Sharon Johnson HP method?
- Thread starter nsmar4211
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
- Status
Hmmm.....never even heard of it. Off to go look....
IrishLass
IrishLass
That's the HP extreme. We have an ongoing thread for that. I'll go find it!
Ok, here we go!
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=54671
Ok, here we go!
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=54671
Well, I just watched her video. I loved how it was put together. She's a very good video presenter and has a wonderful speaking voice (and I love her apron- I want one!), but, oh my- I feel a bit frightened for her stick-blender! It looked like she had it running the whole time (was it)? If so, I don't think mine would be very happy with me at all if I tried running it like that, nosiree.
I hope I don't come off as a negative nelly (because I happened to have really liked the way she put the video together and found it very enjoyable to watch.....and if the method works for her, great- I have no axe to grind there!), but I don't like how she advocates testing the pH of the batter with phenol (not very reliable, especially the way in which she did it without making a 1% solution out of the soap first). And I don't like how she 'sells' this method down in the comments section as being a quicker way to get your soap to market (ready to be sold in as little as 1 week after unmolding). Not to mention using Pyrex, but I was happy to see that Irena (aka Soapbuddy) pointed that out to her and that she responded positively to it.
Galaxy- I just read the thread that you linked to. Did you ever try the method again at a higher temp?
IrishLass
I hope I don't come off as a negative nelly (because I happened to have really liked the way she put the video together and found it very enjoyable to watch.....and if the method works for her, great- I have no axe to grind there!), but I don't like how she advocates testing the pH of the batter with phenol (not very reliable, especially the way in which she did it without making a 1% solution out of the soap first). And I don't like how she 'sells' this method down in the comments section as being a quicker way to get your soap to market (ready to be sold in as little as 1 week after unmolding). Not to mention using Pyrex, but I was happy to see that Irena (aka Soapbuddy) pointed that out to her and that she responded positively to it.
Galaxy- I just read the thread that you linked to. Did you ever try the method again at a higher temp?
IrishLass
You can go buy her e-books and have her recipes and methods all handed to you - for a price. What she's doing isn't all that revolutionary. I discovered what she did when I was making goat's milk soap via hot process, I have to stickblend it back together a few times, and I noticed the nice mashed potatoes that was created when I did so - it really does speed up the cook. But beware, there are people on Facebook who have burned out several stick blenders. They aren't built to take that kind of heat and continuous running. I can get great results in HP without killing my stickblender
I've not tried it again but I have a theory that you don't need to SB it the whole time. I really would like to try it again at around 250 F. I think you need to SB it to thick trace, then stir it continually.
Dana89
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2014
- Messages
- 294
- Reaction score
- 252
I have A question about this method. I have never done HP and do not really care for the rustic look. The only time I think I would consider it is if there is an FO I could not live without that seizes. Anyway, I have seen several HP vids but they all have the "vaseline" stage. This one does not seem to. Is she gelling in the mold. Im cunfused.
All hp is finished saponifying before you put it in a mould - that's why tricky scents work well as there is no lye left to react with.
I've not seen this video, but I imagine that it has the same stages, it's just that you don't see it so well as it is being mixed so much?
I've not seen this video, but I imagine that it has the same stages, it's just that you don't see it so well as it is being mixed so much?
From my soapy friends' try at it, yes it has the vaseline stage. Kinda pretty.
250??? oh my..... and I thought 200 was high, but it did lose heat (and they say not to leave it on the heat while doing it but how else do you not lose heat?!)
250??? oh my..... and I thought 200 was high, but it did lose heat (and they say not to leave it on the heat while doing it but how else do you not lose heat?!)
It passes quickly through the vaseline stage when you use the stick blender.
SoapsMcGotes
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2014
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 5
I really love the stick blend method. The only additive I use is SL at 3%, I use up to 50% water (a little over half with the lye and the rest after the cook) and I run the SB for about 3 minutes, tops all together. I soap it above 200 degrees and have a good, fluid batter without zaps in around 10 minutes.
Last edited:
It would be interesting if one of you doing this method tests the shrinkage of these soaps over time - like over at least six months, preferably a year. See if they shrink, warp, etc.
I second what Reinbeau said. I often see bars that are newly made with this type of method that look fantastic, but I've yet to see a any pics of the bars 6 months to a year later. It would be very helpful to see how they fare in the shrinkage department.
IrishLass
IrishLass
An update on my attempts (without paying an arm and a leg for the ebooks):
The bars that I added the sodium lactate to at 3% have a springy feel, long after bars that I didn't add to have cured hard. Blech. However, adding 1 tblsp of unflavored yogurt (I used greek) did not lead to springy bars but did help with the fluidity. I did the water at 38% in the soapcalc calculations on both batches, and added an extra tablespoon once it got close to the end. I did not add anything extra to the recipe other than the sodium lactate/yogurt. My recipe is a high lard.
One major problem I have is stickblending like that led to splattering because I had to keep pulling the blender up out of the batter, and I'd get hot air pockets and ploop hot molten soap everywhere! This alone is keeping me shying away from continuing in these experiements.
My conclusion? Adding yogurt does help with fluidity, adding sodium lactate in that quantity makes an odd bar. Splattering hot soap is bad. Some of the method is adoptable for HP/ rebatch (of still fluid batches), as in starting with higher temperatures of oil and lye and stick blending off and on for a while speeds things up. All the extra "stuff" leads to a bleh bar (for me). I love my microwave (put the whole crock insert with the oils in there to preheat, 45 seconds at a time).....
Curious if anyone really has done the weigh the bar thing...or maybe a lather test...
The bars that I added the sodium lactate to at 3% have a springy feel, long after bars that I didn't add to have cured hard. Blech. However, adding 1 tblsp of unflavored yogurt (I used greek) did not lead to springy bars but did help with the fluidity. I did the water at 38% in the soapcalc calculations on both batches, and added an extra tablespoon once it got close to the end. I did not add anything extra to the recipe other than the sodium lactate/yogurt. My recipe is a high lard.
One major problem I have is stickblending like that led to splattering because I had to keep pulling the blender up out of the batter, and I'd get hot air pockets and ploop hot molten soap everywhere! This alone is keeping me shying away from continuing in these experiements.
My conclusion? Adding yogurt does help with fluidity, adding sodium lactate in that quantity makes an odd bar. Splattering hot soap is bad. Some of the method is adoptable for HP/ rebatch (of still fluid batches), as in starting with higher temperatures of oil and lye and stick blending off and on for a while speeds things up. All the extra "stuff" leads to a bleh bar (for me). I love my microwave (put the whole crock insert with the oils in there to preheat, 45 seconds at a time).....
Curious if anyone really has done the weigh the bar thing...or maybe a lather test...
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2010
- Messages
- 6,117
- Reaction score
- 5,420
It's in the link that Galaxy posted on page one:
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=54671
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=54671
Margo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2011
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 37
Okay, I checked it out....it's not a new method. It's an old method which I tried years ago. I abandoned this method because I wanted to not have to replace my stick blender at the cost of an additional $30.00. I don't mind cooking the soap in a crock pot for a total of around 60 minutes until it is totally cured.
froggybean37
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2013
- Messages
- 162
- Reaction score
- 132
The video has been made private so I can't see it - would anyone be kind enough to give me the run down of what it is?
Also, just as a point of interest, HP soap is not cured after the cook, merely saponified - curing comes with the evaporation of water and hardening of the bar. Personally I find this actually takes longer than my CP bars as no water discount is used in my HP.
Also, just as a point of interest, HP soap is not cured after the cook, merely saponified - curing comes with the evaporation of water and hardening of the bar. Personally I find this actually takes longer than my CP bars as no water discount is used in my HP.
I have to ask, whenever I did hot process I learned that as soon as there was no zap to finish with the additives and mold it asap so as not to overcook my soap. Thing is none my soap ever made it past 30 minutes to no zap. So I always molded as soon as I didn't have a zap. But, when I would continue to read about HP methods I was still seeing an hour cook time in many tutorials. My question is, do you continue to cook past saponification or does your recipe take an hour to no zap? The couple of times I did continue to cook longer my soap dried out. Maybe I missing something?
- Status
Similar threads
