DragonflyDreams
Member
Hi everyone! I’ve been reading this forum for a while, but this is the first post from this newbie (<15 batches) and I could really use some advice. My apologies for all the detail in this post, but I'm hoping it'll help with diagnosing :smile: …I’ve been successfully making 1 lb. batches (meaning the amount of oil) of hemp soap in a silicone mold that has 6 individual bars. The recipe is 31.3% Coconut Oil, 30% Palm oil, 24% Olive oil, 14.7% Hemp Seed oil, I use soapcalc.net with 7% discount and water as 38% of oils; I haven’t started using any other additives, FOs, or EOs. Also, I’ve been mixing the oils between 85-90 degrees, using the Soapmakers Companion recipe for Hempsters Delight as a guide.
Other than my first batch (which I had to rebatch) and soda ash issues I’ve learned to manage, they’ve been coming out nice. So I decided to step it up a notch… doubled the recipe, which fits perfectly in Brambleberry’s 10” silicone loaf mold, and both attempts so far have been problematic.
Batch 1 – When lye & oils combined, temp was 90, I forgot to check the temp right at trace, but after it was molded it was still 90; didn’t seem right. BTW, I’m using a digital thermometer. Covered with plastic wrap, put a shoebox on top, wrapped in a blanket, and due to some unplanned events, didn’t unwrap it until 36-40 hours later. Unmolded and it looked nice (though I’m having some bubbling issues I’m sure is related to blending), then I sliced it…..white streaks/swirls throughout. Didn’t zap and pH tested fine, so I started reading posts here and on other sites and was pretty certain it wasn’t mixed enough and my saturated oils were probably solidifying due to low temps.
Batch 2 – Lye was at 102.5, oils were at 100.6, combined all into the pot and the temp was 98.2….what the heck??? Mixed it to full trace, which only got it up to 99.9. Put the plastic wrap on, the shoe box on top, wrapped in a towel, and stuck it in a cooler. 24 hours later unmolded, but waited until the next day to slice. No streaking, but it looks like pics I’ve seen of partial gel.
I’m guessing my temps are too low?? Where should they be at? I’ve been melting my solids in a large Pyrex, then adding the liquids to cool them down. My smaller batches I mixed right in the Pyrex, but these batches I poured into the soap pot. Could my temps be dropping when combined in the pot because the stainless steel was too cold? Should I be heating the pot? Thoughts on not gelling and just putting in the fridge?
Any thoughts/suggestions on what I might try next would be much appreciated! Again, my apologies for the lengthy post…
Thanks!
Sam
Other than my first batch (which I had to rebatch) and soda ash issues I’ve learned to manage, they’ve been coming out nice. So I decided to step it up a notch… doubled the recipe, which fits perfectly in Brambleberry’s 10” silicone loaf mold, and both attempts so far have been problematic.
Batch 1 – When lye & oils combined, temp was 90, I forgot to check the temp right at trace, but after it was molded it was still 90; didn’t seem right. BTW, I’m using a digital thermometer. Covered with plastic wrap, put a shoebox on top, wrapped in a blanket, and due to some unplanned events, didn’t unwrap it until 36-40 hours later. Unmolded and it looked nice (though I’m having some bubbling issues I’m sure is related to blending), then I sliced it…..white streaks/swirls throughout. Didn’t zap and pH tested fine, so I started reading posts here and on other sites and was pretty certain it wasn’t mixed enough and my saturated oils were probably solidifying due to low temps.
Batch 2 – Lye was at 102.5, oils were at 100.6, combined all into the pot and the temp was 98.2….what the heck??? Mixed it to full trace, which only got it up to 99.9. Put the plastic wrap on, the shoe box on top, wrapped in a towel, and stuck it in a cooler. 24 hours later unmolded, but waited until the next day to slice. No streaking, but it looks like pics I’ve seen of partial gel.
I’m guessing my temps are too low?? Where should they be at? I’ve been melting my solids in a large Pyrex, then adding the liquids to cool them down. My smaller batches I mixed right in the Pyrex, but these batches I poured into the soap pot. Could my temps be dropping when combined in the pot because the stainless steel was too cold? Should I be heating the pot? Thoughts on not gelling and just putting in the fridge?
Any thoughts/suggestions on what I might try next would be much appreciated! Again, my apologies for the lengthy post…
Thanks!
Sam