So this time I just wanted to share my results with rebatching soap. I really dislike the mess that rebatching usually means. I tried rebatching in crockpot, in the oven and boiling soap in a ziploc back and there was always soap all over the place and a not-so-attractive bar of soap at the end. So I tried the confetti soap techique and it has proven so far to be the one that gives me the best results and quite decent looking soaps.
For this rebatch I did two experiments, one with finely grated soap and one with coarse grated soap. Both gave me good results and I really like my bars.
For both experiments I used 1/3 of the weight of the soap gratings as the total weight of oils for a new mix. I also used a 4:1 water to lye ratio and added the soap gratings at trace. (I guess water could be raised up to a 8:1 ratio to make a smoother bater) Both experiments were made in 1L yogurt containers. The mixture looked and had the consistency of rice pudding at this point.
For one of the experiments I added some dried basil and left it to cure. For the other one (the one with coarse gratings) I added some agave syrup then put the lid of the yogurt container on and placed the whole thing in bain marie at low heat for 30 mins.
Maybe some of you wouldnt really call it a rebatch but I managed to make a whole new batch with 75% old soap. So I am quite proud of myself.
two weeks into curing and they are hardening quite well.
The one with coarse shavings ended up looking like a nice cheese since the mixture turned an orange color since I added some agave syrup which surely caramelized with the heat. I also suppose that if this technique was used with identical soap recipes the result would be much smoother.
The one with the fine gratings ended up looking granite-like. It does not possess the smooth look of a cold process soap but it has a particular aesthetic of its own. And bonus is that there was no mess involved. I include pictures of both and a close up picture of the finely grated version for your consideration.
Peace
For this rebatch I did two experiments, one with finely grated soap and one with coarse grated soap. Both gave me good results and I really like my bars.
For both experiments I used 1/3 of the weight of the soap gratings as the total weight of oils for a new mix. I also used a 4:1 water to lye ratio and added the soap gratings at trace. (I guess water could be raised up to a 8:1 ratio to make a smoother bater) Both experiments were made in 1L yogurt containers. The mixture looked and had the consistency of rice pudding at this point.
For one of the experiments I added some dried basil and left it to cure. For the other one (the one with coarse gratings) I added some agave syrup then put the lid of the yogurt container on and placed the whole thing in bain marie at low heat for 30 mins.
Maybe some of you wouldnt really call it a rebatch but I managed to make a whole new batch with 75% old soap. So I am quite proud of myself.
two weeks into curing and they are hardening quite well. The one with coarse shavings ended up looking like a nice cheese since the mixture turned an orange color since I added some agave syrup which surely caramelized with the heat. I also suppose that if this technique was used with identical soap recipes the result would be much smoother.
The one with the fine gratings ended up looking granite-like. It does not possess the smooth look of a cold process soap but it has a particular aesthetic of its own. And bonus is that there was no mess involved. I include pictures of both and a close up picture of the finely grated version for your consideration.
Peace
