I made a fairly basic recipe and included lemon zest. I decided to grate some of the bars and then press the gratings into a different shape. The resulting pressed bars seem to produce a much richer, fuller, fluffier lather than the soap that was just poured into the mold. IDK if this result is to be expected or if the grating/pressing had anything to do with it.
Both bars are harder than a "medium" solid soap. The press used was probably about 5 ton, so there was a lot of pressure on this.
After grating I allowed the soap to cure (evaporate water) and the shavings were noticeably drier when I pressed them than when I grated. It has been 5+ months since I made this batch so there has been plenty of time for it to cure.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this and have an explanation for this?
One final possibility is the size of the zest pieces. I used a fine cheese grater and the pieces are larger than I wanted in the first pour but are a nicer size and texture on the pressed bar. It seems to have given a more consistent surface texture than on the non pressed bar.
Anyone have any ideas as to what is happening here?
Both bars are harder than a "medium" solid soap. The press used was probably about 5 ton, so there was a lot of pressure on this.
After grating I allowed the soap to cure (evaporate water) and the shavings were noticeably drier when I pressed them than when I grated. It has been 5+ months since I made this batch so there has been plenty of time for it to cure.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this and have an explanation for this?
One final possibility is the size of the zest pieces. I used a fine cheese grater and the pieces are larger than I wanted in the first pour but are a nicer size and texture on the pressed bar. It seems to have given a more consistent surface texture than on the non pressed bar.
Anyone have any ideas as to what is happening here?
