Help a jones-ing math moron out...

[rparrny]

Okay, so I'm aching to make some soap, most of my lye was used in the last batch and I probably have less than 50 grams. How can I use soap calc to take the lye weight that I have and adjust my recipe to it?
I have three coffee bean molds that I am dying to try and I think that little amount of lye might just be perfect!
{{{{Help!}}}}

 

[snappyllama]

You can back into it. Take your regular recipe and drop it to Weight of Oil = 400 grams. Calculate it. If it's still too much lye, change it to 350 grams and recalculate. Just keep adjusting the weight of oils until you get it right.

Caution: for those small batches, you really need to be very accurate with measurements. Do you have a scale that goes to hundredths of a gram? If not, the safest thing is to make a one or two oil recipe so you have less chance of mismeasuring.

 

[Obsidian]

Weight your lye so you know exactly what you have to work with, then put your recipe into soapcalc using percentages. Start adjusting your batch size until you get a recipe with the amount of lye you need.

 

[rparrny]

Okay, I did it! Used my very last gram of lye and was able to fill all three molds and an extra square mold as well! Used very strong coffee for the water and wasn't happy with the color so I added some espresso powder until I liked the color. Now just a matter of waiting till tomorrow to see how it came out....and waiting for my shipment of lye to arrive...
Thank you both so much for the help.:clap:

Caution: for those small batches, you really need to be very accurate with measurements. Do you have a scale that goes to hundredths of a gram? If not, the safest thing is to make a one or two oil recipe so you have less chance of mismeasuring.

I'll do a zap test, when is the best time to do that?

 

[snappyllama]

If you're making CP, I normally do mine after a day or so.

 

[Obsidian]

I tend to wait a week before zap testing. If its zappy after that long, something is wrong.

 

[rparrny]

Okay, now I'm worried, my black brown batter now looks like coffee with cream :x
Please tell me it will darken!

 

[Obsidian]

I will probably darken with time. Mine starts very dark, lightens up for awhile then darkens again.

 

[rparrny]

I will probably darken with time. Mine starts very dark, lightens up for awhile then darkens again.

Not so sure about this one...looks like puffed wheat!:shifty:

 

[Obsidian]

It does look like peanuts to me lol. Its cute though even if its not what you were going for.

I'm really surprised its that pale, I've never had coffee soap that light. How strong was your coffee and did you replace all the water with it? If you want really dark soap, you can use a chocolate or vanilla FO that discolors, they are perfect for coffee soaps.

 

[rparrny]

I'm really surprised its that pale, I've never had coffee soap that light. How strong was your coffee and did you replace all the water with it? If you want really dark soap, you can use a chocolate or vanilla FO that discolors, they are perfect for coffee soaps.

I thought I made it plenty strong but afterwards I added the espresso just to be sure and still...
I don't think she would like choco or vanilla scent, I'm hoping if I use cocoa it won't smell too much, besides, I'm using peppermint EO so maybe it will drown it out...

 

[cmzaha]

Here are the step I use if I am short on lye for a known recipe. Taking a 500 gram recipe in soap calc. (oils only)

500 grams oil for the recipe I have, calls for 69.75 grams lye. I have 28 grams lye left
step 1 69.75/500=0.139
step 2 28/0.139=201 grams of oil would use 28 grams lye
This way I do not have to keep tweaking soap calc. You can verify through soap calc
Sure we will notice I am not a teacher, but I hope it explains it okay. I hate to sit and keep tweaking soap calc to come up with an answer

 

[rparrny]

Here are the step I use if I am short on lye for a known recipe. Taking a 500 gram recipe in soap calc. (oils only)

500 grams oil for the recipe I have, calls for 69.75 grams lye. I have 28 grams lye left
step 1 69.75/500=0.139
step 2 28/0.139=201 grams of oil would use 28 grams lye
This way I do not have to keep tweaking soap calc. You can verify through soap calc
Sure we will notice I am not a teacher, but I hope it explains it okay. I hate to sit and keep tweaking soap calc to come up with an answer

You explained it so well even a math moron like me got it! Thank you!