Lard Recipe Tweaked

[Luckyone80]

So I made another batch of lard soap yesterday and this time I reduced my water to 28% from the original 36% and I added 1/2 tsp Sodium Lactate. It was more than hard enough to cut this morning after almost 24 hours but the top and bottom of the soap chipped off some as I was cutting so I either waited too long to cut or I reduced the water too much. I will try this recipe again using 30% or 32% water and see what happens.
Over all I'm happy with the way this soap turned out, its scented with lavender and colored with ultramarine violet oxide.

 

[hlee]

This is so pretty. Great color, great swirls and your top is beautiful!

 

[snappyllama]

Lovely soap!

 

[shunt2011]

Very pretty....love the color and swirls.

 

[Sonya-m]

Gorgeous!

 

[IrishLass]

Incredibly lovely color and swirls! Good job!

LuckyOne- you are on the right track- I normally have to keep an eye on my water amounts when using sodium lactate. As long as I am soaping with no more than a 33% lye concentration (2 parts water to 1 part lye), I am able to use my normal 3% ppo amount of 60% sodium lactate solution just fine with no problems. But if I decrease my water any more than that, I get a bit of chipping near the edges when I go to cut.


IrishLass

 

[Luckyone80]

Incredibly lovely color and swirls! Good job!

LuckyOne- you are on the right track- I normally have to keep an eye on my water amounts when using sodium lactate. As long as I am soaping with no more than a 33% lye concentration (2 parts water to 1 part lye), I am able to use my normal 3% ppo amount of 60% sodium lactate solution just fine with no problems. But if I decrease my water any more than that, I get a bit of chipping near the edges when I go to cut.

Good to know, so I will try again with a little more water added. I'm determined to perfect this recipe!

 

[lenarenee]

Incredibly lovely color and swirls! Good job!

LuckyOne- you are on the right track- I normally have to keep an eye on my water amounts when using sodium lactate. As long as I am soaping with no more than a 33% lye concentration (2 parts water to 1 part lye), I am able to use my normal 3% ppo amount of 60% sodium lactate solution just fine with no problems. But if I decrease my water any more than that, I get a bit of chipping near the edges when I go to cut.


IrishLass

Would you get this chipping even without sodium lactate? I made a 67% lard bar, 30% water discount and had chipping on the edges when I cut. A few days later, I dropped two bars, and more chipped off the edge. I've been trying to understand why.

 

[IrishLass]

Would you get this chipping even without sodium lactate? I made a 67% lard bar, 30% water discount and had chipping on the edges when I cut. A few days later, I dropped two bars, and more chipped off the edge. I've been trying to understand why.

Hmm..., that's very curious that your soap chipped instead of dented when it was dropped. I can understand if it chipped at the edges when you went to cut (especially if you had waited too long to cut).

Without seeing your full recipe and how it was soaped, it's hard for me to know what the cause could be. Did you use any other kinds of additives in your batch, and/or was the finished soap lye-heavy (lye-heaviness can cause soap to be brittle)?


IrishLass

 

[lenarenee]

Irishlass, This was 67% lard, 17 co, 6 castor, 10 ho safflower, water at 30%, 3 lb batch divided between 2 molds. 3/4 tsp each of yellow and rose clay mixed into separated batters for doing a drop swirl. Scented with 2 tsp lavender eo for light scent. Silicone molds. I did not insulate, no sign of gel 3 hours later when I went to bed. However, cut in less than 12 hours, and the large loaf "snapped" at the bottom when I cut....kind of like snapping a crisp Hershey bar! It was very firm smooth soap.

No sign that I know of lye heaviness, so I never zapped it. The only thing I can think of is it snuck a complete gel in there during the night?

 

[lenarenee]

hot soap in freezer question

I zap tested...no zap.

 

[Susie]

If you could post the recipe in ounces or grams, with NaOH and water amounts, and give us your superfat, we will be better able to troubleshoot. Because IrishLass is correct, that should have dented. And you should not have been able to cut at 12 hours with no gelling.