Keeping up with recipes

[three_little_fishes]

How do you do it?

*woah* I hit something and submitted a one sentence post!

Anyway, I print all recipes that I use and then when curing, I keep a post it of which recipe it is, any additives, and what date they were made.

Here's my problem. I have a bar that I am LOVING, but can't find the recipe that I printed out! :eh:

I'm thinking of putting everything in a binder in protective sheets. What method do you use to keep up with things if you don't have software?

 

[jcandleattic]

Binder, word documents in a folder on your computer, index cards, etc,.
I have SM3 so that is where all of my recipes and notes are now, and I back that up to an external hard drive any time I add or make changes to the database.
Before that they were in a binder.

 

[100%Natural]

I keep the base recipe in a binder and then log all of my batches in a notebook with everything I've added to it and how many pounds I've made. I then use small sticky labels folded onto themselves on toothpicks and put that directly into the end cuts so I can quickly reference which batch it is. If I have any questions then I can look up that batch by date in my notes. Works like a charm and keeps me organized!

 

[pamielynn]

Soapmaker IS awesome. I print out the recipe from there, staple to my soapcalc worksheet and put that with the mold while the batch is hardening up. Once it's out of the mold and cut and curing, I just use a post-it note with the batch name, SM batch number and date made, to stick in with those cut bars. Then I file the master copy (the one that was with the mold/batch) in a binder. I transfer any notes from my worksheet to soapmaker. This way I have two copies, one hard copy and one on the computer). I also take a picture of one of the cut bars and attach it in soapmaker. It's also good practice to start assigning lot numbers to your raw ingredients. Make up a number for each bottle, bag, tub whatever and reference that on your worksheet (soapmaker will do this for you, if you tell it to).

Before I had soapmaker, I did everything I do in soapmaker on excel spreadsheets, including the pic and batch numbers. Before I did THAT, I lost several "awesome" batches because I didn't keep notes very well

All of this takes a few extra minutes, but it is really worth it.. as you are finding out

ETA: because I am so visual, using a picture of the cut bars has saved my behind on a couple of occasions. I've mislabled things in the past - or lost the post-it note. A million things that can go wrong, do. But being able to identify a batch by it's looks has helped me.

 

[Nevada]

did you share the recipe with the board? what kind of soap?

How do you do it?

*woah* I hit something and submitted a one sentence post!

Anyway, I print all recipes that I use and then when curing, I keep a post it of which recipe it is, any additives, and what date they were made.

Here's my problem. I have a bar that I am LOVING, but can't find the recipe that I printed out! :eh:

I'm thinking of putting everything in a binder in protective sheets. What method do you use to keep up with things if you don't have software?

 

[kazmi]

I've been keeping a binder with my printed recipe. The sheets are in protective sleeves, kept in order by date made, and I've added notes while making the batch all the way through till the soap is used for the first time after cure. But as I'm making more and more soap I think I'm going to have to start doing a tagging system and eventually create a spreadsheet on my 'puter. Hard to keep track since I've made so many batches. ;-) and I like the idea of taking a picture of the batch too!

 

[three_little_fishes]

Thanks for sharing everyone!

I am going to search in a while to see if I shared it with the board, but I don't think I did this one because it was back when my brother in law was staying with us so I couldn't get online much.

I've been wanting SM3. Have been wanting to wait until I can just get the pro version since it has more of what I will need later on. Until I can get that I think I'll go the binder with protective sheets route. When I have batches curing I slip a post it under the paper that I line the shelves with (under the first bar in the row). I usually put what I've used, %'s, etc. I can't find that either, but my kids did have a heyday with my soap shelf a couple of weeks ago. Hmmm....I sound more like I need a professional organizer! Lol!

 

[Skatergirl46]

I figure out my recipe in Soap Calc. and then I save the recipe page from there to a file on my computer. I print the page out and put it into a protective sleeve. I use the printed recipe when I do the batch and I check of each oil with a dry erase marker on my protective page cover as I go. I don't want to get to the end and realize that I have forgotten an ingredient. I am going to put the pages in a binder for quick reference. I write notes on those as I am making the soap also.

I don't have any plans to sell my soap at this time. Is the Soapmaker software of any use to someone like me?

 

[hlee]

I am wondering about Soapmaker also. Is it worth it for just soap making as a hobby?
I'm not always as good a note taker as I thought I was I have been finding out.
I might want to sell someday , not ready yet but still curious as to what a particular batch is costing me and usually to lazy to do the math.
Is Soapmaker of much benefit for non sellers?

 

[jcandleattic]

hlee and Skatergirl46, SM3 is perfect for a hobbyist (pro or lite version) and then when/if you plan to sell, it's an even easier transition because you are already familiar with the program.
It will keep an accurate inventory (when used correctly) and yes, it will tell you down to the smallest bar what the costs are. You can do per batch or per bar.
When/if you are ready to sell, you can base you pricing according to your cost and it's very easy to figure out.
I cannot say enough good things about the program honestly.

I know a lot of people use it conjunction with SoapCalc, but I use it as a stand alone. I also make candles, and B&B products and I can use it for those items as well.
There is a section for bar soap, liquid soap, cream soap and non-soap (lotions, candles, b&b, etc,) items.

Love love love it.

 

[pamielynn]

Yep, it's worth it! They have a "lite" version still, I believe.
I love it for helping me with my math. You can also log your mold sizes and it tells you how much will fit - no more math!! Did I mention it does math for you? LOL

 

[kazmi]

If it does math for me how much does it cost and where can I buy it

 

[jcandleattic]

If it does math for me how much does it cost and where can I buy it

The pro version is worth the extra money and it's around $100 USD (when I bought it, it was $70 many years ago) - and you can get it here -
www.soapmaker.ca

 

[three_little_fishes]

I think I'm going to buy the pro version this coming up payday. Meanwhile, I'm searching my house for the lost recipe because it is some of the nicest soap I have felt! Ahhhhh!

 

[CaliChan]

As soon as I finish making a soap I pull out up a blank soap chart on excel wich has all of my soap supplies on there and how much each thing costs
I fill out everything i used and how much (it then calculates how much each ingredient cost me) how much time it took me to prepare and all that fun stuff
then I go back to the soap calculator
Screen shot the whole page
paste it onto a paint document
edit out everything that isnt the recipe or the properties of the soap
copy that
then i paste it onto the excel document and save it under what i want to name that specific soap

that way if any of my friends want to buy a bar i just have to pull up the table and I already have the cost calculated out

 

[lsg]

I used to put the recipes in binders, (I ended up with a lot of binders). Now I enter the recipes I like in SoapMaker 3.

 

[ShayShay]

It's just a hobby for me right now and I use a Mac, so unfortunately I can't use Soapmaker. I really wish they would create a Mac version that doesn't require windows. So for now I keep track of my soaps using the Bento app on my iPad. I created a "database" of sorts that allows me to input the date made and it auto calculates the 4, 5 and 6 week marks for curing, the oils used, the water used (I use a lot of tea or beer in my recipes), additives, notes, pictures of the soap, the label ingredients, the soap calc file, etc. You can't see the whole page for the soap in the photo below, but you get the idea. It also makes it easy to show people the soaps I have made when not at home. I do need to create a spreadsheet for inventory so I easily know what I have on hand when creating recipes.

 

[Margo]

I have one soap recipe that I use. It is the best ever that I have made, so I just use this recipe in all my batches and use different scents in each. I might add oatmeal, lemon peel, or, orange peel, but that's it.
After the soap cures, I wrap them in saran wrap and place them brown paper bags which I label.
No big deal

 

[Skatergirl46]

I have one soap recipe that I use. It is the best ever that I have made, so I just use this recipe in all my batches and use different scents in each. I might add oatmeal, lemon peel, or, orange peel, but that's it.
After the soap cures, I wrap them in saran wrap and place them brown paper bags which I label.
No big deal

Do you ever have problems with DOS with wrapping them in Saran Wrap?

 

[sakura1024]

I have lots of notebooks.

While in Forensic Chemistry, I got in the habit of writing down "experiments" in a composition notebook. I have adopted that practice for my soaping as well. I write down the product name, the recipe and the directions and leave room for notes on the final product. I have to keep a separate notebook for each soap I make and then one for bath and body products. I also have one for fragrances (divided into Part I: Wish List; Part II: Scent Descriptions and Reviews; and Part III: Recipes and Blends). This way I have a hard copy that can never crash and that can't be erased. I also just like writing, lol.