Jumping right in

[Drew Ackerman]

I've done my research, I have my plan.
The base recipe I have chosen is the one as follows:

Enough soap to fill the 5lb bramble berry wood block with silicone insert.

I am thinking of increasing the lye concentration to 33%, as i wont need extra time to do any designs. This first batch will be a mix and pour and let set.

I just want to ensure that I have the proper ratios as this is my first attempt at making soap. I believe this will be a non fragrance, non colored bar so I can get a handle on this, but I could end up throwing in some fragrance and mica.

 

[Obsidian]

I would drop the coconut to 20% and increase the palm to 40%
That will give a longer lasting, milder soap. 33% lye is a good place to start. I use it with all my recipes.

Welcome to the forum and the addiction

 

[Drew Ackerman]

I would drop the coconut to 20% and increase the palm to 40%
That will give a longer lasting, milder soap. 33% lye is a good place to start. I use it with all my recipes.

Welcome to the forum and the addiction

Thank you Obsidian
So it is palm rather than coconut that creates a longer lasting soap?

 

[KiwiMoose]

^indeed. Coconut makes a hard soap, but it can be overly cleansing and thus drying. Because it is so cleansing, it dissipates faster in the water than most of the other oils, so you can't rely on it for longevity. I found this to be helpful: https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/the-most-popular-fatty-acid-profiles-in-soapmaking/

 

[TheGecko]

I've done my research, I have my plan.
The base recipe I have chosen is the one as follows:

Enough soap to fill the 5lb bramble berry wood block with silicone insert.

I am thinking of increasing the lye concentration to 33%, as i wont need extra time to do any designs. This first batch will be a mix and pour and let set.

I just want to ensure that I have the proper ratios as this is my first attempt at making soap. I believe this will be a non fragrance, non colored bar so I can get a handle on this, but I could end up throwing in some fragrance and mica.

Agree with @KiwiMoose especially since you are using 10% Castor.

You're brave doing 5lbs for your first soap, but you have a good recipe.

 

[Obsidian]

Yes, your hard oils like palm, lard, tallow and butters create a longer lasting soap.

Coconut does make a physically hard bar but its very soluble so it won't contribute to longevity. Coconut also makes a very cleansing soap, most of us use it at 20% or less so its not drying.

 

[Drew Ackerman]

^indeed. Coconut makes a hard soap, but it can be overly cleansing and thus drying. Because it is so cleansing, it dissipates faster in the water than most of the other oils, so you can't rely on it for longevity. I found this to be helpful: https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/the-most-popular-fatty-acid-profiles-in-soapmaking/

Wow that is an amazing resource! I found some resources that explained the general properties of oils, but I didnt find a breakdown of the acids and their properties. I love it!

Agree with @KiwiMoose especially since you are using 10% Castor.

You're brave doing 5lbs for your first soap, but you have a good recipe.

Thank you. I have a large goal to hit by this summer but with the help of this very generous community I think I can do it.

Yes, your hard oils like palm, lard, tallow and butters create a longer lasting soap.

Coconut does make a physically hard bar but its very soluble so it won't contribute to longevity. Coconut also makes a very cleansing soap, most of us use it at 20% or less so its not drying.

Ive noticed from the recource KiwiMoose gave that Oleic acid is higher in canola than olive oil, but why is canola oil not touted nearly as much as olive oil? Is there a spoilage issue or other hidden menace that canola contains?

 

[Obsidian]

Canola has a shorter shelf life and using too much can contribute to rancid soap.
There are some members who use it regularly with no issues, its a nightmare for me.
Also, igh oleic acid isn't necessarily needed or desired by everyone.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

Welcome! I am somewhat new to this, about 9 months, but I would highly recommend starting with smaller batches to trial; 1 lb, 2 lbs max. That way, if you don't like the results, you haven't wasted a lot of ingredients. If you don't have a smaller mold, you can section off the 5 pound mold with a piece of cardboard.
Since you're not swirling, I think your idea to go to 33% lye concentration is a good idea. Personally, I don't like more than 5% Castor oil, especially since you're using coconut oil, which also creates bubbles. But that is a personal preference and you may find that you love the result with 10%. I agree with the other comments, to drop the coconut oil; for my base recipe, I stick with 25%.
Again, welcome! As you can see we each have our favorite approaches, based on experience, research, and personal preferences.

 

[SoapySuds]

So, when you move onto designs and color, I recommend one lb test batches. Nothing like having 35 ugly nasty smelling bars to go through

I’m currently working through one bad batch of ugly nasty smelling soap! Thank goodness it’s only 1.2lbs... about 7 bars, three down, 4 to go

Welcome to the forum!

Also, with this recipe, the one you posted, I recommend hand stirring it first. Don’t use the stick blender right away.

 

[DeeAnna]

...Ive noticed from the recource KiwiMoose gave that Oleic acid is higher in canola than olive oil, but why is canola oil not touted nearly as much as olive oil?

There are two types of canola oil -- regular canola and high oleic (HO) canola. In Kenna's article, she mentions both. The HO canola is discussed in the oleic acid section and regular canola in the linoleic and linolenic sections. Compared with olive, the oleic acid content in regular canola is lower and the linoleic acid content is higher.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Drew Ackerman Your numbers look good. I personally would decrease the coconut oil for my own use, but my son likes the number a bit higher. I find that coconut oil at 20% makes plenty of bubbles. Linoleic & linolenic fatty acids contribute to a mild soap, but are more prone to breaking down/going rancid compared with oleic, palmitic and stearic acids. The general guideline is to keep the combined L&L at 15% or less of the total fatty acids in your recipe. This is why you need to keep an eye on what type of canola, sunflower, or safflower oil you have. Rice bran oil is also high in linolenics and there are others as well, such as grapeseed and hemp. Adding rosemary Oleoresin (ROE), an antioxidant, and EDTA or citric acid, which chelate metals that can cause oxidation of the fats, reduces the chances of the more delicate oils breaking down in the soap over time. As I understand it, reducing superfat will help because the excess fats are the most prone to going rancid. I use 2-3% superfat because I know the lye I buy from the hardware store is not pure.

I will second what has been mentioned above about starting with smaller batches. It’s easy to use a small box lined with freezer or parchment paper or plastic wrap or a milk carton to test a recipe. That lets you try more recipes without ending up with a ton of soap that you may not like. It’s also less devastating if you make a mistake

 

[Drew Ackerman]

@Obsidian What a shame. I also wonder about if consumers have a stigma over soap made with ingredients like canola, or other oils that they consider food related. My nerves are calmed though because of the amount of soap I see that is made with animal fats, which I assumed people would be freaked out about.

@Nona'sFarm I will try the castors oil in the recipe at both 5% and 10% just to get an idea of what I like and dont like, thats a great idea.

@SoapySuds What made the batch smell so bad? Also I agree with going down to the smaller batches. I assumed the fragrances and colors would always work out hahah. Why do you recommend stirring and not blending?

@DeeAnna Ah, I should have noticed that. Well its a good thing I'm sticking with olive then!

@Mobjack Bay The more i get into soap, the more scientific it becomes. This is great. Thank you for the lesson on L&L acids. Luckily i bought some cool silicon molds that will allow me do to smaller tests batches

Thank you everyone for your advice, I know its not easy to get around to each post and I am grateful that all of you took the time to do so. I have a lot to learn and I will consistently be on here. I was fortunate to be able to buy a lot of stock, so I will have to use the oils one way or another, might as well be soapy

 

[Arimara]

Consumers have a stigma over how well you know your product, as well as how it feels. Ultimately, if after a year you still have to ask questions about your soap that more established vendors and more experienced soapmakers alike can figure out, you may want to reconsider whether it is worth selling your soap at that point. It only takes one good time to completely muck it up in an already saturated market. And, I'm a consumer stating her opinion. I have no intention to sell soaps or anything else anytime soon.

 

[Obsidian]

@Drew Ackerman
I don't think food oils have a stigma, at least not that I've seen. There is just so many oils to choose from and some simply haven't became popular.

I found that I really like peanut oil but even refined, it has the possibility of triggering a allergy.
I don't sell but I have had my soap get in the hands of someone with a peanut allergy so I stopped using it.

Corn oil is reported to make great soap but goes rancid quickly so its not even worth trying.
I don't use any oils that a prone to quick rancidity like grapeseed, canola or soy.

When I first started, I used a lot of crisco. Almost all my soap developed DOS within a year.

OO dries my skin, avocado and sunflower are expensive here so I started using HO safflower. Its cheap, makes nice soap and is nearly colorless so I get a nice light soap thats easy to color.
If I could get it cheap, I would use sunflower, especially in salt bars.

Many people here do use animal fats but if you plan on selling, you really need to know your market.
I could sell lard soap in my town no issue, go 30 miles to the larger markets and there is no way a lard soap would go over well.

If I sold and depended on that income, I absolutely would have to come up with a vegatable soap.

If you want to try a certain oil, go for it. I would do 1 lb batches with different amount of the oil you are testing. One at 10% one at 20% and one at 30%.
Once they are cured, put a couple bars from each batch away and go back every 6 months and see how they do.

 

[cmzaha]

I use HO Canola regularly in soaps and no one has questioned it. For soft oils, I use Avocado, Canola HO or Sunflower HO. Solid Oils are Palm in my vegan and Tallow/Lard combo in my non-vegan. I prefer CO in the 17% range. As for Castor it does not create bubbles but supports lather. I never use lard over 25% as it tends to be disagreeable for me. Disagreeable as in DOS, although most folks seem to not have the same problems I have with it.

I also would discourage making 5 lb batches to begin with

 

[Drew Ackerman]

@Arimara Well this is good to know. Now I have a year to study up on soap.

@Obsidian Testing in 1lb batches it is. Itll take me longer to get through my stockpile though. I wonder if i can split my 5lb mold into several sections so that I can do multiple different batches at a time. Im really looking forward to trying out tallow/lard soap after I get a couple of batches under my belt. The several month curing is going to make me miss this summers market. Which is unfortunate. Oh well, better to do it right than to do it fast.

@cmzaha Well its good I have palm and coconut as my main bubbles and castor in a supporting roll to help out the olives lather.

One thing that I've noticed as I have gone down this soapy path is that I now appreciate hand crafted goods more. I love my friends shirts that he does and sells at the local farmers market. He tries really hard to provide quality in all the shirts he sells. I now understand why he is upset about another seller that buys cheap quality goods for less than a dollar from china and sells them for 10x as much.

 

[Obsidian]

I have a wooden mold that I rigged up to divide. I cut a piece of 1" lumber to fit into the mold really tight as a divider. Once its in place, I line it with freezer paper.

In the long run, it's easier to just build a couple 1 lb molds. That way you can custom make the exact size of bar you want.

 

[Drew Ackerman]

@Obsidian Im assuming a quick frame is just 5 pieces of wood in a rectangle shape. I think even I could whip that up quickly with the small amount of tools I have. Screws, wood.

@Obsidian Actually, I ordered some silicon molds that make 4 5oz soaps. I think ill just use them instead, unless a bar shape will produce different soap than some other shape

 

[Obsidian]

Nope, shape doesn't affect the finished soap. With the molds I have, a 1lb batch makes 6 bars.