Hand milling soap to avoid mixing lye

[fmernyer]

I searched the forums and couldn't find this question exactly so forgive me if its been gone over again and again....

I want to make a master batch of oils and work on the separately...and someone suggested making the full master batch from beginning to end - a plain base of soap - and then hand milling it separately to add in any special colors, fragrances or the like.

The reason would be so that I'm only working with lye in one big batch - for the sake of safety around the littles - and then I can work at my leisure on making each batch special.

I've read about handmilling being intensive and not as smooth as a straight batch. I've also read it creates a harder bar of soap and therefore lasts longer.

So my question is - has anyone done this? Is it at all reasonable?

Would I be able to throw some 'plain' bars of soap into the food processor and grate them up - and then heat them slightly to add stuff and repour into molds?

Thank you in advance for any comments!

~Dawn

 

[Seawolfe]

Properly milling soap like the commercial companies requires large expensive machinery. For the home soap maker, grating up already made soap and molding it again is called "rebatching" (that's the search term you wanted). People often call rebatching "hand milling", but in my mind its not really milling if you arent using the big pressy machines.

Any way, yes you can do this, yes you would be able to add scent and (to some extent) color and additives. But many people dont care for the look of rebatched soap - its like this:

I have heard many a tale of food processors dying in the name of soap grating, so Im not going to give any advise on that bit.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I would be tempted to master batch your lye instead - sure, you'd have to use it each time you make soap, but if you are comfortable making a cup of tea then lye solution is not much more dangerous to handle than boiling water when it comes to little ones.

 

[Seawolfe]

I like the master batching of the oils and lye idea myself, then its just one recipe you can play with as you like.

 

[Lindy]

I masterbatch my lye and love not having to mix it each time I make soap.

 

[dixiedragon]

You may want to consider making your own melt and pour base. Maybe somebody on this forum has some good instructions? My understanding is that it doesn't melt as smoothly as commercially-made, but it is possible.

 

[AnnaMarie]

I've handmilled soap a number of times and don't like it. Quite frankly, I find it to be a pain in the butt and takes longer. No, melting in the microwave is not a good idea either. I don't find the quality to be superior, and in the end milled soap just doesn't look as nice. I still do it occasionally, but I wouldn't do it large scale.
I do understand about soaping around kids though. I always waited till the kids were napping, gone to bed, in school, etc. I kept things high up and out of the way and learned to grab snippets of time when I could. If you're really uncomfortable you could do melt and pour? Any good luck to you
Best,
Anna Marie

 

[boyago]

I would be tempted to master batch your lye instead - sure, you'd have to use it each time you make soap, but if you are comfortable making a cup of tea then lye solution is not much more dangerous to handle than boiling water when it comes to little ones.

This is one of those gut feeling things, but I have a little one about and I "feel" like keeping my lye in solution seems like something she would be more likely to get into trouble with. Currently I keep both my powder and master solution in a high up cupboard which pretty much assures that when an accident does occur I will be spilling lye directing into my face. An actual proper chemical cabinet would be the best option. But I don't have one right now and those are a little spendy, allot of my other hobbies use chemicals so I see one in my future.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I've handmilled soap a number of times and don't like it. Quite frankly, I find it to be a pain in the butt and takes longer..............

Did you hand-mill soap, or rebatch it? Milling is pressing it under intense pressure, rebatching is melting it.

This is one of those gut feeling things, but I have a little one about and I "feel" like keeping my lye in solution seems like something she would be more likely to get into trouble with. Currently I keep both my powder and master solution in a high up cupboard which pretty much assures that when an accident does occur I will be spilling lye directing into my face. An actual proper chemical cabinet would be the best option. But I don't have one right now and those are a little spendy, allot of my other hobbies use chemicals so I see one in my future.

If there are cleaning chemicals in the house, the lye can be stored with those so that is no issue - if you can handle bleach with a child in the house, is lye solution that much different in that regard?

What the lye solution does away with is the need for taking the flakes/beads, measuring that and then making the solution and so on.

 

[AnnaMarie]

My bad. Rebatching is what I did. I would mention though that when I first began making soap a decade ago handmilling was the term used in a soapmaking book I read used to describe what is known as rebatching. I understood the terms to be used interchangeably. I'll correct that

Best,
Anna Marie

 

[AnnaMarie]

I am aware of that the fine handmilled soaps can only be achieved through machinery.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Aye, I don't know where it was first used, but it is one of those things that seems to be popular no matter what. Which is why I get so pedantic about it as I know what people mean but really don't want the wrong term to keep going on and on

 

[Seawolfe]

Aye, I don't know where it was first used, but it is one of those things that seems to be popular no matter what. Which is why I get so pedantic about it as I know what people mean but really don't want the wrong term to keep going on and on

Bossy bossy bossy :-D

+1 for making your own melt and pour, and mine does seem to melt very smoothly, until I microwave it too long and it turns into snot....

 

[AnnaMarie]

It's a term that's been around for at least a few decades and has typically been used in reference to soapers grating and melting their soap. The term French milling has been used to make distinct the difference between your rustic handmilled soap and the high quality milled soap you buy. That being said vocabulary evolves, so my terminology is probably out of date
Best,
Anna Marie

 

[DeeAnna]

One soaper told me she milled her soap. When I suggested she was actually rebatching, she said, no, she was really milling the soap using with a pasta rolling machine. I don't imagine it would be the same as a full commercial milling machine, but I had to admit she was correct. I wish she had shared some pictures -- I would have liked to see the soap she milled.

I've had my eye on pasta machines lately ... to make pasta ... but I wonder what nefarious alternate purposes a gadget like that could be put to. Hmmmm.....

 

[AnnaMarie]

I was curious and did a quick google search which verified that hand milled does indeed apply in this case. In fact, you can find the term being used in this particular application on several major soap supplier websites. It may be that in the U.K. that it is different, Effacacious Gentleman, and no offense, but I'm going to stand on my original statement after all
Best,
Anna Marie

 

[Seawolfe]

One soaper told me she milled her soap. When I suggested she was actually rebatching, she said, no, she was really milling the soap using with a pasta rolling machine. I don't imagine it would be the same as a full commercial milling machine, but I had to admit she was correct. I wish she had shared some pictures -- I would have liked to see the soap she milled.

I've had my eye on pasta machines lately ... to make pasta ... but I wonder what nefarious alternate purposes a gadget like that could be put to. Hmmmm.....

/me eyes hubbys expensive pasta roller from Italy

 

[cmzaha]

/me eyes hubbys expensive pasta roller from Italy

LOL, that just might get you into trouble . I am not eyeing my pasta machine

 

[Seawolfe]

LOL, that just might get you into trouble . I am not eyeing my pasta machine

He already yelled at me once for washing it! I wouldnt dare!

 

[reinbeau]

I too read a soaper on FB who gave us a good description of hand-milling via a pasta roller. I still dont really understand how those thin sheets translate into a bar of soap, never heard the outcome, because she left the group and didn't update anymore.