My largest project so far: 5.62 kilo (12.4 lbs.) double batch of soap batter

[AliOop]

Could you show me how to do the calculation for vinegar only? I don't want to MB lye solution.

Sorry, I missed this question earlier. You can use the SoapmakingFriend calculator to automatically calculate the extra lye for your vinegar. The other option is to do the calculations by hand. Here is a good website that explains this. and a copy of the explanation from that site:

How much lye does vinegar neutralize?
Commercial vinegar sold for cooking and household use is 5% acetic acid. About 1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons, 1 ounce by weight, or 28 grams) of this commercial vinegar contains 1.5 g acetic acid.

1 oz by weight (28 g) of commercial 5% vinegar neutralizes about 1 g NaOH.


How to calculate the extra lye needed to neutralize the vinegar?

When using vinegar in your recipe, add the appropriate extra weight of lye needed to react with the acid. If you do not add any extra lye, the acid will increase the superfat in your soap.

Decide how much vinegar to use. If you aren't sure, I suggest using commercial vinegar for half of the water in your recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for a total of 200 grams of water, use 100 grams of vinegar and 100 grams of water.

NaOH for vinegar, grams = Vinegar, grams X 1 / 28 = 0.0357 X Vinegar, grams

Total NaOH, grams = NaOH for vinegar, grams + NaOH for saponification, grams

 

[Shelley D]

Don't worry, if I hold true to my normal pattern I will fade at the six-year mark. No matter what success I have, I always fade at the 6 year mark...

So that gives me until April Fool's Day 2029...

I can relate ~ but my expiration time frame is much shorter

 

[Jorah]

Getting off my chair and mixing more of Zany's Faux Seawater, as one does...

 

[BWt]

Yep, just got put on my to-do list of test soap batches I need to make!

So it's possible to use 100% vinegar without recalculating the lye?? Is it possible to simply replace half of my water with vinegar since I'm not masterbatching lye? I am super fascinated by this!

Does the vinegar affect colorants at all? Some people use vinegar as a mordant when dying fabric with plant materials. Good lord....I am going to have to try soaking some of my natural colorants in 100% white vinegar! This is exciting!

How much of a smell of the vinegar remains after unmolding if using 100%? To what degree does it dissipate as it cures? Even the smell of raw apple cider vinegar could be used as an unspoken marketing tool, although it would no longer be 'raw' after the heat generated when soap is gelling.

Are there any downsides to using vinegar?

I don't masterbatch lye, and likely won't, so I would like to try the 100% vinegar in place of water. Raw apple cider vinegar, most likely, but would try white as well just for comparison's sake. I'm thinking that with the addition of a decent amount of kaolin that the color would be a soft caramel, which can be used to my advantage in various designs

Thank you so much!



What do you find the wool does for your soap? I'm curious because one of my customers produces wool every year. Are you using the raw wool (cleaned of course), before it's skeined (if that's the proper term)? Something I would like to try. My testing list gets longer & longer

I used a spun alpaca and scissor snipped into small pieces into the lye then filtered lye pour. Reasoning for using alpaca was that I like what silk does to soap so why not alpaca?

 

[BWt]

I can relate ~ but my expiration time frame is much shorter

Ahhh yes. Expiration dates…am completely past my sell by date as well. :/

 

[akseattle]

@Jorah Nice soap! and congrats on making your own mold. Forty bars sounds like alot! You're obviously not afraid to mess up a batch. ... although I'm thinking you'd relish the challenge of fixing a messed up batch just as much as you enjoyed the challenge of making your own mold

Good God, Man, quit showing us up!! It's not enough that you're making all these fancy soaps -- but you make your own molds too?! Just kidding. I don't know how I missed this. I like simple, elegant white bars. Those look nice.

Speaking of fancy soaps.... You're new around here. Have we shared our theme song with you yet?!

Never gets old for me!

@Zing What a great video!

 

[BWt]

Yep, just got put on my to-do list of test soap batches I need to make!

So it's possible to use 100% vinegar without recalculating the lye?? Is it possible to simply replace half of my water with vinegar since I'm not masterbatching lye? I am super fascinated by this!

Does the vinegar affect colorants at all? Some people use vinegar as a mordant when dying fabric with plant materials. Good lord....I am going to have to try soaking some of my natural colorants in 100% white vinegar! This is exciting!

How much of a smell of the vinegar remains after unmolding if using 100%? To what degree does it dissipate as it cures? Even the smell of raw apple cider vinegar could be used as an unspoken marketing tool, although it would no longer be 'raw' after the heat generated when soap is gelling.

Are there any downsides to using vinegar?

I don't masterbatch lye, and likely won't, so I would like to try the 100% vinegar in place of water. Raw apple cider vinegar, most likely, but would try white as well just for comparison's sake. I'm thinking that with the addition of a decent amount of kaolin that the color would be a soft caramel, which can be used to my advantage in various designs

Thank you so much!



What do you find the wool does for your soap? I'm curious because one of my customers produces wool every year. Are you using the raw wool (cleaned of course), before it's skeined (if that's the proper term)? Something I would like to try. My testing list gets longer & longer

Sorry late response as missed this. Am using spun 100% alpaca. Snipped small into lye. Similar amounts as when using silk (approximate small cotton ball size per lb of soap)

 

[Savage Daughter]

Sorry late response as missed this. Am using spun 100% alpaca. Snipped small into lye. Similar amounts as when using silk (approximate small cotton ball size per lb of soap)

No worries, I appreciate your response anyways

Will see if I can find some locally & ask my local wool producing lady to save me some scraps of unusable wool to try out in soap.

Right now, it's apple harvesting time, so gotta try some apple soaps in the next few weeks

 

[UnScented Arizona]

Blue Steel cryo strings

I'm a guitar player and I use these strings. Haven't broken one since I switched to them in around 1993 (on my guitars). Prolly any cryo strings will be better than cheaper strings. Don't use "Super Slinky" or similar. Too much stretch.

 

[Elise]

I used a spun alpaca and scissor snipped into small pieces into the lye then filtered lye pour. Reasoning for using alpaca was that I like what silk does to soap so why not alpaca?

Just read this ! I made a wool soap (not alpaca though) with the same reasoning @BWt ! Haven't tried it yet, but will very soon. I'm very curious to know what you thought of it. How did it compare to silk ? I've never tried silk so I won't be able to tell my self...

@Jorah, I'm impressed by your mold ! I'm considering crafting one too and will probably come back spying on your pictures when I'll get to it

 

[johnnyusa]

Waaayy back so far i can't even remember what this mold looked like, prob when i first started soaping, but i had a mold i had to line w/ parchment paper and another mold w/ a silicon liner in it, k?
The way i remember it is that i hated fixing the parchment paper before the pour, but a week later when cutting the bars from both molds I remember being consistently astonished how the soap from the loaf cured in the parchment paper came out visibly superior to the soap from the silicon liner.
Can't remember for sure but i think both molds were the same size, too.
I just couldn't figure out why the soap from the parchment paper liner was better- it was the derndest thing.
I don't cut many corners but i when i upsized my molds i got ones w silicon liners in them bc fixing the parchment paper was such a pain. I'm glad to recollect this actually.