Recipe help
- Thread starter Ahunter22
- Start date
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I'd recommend you cut the batch size to 16 oz or 500 g of fats total. You're proposing to make a large batch using a recipe you don't even know you'll like as your first time. Better to make 2 smaller batches so you can practice your soap making skills more. And also consider making 2 different recipes so you can compare and learn what you like. And if you make a bad mistake or hate the soap, a small batch is less heartbreaking to discard than a larger one.
Don't use "water as % of oils" to determine the water content for the recipe. Better to use either lye concentration or water:lye ratio for better consistency and control. I'd start with 33% lye concentration (2:1 water:lye ratio) for this recipe and tweak the water content from there.
You're using a whopping 6 fats. Unless you have a specific reason why this needs to be done, consider a simpler recipe. Maybe stick with a blend coconut, palm, and olive with possibly 5% castor if you feel strongly about castor.
Although soap making often starts with fats, it's important to remember soap is based on fatty acids, not fats. The fats you start will are going to be dismantled almost entirely by the saponification reaction, so fancy or expensive fats aren't any more magical in soap than more common, less costly fats.
Don't use "water as % of oils" to determine the water content for the recipe. Better to use either lye concentration or water:lye ratio for better consistency and control. I'd start with 33% lye concentration (2:1 water:lye ratio) for this recipe and tweak the water content from there.
You're using a whopping 6 fats. Unless you have a specific reason why this needs to be done, consider a simpler recipe. Maybe stick with a blend coconut, palm, and olive with possibly 5% castor if you feel strongly about castor.
Although soap making often starts with fats, it's important to remember soap is based on fatty acids, not fats. The fats you start will are going to be dismantled almost entirely by the saponification reaction, so fancy or expensive fats aren't any more magical in soap than more common, less costly fats.
akseattle
Well-Known Member
@Ahunter22 , ditto on what @DeeAnna said, especially starting with a smaller batch in case you don't like what you get with your combination of oils.
The only thing I would add is that your final bubbly number is 15. Although some people really like creamy, most people really like bubbles, so a 15 is a little low. If you want to keep the oils you have, you could add a little sugar to increase bubbles. But, your recipe will make a nice, reasonably hard bar with reasonable longevity. Those are two properties that I always strive for.
Good luck and enjoy making your first batch!!! Take notes and keep us posted!!
The only thing I would add is that your final bubbly number is 15. Although some people really like creamy, most people really like bubbles, so a 15 is a little low. If you want to keep the oils you have, you could add a little sugar to increase bubbles. But, your recipe will make a nice, reasonably hard bar with reasonable longevity. Those are two properties that I always strive for.
Good luck and enjoy making your first batch!!! Take notes and keep us posted!!
