Looking to re-rebatch some hp soap..but how?

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Hi everybody! I am still relatively new to soap making I have several 1st attempts under my belt, including 1 rebatch, and 1 re-rebatch. Problem is, I need to RE-REbatch! I tried to Castille hp, but it turned out too oily, then too crumbly. I think I might not have done it right the first time(s), and want to try again now that I have more experience. Anybody willing to give me good detailed instructions on how to do it, or maybe a link to a tutorial or instructions? I've attached a link to the original recipe and pics of 1st and 2nd attempts at rebatching it. TIA!!!!!

Oh, and I had to use salt instead of sodium lactate, and turmeric instead of spirulina powder.

http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/mas_assets/theme/ngc/pdf/00casthp.pdf

original castille.jpg


original castille renatch.jpg


original castille re rebatch.jpg
 
Grate the soap very small. Put it in a slow cooker with some water - how much water depends on how old the soap is. Older soap will need more water, but start with just a few tablespoons. Heat it up until it all melts down.

The finer issues come with correcting issues - why are you rebatching? Do you need to add more oil? More lye? What is the issue with your soap that rebatching will solve?
 
Grate the soap as fine as possible. If no crok-pot is available I have had success with hot water added to the gratings. If you have 16 oz of soap I would try starting out with 4 oz grated and 4 oz distilled boiling water. Mix the two and wisk. Add 4oz of gratings at a time and microwave on med low for about 90 seconds each time you add 4 oz. Wisk well until mixed.

You will find that the soap will fluff up and it will be hard to work with. When this happens I have taken 1% weight of soap (here 1 lb = 454 grams = 1% 4.5g) and added 4.5g of coconut oil. This takes the foam down and allows it to be compacted easier. you might want to try EO/FO's instead of coconut oil but IDK if that might make the soap seize or not.

If you want to try pressing the soap through a strainer, that allows the soap to get a more consistent texture.
 
To make sure I understand, you made this batch of soap, didn't like it, so you re-batched it. You didn't like that version, so you rebatched it again.

IMO, you'd be better off to throw it out and start fresh.
 
If you don't have sodium lactate, then don't just willy nilly substitute table salt! They're not remotely the same thing, and this could very easily be why you're not getting the results you want. I think DixieD may have the right of it.
 
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Rebatch soap still soft and wet after 3 days drying

I did a rebatch loaf and after 3 days drying it is still soft and damp. How long does it usually take to become hard for cutting?
 
Give it plenty of time. Honestly, what's the rush -- you know it's going to dry down, so just be patient and wait for it to firm up. The amount of time depends on how much additional water you add for rebatching, the type of soap you rebatched, and stuff like that. There's no hard and fast answer and you will be the best judge of when it's ready.
 
Wow! Sorry for the slow reply...all this went to my spam..go figure. Anyhow, This was my first attempt at hp ( I have since done many more, and much better). It is Castile. The very first time, it crumbled really badly, but still had oil on the surface, so I figured I messed up and needed to try again. The second go around I decided to add fragrance and some color...I also split the batch because I wanted to do two different colors. Okay, so from there, I cooked the green batch a smidgen longer than the pink. The green crumbed, but the pink seemed very nice, so, you guessed it, I re-rebatched the green. This third time resulted in the last photo, a smoother, creamier soap, but it is SLIMEY! The pink ended up crumbly as well, so they are both sitting in a box.

Are they lost causes?

P.S. Here are some hp's I've done since:

5WM.jpg


9WM.jpg


33WM.jpg


E&S frame WM.jpg
 
No willy nilly here...

If you don't have sodium lactate, then don't just willy nilly substitute table salt! They're not remotely the same thing, and this could very easily be why you're not getting the results you want. I think DixieD may have the right of it.


Lol, I wasnt "willy nilly", DeeAnna. i actually have a few recipes that call for slat and distilled water instead of sodium lactate.
 
"... i actually have a few recipes that call for slat and distilled water instead of sodium lactate. ..."

And so do I, but not one of the salt bar or solsiefe recipes calls for 100% olive oil ... and for good reason. Sodium lactate is the only sensible choice of the two for this particular recipe.
 
Wow, snarky much, DeeAnna? This was my FIRST time hp'ing, I did look it up to see if I could substitute it, and from what I read, it it has been done before, and I can here for help, not snarky, know-it-all, I'll-school-her answers. Perhaps sl is the "only sensible choice" to someone that is experienced in soap making. That was not my case. I had just read that Castille is very soft, and it is recommended to use sodium lactate for a harder bar. I did not have sodium lactate, so I hit the google. I found at least some references that said a solution of 1:1 salt to distilled water could be used, as I would never have come up with it one my own.

I am sure at some point in your soap making journey, you have substituted something that didn't turn out, as MANY soapers have. I also feel pretty confident that many soapers, probably you included, have sought out an answer, followed it, only to find that it wasn't the best option after all...I ALSO feel pretty good about saying that while I appreciate your input, and that of everyone else, there is not need to post snarky-know-it-all answers. You can educate someone without being a smartass.

DeeAnna, in case you wanna read up...

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-b...ocess-soap/palm-free-vertical-twist-tutorial/
scroll about half way down the page to November 14 Anna Garden

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/tipstricks/qt/qtsalt.htm

http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-sodium-lactate/

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=24622
 
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If nobody else will say it, I will. if you are already selling soap, there is a reasonable expectation that you are a professional about your soaps, that you have a great deal of knowledge about them. And that you have a pretty thick skin about criticism, especially when it's constructive. http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=16002

Your selling of your soap make me quite uncomfortable.
 
I agree with seawolfe.

Regarding information, had you asked about replacing SL with salt in this case here, I think you would have been given the information. When all is said and done, while I know this is not the soaping nexus of all correct knowledge, I always check what I read else wether here before I go for it, simply because here you get the experience of a lot of great soapers rather than that of one author who has their ways which may or may not be utterly wrong - regardless of their follower count.

With all due respect, I think that the accumulated knowledge here can be of benefit to you. DeeAnna is certainly included in that as se brings a certain view on to soaping that helps a great many people. Insulting those who are willing to help you improve because you aren't happy with their tone is your choice, but in my opinion it's the wrong choice.
 
If you go back and read the recipe and instructions, then read your posts, it does appear that you substituted salt in "willy-nilly". There is no need to get defensive about being told not to do exactly what you did. Just because you don't like the answer, that does not make it snarky. You need to stop being defensive. If something is not true, you need to patiently explain to people who are trying to help you that you did some research, and jumped to an erroneous conclusion.

You were already told to toss those soaps. It is the best idea. You need to do your proper research in what qualities the soap you are making will have. Had you done so, you would understand that Castile is slimy and takes a very long time(a year) to cure. You would also understand that there is far more going on during cure than saponification and loss of water, and HP does not remove the need for a proper cure on soap.

And you are selling soap when you haven't got the faintest clue about basic soapmaking, SMH.
 
Wow...I think defensive is not the correct term. I know there are plenty of ways to say what she said without sounding remotely snarky. And, since I posted this, I have done TONS of research, made many test batches, and would NEVER try to sell something just to sell it. I would NEVER want to give my stuff a bad name. I am a research and experiment addict. I want to learn all the ins and outs, and I am totally, 100% groovy with constructive criticism. Who takes snarky criticism well, I mean, really? "Oh, no! You should never substitute anything without first doing ample research on it", or "If a recipe calls specifically for SL, then that is what you should use. There are times when you can use table salt, like in brine soap, but only if it is called for." Either of these comments relays the same thing, but neither of them is in the least bit snooty.

And, I HAVE got a clue. I do read, watch videos, experiment, re-experiment, watch more videos, ask questions, read blogs, books, and anything else I can get my hands on. Simply because I asked about doing something I haven't read a lot about at the time does not mean that I am senseless, will nilly, rude, defensive, or any of the other things use to describe me here. Dang, ya'll. How's a person to learn if they do not explore and ASK QUESTIONS? Getting responses like these are great ways to encourage people new to the craft to ask questions, right? "Sodium lactate is the only sensible choice of the two for this particular recipe.", "And that you have a pretty thick skin about criticism, especially when it's constructive", "Your selling of your soap make me quite uncomfortable." (Haven't even mentioned selling them. Only ASKING for so I can be more KNOWLEDGEABLE about the hp and my fIRST time tying it...months ago, I just recently posted the pics.), "Insulting those who are willing to help you improve because you aren't happy with their tone is your choice, but in my opinion it's the wrong choice." (Still missing where I "insulted" anybody by asking my question, then getting snarky remarks from others...), and this one KILLS me, "And you are selling soap when you haven't got the faintest clue about basic soapmaking, SMH."

It makes NO sense to me that someone asking a question would get comments like these, and yet they are who is being rude? I appreciate all the actual constructive responses, those WERE helpful. Perhaps when I said, "Oh, and I had to use salt instead of sodium lactate, and turmeric instead of spirulina powder", I don't think that implies willy nilly, only that that and the coloring were the only things I changed.

And, lastly, I totally get waiting a year to sell my soaps. I understand the experience, knowledge, and learning that is needed before selling...hense my asking questions. I hope that when I post questions in the "BEGINNERS SOAP MAKING FORUM", others comments are aimed more are the question at hand and not "SMH" posts.

One of my very first post on here and I get my butt handed to me, dang.
 
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