Palm Oil Question

[dOttY]

I was reading something I found on a supplier's website...

•If using Palm Oil as part of your recipe, stir the oil before scooping it out on your scale. Most soap makers do not know that the Oleic Fatty Acid in the Palm Oil will sink to the bottom of the container as the oil solidifies and the other fatty acids will float to the top. If the Palm Oil is just scooped out from the top of the container, you get a soft soap but as you get to the bottom of the container, you'll find you get a harder bar of soap because the Oleic Fatty Acid has sunk down. when using a 5 gallon bucket of oil, dig a hole down into the Palm Oil and start scooping the oil out from the bottom to the top so you have a mix of complete oil.

I purchase my 'sustainable' Palm Oil in a drum. It's solid. I don't melt it down to measure it out. I simply scoop it out with a spoon.

I am wondering if anyone does what the above paragraph suggests we do? Have I been doing it wrong from day 1? :?

 

[Konacowboy]

I'm glad you asked this question, I have the exact same one. I just purchases a 50lb bucket of palm oil from Soaper's choice. The label on the front says to mix oil before each use. If that actually will be required, I've got to figure how I can melt the entire bucket and transfer the mixed oil to smaller containers.

 

[LakeRacer]

Hard to do now in the winter...

Hear in Phoenix our winter is not so severe. On a warm day (or in the summer) we put the bucket outside for the whole day to let it melt or at the very least become workable. I went to Lowes (or Home Depot) and purchased a small (two ft long) wallboard compound mixer blade. Then attached it to my drill and started mixing the whole bucket. You will need a fairly strong drill if the oil is partially solidified. I mixed for five minutes and then transferred to smaller one gallon plastic jugs. We use the Arizona Ice Tea jugs because they are very robust compared to a milk jug.

 

[Fragola]

No need to do this, if your soap turns out fine. If it doesn't, you'll at least know the reason why

 

[youreapima2]

Fragola is right, if your soap is coming out fine, then don't worry about it.

But if you need to then give the tub a "Hot bath" to melt it all down, mix it up really well and put into smaller containers.

I have thought about buying the 50 LB pail, but the gal size has lasted me approximately 6-8 months. It also hardens and I place it in a pot of boiling water to melt it down, shake it up real well and use it.

I believe that PO is similar to CO in the respect that it turns solid if the temp is below 76 degrees. At least that is what I have noticed with mine.

 

[Relle]

I only get mine in a 5 litre bucket and scoop it out but mix it when melted so I'm hoping its all mixed through. Mine seem to come out all the same.

 

[dOttY]

Thanks everyone! My soap seems fine, or atleast I'm happy with it

 

[ladydiana]

When I first started, I never knew about mixing the Palm Oil. I got three quarters through the bucket when I read about mixing the oils up. My soaps came out fine.

 

[newbie]

If you're worried, you can do the container all at once, but it's a bit labor intensive. You have to get the whole thing into a liquid state (place it in a hot water bath, leave it in the car on a warm day, leave it out in the sun) and stir it up. THen you place in wherever you store your oils, which I assume to be cooler, and you stir it periodically (every couple hours maybe) as it cools down so that it will be mixed as it solidifies. You have to keep going back and stirring until it's too solid to do so, but the nice thing is that you only have to do it once for a 50 pound container and then you can scoop what you need out without worrying about it. Or you can get the homogenized version from Soaper's Choice, which is already mixed. If it's stored someplace that becomes too warm and it melts, then you've undone the homogenization though and you have to go back and do it again yourself. Most people keep their oils cool, so...

 

[Bukawww]

this is one of the biggest reasons I stopped using palm...and then found a whole bunch of other good reasons not to as well lol.

I definitely had this issue...top half of the bucket gave me softer soap and batches got harder and harder as I reached the bottom.

Obviously, this is not ok if you are selling, but for personal use, it didn't make enough of a difference.

 

[Relle]

If you're worried, you can do the container all at once, but it's a bit labor intensive. You have to get the whole thing into a liquid state (place it in a hot water bath, leave it in the car on a warm day, leave it out in the sun) and stir it up. THen you place in wherever you store your oils, which I assume to be cooler, and you stir it periodically (every couple hours maybe) as it cools down so that it will be mixed as it solidifies. You have to keep going back and stirring until it's too solid to do so, but the nice thing is that you only have to do it once for a 50 pound container and then you can scoop what you need out without worrying about it. Or you can get the homogenized version from Soaper's Choice, which is already mixed. If it's stored someplace that becomes too warm and it melts, then you've undone the homogenization though and you have to go back and do it again yourself. Most people keep their oils cool, so...

That sounds like a good idea. We can't get it form the US as it would cost too much. :cry: