Hand milled and rebatching?

[AshleyR]

I've been reading up on the different ways to make soap, and have read a lot about rebatching and hand milled soap. To me they sound like the same thing.... are they?

Hand milled is apparently when you grate up your soap, melt it, and make new soap with it? Isn't that the same as rebatching?

For those of you that rebatch, do you usually make a big batch of your basic recipe, then rebatch it in small portions and colour/scent it the way you want? I think I rebatched a recipe I made awhile back (one of my first batches). It lost its scent really fast, so I grated it and melted it down in a pot with a bit of water, and added a new fragrance to it. The consistency of it got really strange - really gelly and sort of foamy. I didn't like it. Is this how rebatching turns out all the time?

TIA for clearing this up for me!

 

[carebear]

it's the same for the average bear here.

for commercial ventures the process is different - they mill (grate) the soap and then just compact the heck out of it with special presses. for triple milled they (in theory) do it three times.

commercial milled soap is hard as a rock. hand crafted rebatched soap isn't.

 

[Lindy]

Wow, I'm glad someone else has had this problem. Today I put the rebatch into the microwave @ 50% power - not quite as gelled but still different. I think the less you stir the less gelled and bubbly it is. Of course I could be way wrong since I'm still learning as I play.

Cheers

 

[live4suds]

Hello AshleyR. I don't really rebatch/handmill soaps, so maybe I should stay out of this one... but... I was thinking what would be nice next time is if instead of water, use a small portion of milk to wet the soap you are rebatching. Maybe goats milk or coconut milk? I don't know, just sounds nice and I think I've heard of people doing this before. I love the creaminess of milk soaps. I wonder how this would turn out (or if it would at all) in a rebatched.

 

[pepperi27]

I've been reading up on the different ways to make soap, and have read a lot about rebatching and hand milled soap. To me they sound like the same thing.... are they?

Hand milled is apparently when you grate up your soap, melt it, and make new soap with it? Isn't that the same as rebatching?

For those of you that rebatch, do you usually make a big batch of your basic recipe, then rebatch it in small portions and colour/scent it the way you want? I think I rebatched a recipe I made awhile back (one of my first batches). It lost its scent really fast, so I grated it and melted it down in a pot with a bit of water, and added a new fragrance to it. The consistency of it got really strange - really gelly and sort of foamy. I didn't like it. Is this how rebatching turns out all the time?

TIA for clearing this up for me!

Handmilled is a nicer way of saying rebatched. No one can actually hand mill unless you have a machine. I LOVE to rebatch but I purchase my cp soap from a long term soapmaker. It will definitely get stringy and it you rebatch in the micro it foams up. If you mix it up too much it can get foamy. I posted a tutorial in the photo gallery if you'd like to look! I personally rebatch in the oven or crockpot it takes longer than micro but the feel is way better to me.

 

[pepperi27]

Hello AshleyR. I don't really rebatch/handmill soaps, so maybe I should stay out of this one... but... I was thinking what would be nice next time is if instead of water, use a small portion of milk to wet the soap you are rebatching. Maybe goats milk or coconut milk? I don't know, just sounds nice and I think I've heard of people doing this before. I love the creaminess of milk soaps. I wonder how this would turn out (or if it would at all) in a rebatched.

Yes using milk will definitely get it super smooth and feels amazing thats why I love goatmilk soap!