any more exotic oils/butters? Right now, my bases seem to be OO, CO, Shea butter, PO, Castor Oil and now sweet almond oil.

I bought red palm oil. Does that react very differently from regular palm oil?

 

[Relle]

@Geaux Soap, this person hasn't been around for 6 yrs, so probably won't see your quoted post.

 

[artemis]

I bought red palm oil. Does that react very differently from regular palm oil?

Just search the forum for Red Palm. Lots of information here about it.