questions for Paul

[Emilee]

Hi Paul. wondering if you could answer some questions. I was reading your tutorial on RTCP last night, and I'm not sure I understand a few things.

You were talking about melting/mixing all your base oils together, I take that to mean your liquids and solid oils, and then storing them for later use. Then also mixing your lye with aloevera juice, and storing that for later use too.

So questions.

Does mixing the oils and then leaving them to sit not affect them in any way bad?

Do the coconut and palm oils or whatever you use go hard again in the mix while the olive etc just stays liquid, or do all the oils stay mixed so you can easily pour out a correct blend of a smaller required amount?

What temp does the lye/aloe juice sit at?

When you are ready to mix some soap, you didn't mention anything about reheating the required amount of oils or lye. Do you keep your base mixtures at a temp ready to go, or just at room temp, and not need to reheat?

And I'm not sure if this was in the tutorial, but how do you sour your goat milk? Do you just leave it to sit on the bench unrefrigerated?

 

[Emilee]

ok so I"ve just re read your tutorial, and it says you keep the oils and lye/aloe at room temp.

So would that be about 20 degrees usually?

Does that mean you're mixing the soap at 20 degrees? How come it works, when all i"ve learned so far says to mix at about 38 degrees?

 

[Soapmaker Man]

I do not heat any ingredients in my recipe any longer. I even leave the PKO flakes unheated. I start by adding my correct amounts of hard oils to my stand mixer, whipping, creaming them together, and incorporating air into the hard oils. I then add my soft oils to the mixer. I whip and beat the whole recipe for about 10 minutes, then transfer into my holding tub.

When I'm ready to soap, i just measure out the amount of master batch recipe needed for my mold of choice. I take that master batch amount and place in my mixer bowl. I then add my lye solution slowly while beating. I add my GM to the mix. The stainless steel is starting to warm because of saponification, melting the tiny flakes of PKO, and all the hard oils/fats/butters. I can then remove some for swirling or just add colour and scent. I then pour into my waiting mold.

Been doing it like this for a few months now, and my RTCP method for over a year.

Paul

 

[brian0523]

So you don't use a stick blender? You use a mixer with the paddle attachment or the whisk attachment?

My stick blender just broke and I've been wondering if if could use my stand mixer.....hmmmm

 

[Soapmaker Man]

So you don't use a stick blender? You use a mixer with the paddle attachment or the whisk attachment?

My stick blender just broke and I've been wondering if if could use my stand mixer.....hmmmm

No more stick blender for me, or even heating my oils, even for storage in my big 4 gallon recipe bucket! I just measure oils, hard and soft needed for my recipe and amount, dump them in the stand mixer, whip for about 10 minutes, add my lye solution goats milk, scent, colour, beat for a few more minutes, then pour into my TOG slab or log mold and cover with the wood top! As it saponifies, it heats up fast, gels great, and will melt the tiny flecks of my PKO, and I get a creamy, smooth soap that you would not believe! Using my premixed master batch oils, from start to finish, 10 minutes or less. I made a 34 ounce batch this morning for my 10" log mold, it took me 7 minutes from measuring out the master batch recipe, to putting the top on my TOG Log Mold!


Paul :wink:

 

[brian0523]

Do you think the whipping of oils does something to result in a creamier texture? Kinda like creaming butter & sugar when you make a cooke batter.

 

[Jean]

Paul, this is how I made my whipped soap. Are your bars, made this way, light in finished bar weight? Mine were. About have the weight of my regular CP method.
Jean

 

[mysoapopera]

Paul I am trying to visualize this process....if all oils are mixed in advance in a master batch, do you then just weigh out (example) 64 oz of batch mix and add enough lye for 640z?

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Yup, just remove the amount of the premixed recipe, put that in your stand mixer's bowl, whip for a few minutes, add the correct amount of lye solution, other additives, scent, or remove a few cups for colouring and swirls. Here are a couple pics of my 4 gallon container with my mixing/dipping ladle in the mix;

This morning I made enough to fill it for the next few weeks of soap making.

Paul

 

[mysoapopera]

Ok Paul, when you are tired of making soap......I want a copy of your first book!!! and sign me up for a class

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Thanks! Here is a picture of a log I made this morning using my process. I scented it with Lemongrass & Sage, coloured the base a greenish, and had a yellow swirl in the center. I put ground sage on top and circle swirled it into the top 1/4" The colours will pop more in a few days.

Yesterdays "Drunk Goat" beer soap scented with Patch, Clove, and atlas cedar-wood EO's;

My bucket of master-batched recipe oils/fats/butters, all unheated, just mixed in my KitchenAde mixer;

 

[Emilee]

thanks

so much Paul. I'm looking forward to trying this method. I live in New Zealand, and just trying to start a home business. I have a 6 month old, so soaping is usually done after he's in bed. This way, hopefully I'll actually get to bed at a decent hour. Thanks again.

 

[Emilee]

Hi Paul.

another question/clarification.

Using your instructions for working out how many oz of oil needed to fill a mould.

My mould measures 23 inches by 15 inches and I want the soap 2 inches deep.

So I did 23 by 15 = 345

Then 345 by 2 = 690

Then 690 by .40 = 276.

So I need 276 oz oils for my mould?

So then I can make up a mix of oils in a soapcalc equal to 276 oz, and it will calc the correct liquid and lye needed?

When using a soap calc, does it make a difference what liquid is used?

eg water, gm, aloe....

and how does this work with eo's?

say I wanted to add 9 Tabs of eo's to my mix at trace, would this have an adverse affect on the original recipe thats totaled at 276 oz of oils?

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Hi Paul.

another question/clarification.

Using your instructions for working out how many oz of oil needed to fill a mould.

My mould measures 23 inches by 15 inches and I want the soap 2 inches deep.

So I did 23 by 15 = 345

Then 345 by 2 = 690

Then 690 by .40 = 276.

So I need 276 oz oils for my mould?

Yup, that is correct! :wink:

So then I can make up a mix of oils in a soapcalc equal to 276 oz, and it will calc the correct liquid and lye needed?

Also correct. At the top, just click "ounces" the put in "276.":wink:

When using a soap calc, does it make a difference what liquid is used?

Generally no. You can interchange water for any milks, juices, teas, coffee....
eg water, gm, aloe....

and how does this work with eo's?

At the bottom left, there is a space to put in how much FO or EO you want to use per pound of oils. EO's require less, say .5 ounce PPO. Put ".5" there and when all done, hit "calculate recipe."

say I wanted to add 9 Tabs of eo's to my mix at trace, would this have an adverse affect on the original recipe thats totaled at 276 oz of oils?

Reference above. :wink:

 

[digit]

Thanks! Here is a picture of a log I made this morning using my process. I scented it with Lemongrass & Sage, coloured the base a greenish, and had a yellow swirl in the center. I put ground sage on top and circle swirled it into the top 1/4" The colours will pop more in a few days.

So yummy looking!!!! I used one of your salt bars just tonight.

Digit

 

[Godiva]

I don't have an extra stand mixer - I imagine I could mix my oils together and make a master batch. Do you think I could use the stick blender for mixing the lye solution, etc?

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Don't use any kind of mixer in your lye solution, that is unsafe, splatters and such. Just use a long slotted preferably stainless steel spoon or a long whisk. A hand held mixer might work OK for mixing the oils, sure, why not.

 

[Godiva]

Don't use any kind of mixer in your lye solution, that is unsafe, splatters and such. Just use a long slotted preferably stainless steel spoon or a long whisk. A hand held mixer might work OK for mixing the oils, sure, why not.

Sorry - not what I meant (I'm well aware that I don't want to use anything that would cause splatters when mixing my lye solution up - don't worry). What I meant was if I mix my oils in my stand mixer and make the cream type master batch like you make, can I then instead of using the stand mixer, use the stick blender to mix in my lye solution to the master batch.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Sure you could, but I don't think you need to. I mix everything in my stainless steel stand mixers bowl, including the lye solution, the scent, even a base colour. If you don't want to mix in the mixing bowl, a hand whisk is great to use. I just find it super easy to do everything in my mixer's bowl.

Paul

 

[spotts71]

Sure you could, but I don't think you need to. I mix everything in my stainless steel stand mixers bowl, including the lye solution, the scent, even a base colour. If you don't want to mix in the mixing bowl, a hand whisk is great to use. I just find it super easy to do everything in my mixer's bowl.

Paul

ok so your still taking to trace and adding the scents, color, and herbs then right? Or are you just dumping it all in at once and making sure its mixed well? I would assume your taking to trace.