I wonder if you could bring it to really thick trace then start diluting it before it starts to set up or would that mess with the saponification.
Liquid soap with NaOH???
- Thread starter DeeAnna
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It got to typical CP trace. When it reached enough of a trace to hold a drop pattern(as the directions said), I stopped SBing. I did wrap it up and gave it 5 hours, where it had gone through gel and had become a hard, zapless disc of soap. There was no give when I poked it with my finger. I would definitely not wait a whole 24 hours to start dilution. When I make it over again, I am going to try to catch it right at gel, and start dilution with boiling water then. I will probably leave the crock pot cooking to decrease the time.
I have a small batch in the crock pot cooking as I type...I couldn't use the recipes posted on the blogs because I have no shortening or corn oil!!
So I said what the heck...threw caution to the wind and came up with my own recipe, using just Castor, CO, and lard
HP Method for this one - getting it just to gel and will start dilution while gel is still "fluid"
12.6 oz H2O
2.45 oz NaOH ( used a 2% superfat )
2 oz castor oil
3 oz coconut oil
12 oz lard
I wanted to use the posted recipes, but then I decided since I didn't have some of the oils used I'd just give it a whirl and see how it worked with other recipes
I'll keep you all posted.
10:00 PM : Added 24 oz boiling water to crock pot, broke up the big chunk o' paste into smaller chunks. Will see how it is in an hour or so.
So I said what the heck...threw caution to the wind and came up with my own recipe, using just Castor, CO, and lard
HP Method for this one - getting it just to gel and will start dilution while gel is still "fluid"
12.6 oz H2O
2.45 oz NaOH ( used a 2% superfat )
2 oz castor oil
3 oz coconut oil
12 oz lard
I wanted to use the posted recipes, but then I decided since I didn't have some of the oils used I'd just give it a whirl and see how it worked with other recipes
I'll keep you all posted.10:00 PM : Added 24 oz boiling water to crock pot, broke up the big chunk o' paste into smaller chunks. Will see how it is in an hour or so.
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I think the proof of the pudding is how this soap behaves with time. The "grate up the bar of soap and add water" liquid soap gets gloppy after it sits for awhile. Not sure what "awhile" is -- I suppose it will depend on the blend of fatty acids in a particular soap.
What's happening is the soap molecules want to align themselves in a way that makes them as "electrically comfortable" as possible. So they start to form long chains and balls and flat sheets of soap molecules -- and this, to us humans, is the ropy, gluey "snot" texture we all love to hate. The sodium soaps are really good at this ... the potassium soaps not nearly as much.
If this works, the only thing I can think of is the method of diluting the fresh soap is interfering with this alignment process. There's nothing else in the process that is all that different than regular CP or HP soap making.
What's happening is the soap molecules want to align themselves in a way that makes them as "electrically comfortable" as possible. So they start to form long chains and balls and flat sheets of soap molecules -- and this, to us humans, is the ropy, gluey "snot" texture we all love to hate. The sodium soaps are really good at this ... the potassium soaps not nearly as much.
If this works, the only thing I can think of is the method of diluting the fresh soap is interfering with this alignment process. There's nothing else in the process that is all that different than regular CP or HP soap making.
Yes, it is exciting!!
However, my trying to explain how exciting it is to people has resulted in 3 sets of glazed eyes and 2 vague pats on the hand with 3 people wandering away while I was stirring soap...
It is great to have people who understand and can be excited with me!!!
However, my trying to explain how exciting it is to people has resulted in 3 sets of glazed eyes and 2 vague pats on the hand with 3 people wandering away while I was stirring soap...
It is great to have people who understand and can be excited with me!!!
Yep, DeeAnna, that is why mine is going to live in the crockpot until I know if it will be snotty or not.
This is why I decided to do this tonight while hubby was working late lol
The glazed over eyes and the subtle shake of his head that I just know is a silent version "bless her heart, she's done lost her mind"
He just doesn't get WHY I get excited over soap lol
I think we all are used to getting the "Well, bless her heart!!" reactions from non-soaping family and friends. (I lifted that comment from another recent thread -- seems so appropriate here too!)
When I was a kid, my mom and dad were good friends with another couple. The wife was famously fond of saying, "Well, myyyyy laaaannnnd!" and it meant about the same thing.
When I was a kid, my mom and dad were good friends with another couple. The wife was famously fond of saying, "Well, myyyyy laaaannnnd!" and it meant about the same thing.
I think we all are used to getting the "Well, bless her heart!!" reactions from non-soaping family and friends. (I lifted that comment from another recent thread -- seems so appropriate here too!)
When I was a kid, my mom and dad were good friends with another couple. The wife was famously fond of saying, "Well, myyyyy laaaannnnd!" and it meant about the same thing.
Well now this all looks jolly interesting. I have KOH, of course, but the steps required for making liquid soap meant that I haven't gotten round to it yet.
Eta - those who are testing, what sf level are you using?
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I used the recipe "as-is" without running it through a lye calculator.(scary, i know) But, when I ran the numbers through the calculator just now, it shows 3.6%.
It is still liquid soap. No snotty texture yet.
As for the "steps required for making liquid soap meant I haven't gotten round to it yet", you have read the tutorial on CP Liquid Soap, right? How is that any more complicated than CP bar soap?
It is still liquid soap. No snotty texture yet.
As for the "steps required for making liquid soap meant I haven't gotten round to it yet", you have read the tutorial on CP Liquid Soap, right? How is that any more complicated than CP bar soap?
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I just had another read of it - it's not as complicated as I first thought, but it's still new. I don't like change :-D
You'll be fine. Brand new soapers have successfully made liquid soap with that method. You just need to be brave and go for it! :grin:
You do realize we are all waiting for you to say you made it...right?
You do realize we are all waiting for you to say you made it...right?
In fairness, I should really do both version if I want to really be sure of what is going on. Oh, this should be called Soap Making Enablers.....................
Enabling, co-dependency, and peer pressure, the list could go on and on...
I will say that had I not had so much experience making KOH liquid soap, I would not have been as comfortable not following the directions to the letter. That is part of the reason I used the forum for my notes, so anyone else trying this could have that step-by-step description of what this recipe went through for comparison. It also saves them some time by letting them start dilution earlier(and maybe making it easier to dilute).
I will say that had I not had so much experience making KOH liquid soap, I would not have been as comfortable not following the directions to the letter. That is part of the reason I used the forum for my notes, so anyone else trying this could have that step-by-step description of what this recipe went through for comparison. It also saves them some time by letting them start dilution earlier(and maybe making it easier to dilute).
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If you can do HP and CP soap, you can do LS. Really. It's not that hard. There are some things that are different, sure, but that's true of the CP and HP methods as well.
"...I should really do both version..."
Do you mean (ver 1) neutralized lye-heavy LS vs. (ver 2) no-neutralization, low superfat LS? If so, don't bother with (ver 1). Honestly.
"...I should really do both version..."
Do you mean (ver 1) neutralized lye-heavy LS vs. (ver 2) no-neutralization, low superfat LS? If so, don't bother with (ver 1). Honestly.
I think he means CP KOH LS vs HP NaOH LS. Hopefully, anyway.
Fear not, fair maidens - I do mean the CP LS method and then the NaOH method. As I need KOH for shaving soaps anyway, making LS with NaOH is not really a requirement though, so I think I just need to take a deep breath and get it sorted.
I diluted mine with a total of 36 oz of H2O last night, stirred it all up and put it to bed ....this morning, it's cooled and one giant, gelatinous glob!
The way it looks I'm thinking it just needed more water, WAY more water, so I'm going to boil some water, turn the crock back on and see what happens throughout the day
The way it looks I'm thinking it just needed more water, WAY more water, so I'm going to boil some water, turn the crock back on and see what happens throughout the day
Mine is a different recipe, and that makes a huge difference in the amount of dilution water required, but I used 48 oz water. And I debated on adding more last night. I am glad I didn't, though.
ETA-Yep...One crock pot full of snot. No liquid layer underneath. Just gelatin consistency with firmer borders. Stirred together as best as possible. I may see if I can SB this into some sort of gel consistency.
ETA-Yep...One crock pot full of snot. No liquid layer underneath. Just gelatin consistency with firmer borders. Stirred together as best as possible. I may see if I can SB this into some sort of gel consistency.
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