Question: is this a good idea

[justsomeguy]

I was watching this video just now and it blew my mind at the 58 second point.

So I've got this question. If

1. I mix up a batch of 100oz soap batter that accounts for 7% castor oil in the lye water but excluded the 7oz of castor oil.
2. Mixed that batter to emulsion.
3. Then split that batter into 7 equal portions
4. Then add 1oz castor oil to each portion

Do those 7 pots of batter match my original intended soap and super fat?

It sounds like it should be okay. But my gut says hold on a minute - that's to logical

 

[MelissaG]

I guess it depends how you calculated the original recipe. As long as you didn't add the superfat until the end maybe? I wouldn't make a recipe this way.

 

[justsomeguy]

I guess it depends how you calculated the original recipe. As long as you didn't add the superfat until the end maybe? I wouldn't make a recipe this way.

I didn't think it was even possible until I watched that video

 

[artemis]

What would be the goal? Unless you are doing HP, you can't control which oil the lye monster will eat. As long as saponification is still happening, the oils will saponify.

 

[justsomeguy]

What would be the goal? Unless you are doing HP, you can't control which oil the lye monster will eat. As long as saponification is still happening, the oils will saponify.

Working with infused oils for color usually means making one batch of soap batter per color. This leads to a lot measuring and mixing and dirty bowls (30 for my last 6 loaf episode). Doing it this way would drop the workload immensely.

And yeah, I realize we never have control of the super fat even when hot processing.

 

[justsomeguy]

I'm gonna give it a go with my next round of soaps

Gonna withhold some lye water for the colored batches, mix them up then combine them.

I know it won't be lye heavy. But the superfat is gonna be

 

[justsomeguy]

I forgot to mention that I did give it a go and it went rather well. Great reduction in dirty bowls and a time saver. And, the colors are still there. Soap is here

 

[AliOop]

Glad to hear that it turned out!

EDITED FOR CLARITY: But why did you withhold some lye water? Your original post said you were going to mix the whole thing, minus the castor, then divide into cups, and then add the castor. That is the simplest way.

Dividing the lye solution would be a very time-consuming, unnecessary step.

 

[justsomeguy]

Glad to hear that it turned out!

After going back and reading your prior post, am I understanding that you divided up both the oils and the lye water into seven portions?

Only the infused castor oil. There was one lye water mixture. That saved at least 7 bowls

If so, I hope you don't mind if I recommend something much simpler?

1. Mix the entire batch of oils (minus the colored castor oil) with the entire batch of lye solution.

2. When you reach emulsion, separate the batter into the containers that you will use for each color.

3. Add the correct percentage of color-infused castor into each cup.

4. Stick-blend to your desired level of trace before pouring into molds.

Voila, each cup now contains all of the fats and all of lye needed to create separate batches of your recipe as written.

Does that make sense?

Yeah. That's exactly what I did!
You're so much better at describing the process than I am!

 

[AliOop]

Only the infused castor oil. There was one lye water mixture. That saved at least 7 bowls

Yeah. That's exactly what I did!
You're so much better at describing the process than I am!

Sorry, I realized I was confusing things between the two posts, so I edited my post, above. But you said this just above that:

Gonna withhold some lye water for the colored batches, mix them up then combine them.

So it didn't sound like you mixed the entire lye solution with the castor-less batch of oils.

I haven't finished my coffee so maybe it's me?

 

[justsomeguy]

Happy to say I did not go with the split the lye water plan. Don't know what the heck I was thinking back then with that honestly but good sense prevailed in the end

 

[AliOop]

Happy to say I did not go with the split the lye water plan. Don't know what the heck I was thinking back then with that honestly but good sense prevailed in the end

Excellent! All's well that ends well.

 

[ackosel]

I didn't watch the video, but now I'm very interested as well, since I am trying to use infused oils for colorant. Would the same thing work if the infused oil was the olive oil at as much as 20% of batch weight?

@justsomeguy, is that why you infuse your colors into castor oil, so the colored oil accounts for a smaller percentage of your total oil weight? Do you think castor oil infusions work better (or the same) as olive oil? I've been impressed with the colors you are getting with your 7ish percent infused castor oil. Do the colors last a decent amount of time in your soap? I understand that all plant based natural colors will fade over time, but I've had indigo fade completely in 2-3 weeks using just a couple teaspoons of "infused" oil in 6 oz or so of batter. I have learned more about making proper infusions since then, so maybe it will work better now. Guess it's time to find out!

I recently used an annatto infusion of olive for a full replacement of the olive oil in my recipe, trying to achieve a yellow batter. (Olive oil is 20% of my recipe oils) It turned very orange which makes me think that maybe 20% infused oil is too much? I've used annatto infusion at 10% in a salt soap with the rest of the batch 5% castor oil and 85% coconut oil before, and got a really nice yellow. I have been leaving the castor oil out of my soaps recently to see if it really makes a difference in lather, but if infusing castor oil rather than olive produces nice colors, I might give that a whirl. It seems like it would be slightly easier to use infused castor oil in smaller amounts the way you described rather than splitting olive oil into smaller percentages, colored vs uncolored.

I have no idea if all that babbling made sense to anyone but me!

 

[justsomeguy]

I didn't watch the video, but now I'm very interested as well, since I am trying to use infused oils for colorant. Would the same thing work if the infused oil was the olive oil at as much as 20% of batch weight?

Yeah, it should work just fine I think.

@justsomeguy, is that why you infuse your colors into castor oil, so the colored oil accounts for a smaller percentage of your total oil weight?

I infuse in castor primarily because I use it in 3 different recipes. I still have to infuse in olive, coconut, and sunflower to cover all my recipes so far. @curlycoat2 has way more experience in the infusion realm than I do. Her soap and knowledge are

Do you think castor oil infusions work better (or the same) as olive oil?

I don't know. I just used Alkanet root infused olive at 3% in ZNSC soap and got green instead of purple so i got some more experimenting to to there

I've been impressed with the colors you are getting with your 7ish percent infused castor oil. Do the colors last a decent amount of time in your soap?

Yes, the colors hold very long. But I keep them out of direct sunlight for as long as possible.

I understand that all plant based natural colors will fade over time, but I've had indigo fade completely in 2-3 weeks using just a couple teaspoons of "infused" oil in 6 oz or so of batter. I have learned more about making proper infusions since then, so maybe it will work better now. Guess it's time to find out!

I recently read an article about indigo and they found that dispersing the powder in the oils produced a darker blue than infusion did. And putting it in the lye water even darker yet.

I recently used an annatto infusion of olive for a full replacement of the olive oil in my recipe, trying to achieve a yellow batter. (Olive oil is 20% of my recipe oils) It turned very orange which makes me think that maybe 20% infused oil is too much?

You've got to play around with the percentages to learn what produces what color. Like I've gotten yellow with 1% of tumeric infused oil in all trials so far. But my infusions are almost always .34oz of plant stuff in a pint jar of oil (I maintain that ratio as I increase jars).

I've used annatto infusion at 10% in a salt soap with the rest of the batch 5% castor oil and 85% coconut oil before, and got a really nice yellow.

Nice. Annatto is next on the pay with it last play with it list. Maybe next month's challenge I'll use it

I have been leaving the castor oil out of my soaps recently to see if it really makes a difference in lather, but if infusing castor oil rather than olive produces nice colors, I might give that a whirl. It seems like it would be slightly easier to use infused castor oil in smaller amounts the way you described rather than splitting olive oil into smaller percentages, colored vs uncolored.

Again it's more of a play with it in small batches and see. But, precision becomes key with the measurement of the colored oil (didn't ask how I learned that one )

I have no idea if all that babbling made sense to anyone but me!

It made sense to me I think...

Edit: crossed out my typist's contributions

 

[ackosel]

Thank you for your responses!

I'm sure the final color of oil infusions in soap is somewhat affected by the oils used in the recipe as well. I wish I had more time to do more experiments! I do enjoy watching yours and learning from them. Thank you for sharing!

 

[justsomeguy]

Thank you for your responses!

I'm sure the final color of oil infusions in soap is somewhat affected by the oils used in the recipe as well. I wish I had more time to do more experiments! I do enjoy watching yours and learning from them. Thank you for sharing!

I'm finding making soap too be a lotta fun. So many variables to er, tinker with

 

[curlycoat2]

@justsomeguy lots of tinkering and just when you think you have it right - you get green from alkanet hahahah Plant Magic I call it