One day I will be an adult and have a kitchen aid mixer- *goals*.I use the grater attachment on my KitchenAid stand mixer
I can’t take credit. Several others have mentioned using them.Oooooooo!! Salad shooter!brilliant!
SMF Challenge October 2023: Ciaglia/Plain Straight Line
- Thread starter KiwiMoose
- Start date
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Thanks to you because I saw your post first. Credit and big thanks to everyone for sharing their wealth of knowledge and making this board fun and positive place!I can’t take credit. Several others have mentioned using them.
Well I've never made a straight line or ciaglia, so your chances are just as good as mine! Go for it if you have the time, if nothing else you will have soap and learned something new!!
Hi Kiwi, a question. I am having trouble figuring out one of the rules: “Your entry must consist of bars made from a single batch of soap poured into one mold. In other words, your entry cannot include bars from different batches.”
I was assuming I would make one batch (Batch 1), actually make the soap and shred part of the loaf, then make another batch of batter (Batch 2), mix the Batch 1 shreds into part of the Batch 2 batter for the ciaglia, and then use the other part of the Batch 2 batter for the plain part. I can’t figure out a way to do both from one batch. Assume I am just having a mental block here, could you help?
I was assuming I would make one batch (Batch 1), actually make the soap and shred part of the loaf, then make another batch of batter (Batch 2), mix the Batch 1 shreds into part of the Batch 2 batter for the ciaglia, and then use the other part of the Batch 2 batter for the plain part. I can’t figure out a way to do both from one batch. Assume I am just having a mental block here, could you help?
What you are planning is, I’m sure, the intent of the challenge requirements. It would be impossible to make a ciaglia soap otherwise. That rule is in place so that you couldn’t enter two soaps from different batches. I can see where it could be a little confusing because of the technique this month. But if the challenge is a drop swirl, you wouldn’t be able to submit soaps from multiple batches. Make sense?
Yes, thank you! I was just stuck in a loop thinking I was misconceptualizing it, it has certainly happened in the past! Now I can do my practice run without worrying about it.
I really want to do this challenge but I’m not sure I can make the time this month. So sad though! 
Dang job. I’m looking forward to what y’all come up with!
Dang job. I’m looking forward to what y’all come up with!
1. ScentimentallyYours
2. Tammyfarms
3.dmcgee5034 - let’s get straight and scrappy
4. Ford
5. MomInWA
6. not_ally - what the heck, I have lots of botched batches and need the practice. Grater at the ready.
7. CLMP Woohoo another challenge!
8. Therealshari, first time entry.
2. Tammyfarms
3.dmcgee5034 - let’s get straight and scrappy
4. Ford
5. MomInWA
6. not_ally - what the heck, I have lots of botched batches and need the practice. Grater at the ready.
7. CLMP Woohoo another challenge!
8. Therealshari, first time entry.
Heads up, my fellow ciaglia challengees. I went ahead and did my "shreds batch" a couple of days ago and tried shredding it today. I've never tried shredding up fresh soap and it is really, really soft, I set it aside to try again in a couple more days. So if anyone is scheduling make dates from the entry cutoff date, you may want to add in a few days curing time for your first/shred batch.
Sorry that I didn't see your post on Tuesday. Thanks to Dibbles for answering.
The soap shreds that are used can be any shreds you have lying around - or from some older soap that you decide the shred to make ciaglia. You don't have to make the soap and shred it all within the month just for the ciaglia part.
When I made my ciaglia soap for the example, I made two 'batches' of soap, and added the ciaglia to one batch - poured it and made my straight line. Then i immediately made the second batch (plain) and poured it over the top. Perhaps the relevant point to this is that it is all in the same MOLD.
See the challenge instructions:
The soap must be made in two parts: one ciaglia and one plain. Either or both parts can be coloured if desired. You may choose to make the two parts in the same soap-making session, or at separate times/days.
Thanks, Kiwi. That makes it much easier, I have a number of older soaps I'm happy to sacrifice to the cause 
Just wanted to pop on here to say thank you to @KiwiMoose and all the other folks who coordinate these challenges. I made a commitment to myself this spring to enter the challenges every month, no matter how intimidating. I missed last months deadline
but made the rest and my soaping skills have greatly improved. Not only am I trying techniques that I would not have tried, I am trying others in between. Thanks again
but made the rest and my soaping skills have greatly improved. Not only am I trying techniques that I would not have tried, I am trying others in between. Thanks again
I am wondering about 2 things will a cheese grater work to make the shreads to SB into my batch. Also can I make 1/3 of my batch plain and the other 2/3 ciaglia or does it have to be half and half. Another thing is I have been in and out of the hospital with really bad blood pressure problems and I keep having bad reactions to the meds they have been giving me so if I still don't feel good I might miss this challenge but I'm going to do my best to enter. I'm finally doing better but they want me to try another medication that might give me another bad reaction so I will have to see how it goes!
Yes and yes
I quite often pick a few odd bod soaps to grate up for making shreds. Remember to do the extra step of blending them into your oils though - otherwise you've just got confetti.
The place where you choose to put your straight line is up to you - so the ratio of plain to ciaglia can be anything you like.
Hope the new meds work out for you
I'm feeling a little better now so I got my embeds done today to decorate the top of my soap which I'm hoping to complete by Sunday or Monday. I decided to wait a few days to try my new medication in case I have another bad reaction. I feel like I needed to recouperate for a few days before I try another medication anyways. So I'm happy I got my embeds done.
Hi everybody I have 2 Questions. First I'm wondering how hot I should make my oils to blend in my soap shreds if I want my oils to be around 110°F when I add my lye because I'm guessing that blending my sheds in my oils will cool it down pretty fast this is my first time trying to make Ciaglia soap so I'm hoping some one here has experience with this? Also I'm wondering if I could add my Colloidal Oatmeal to my warm oils before adding my lye I'm guessing yes? Thanks much. 
My first time too. Want to hold hands? When we jump? It's not that high!Hi everybody I have 2 Questions. First I'm wondering how hot I should make my oils to blend in my soap shreds if I want my oils to be around 110°F when I add my lye because I'm guessing that blending my sheds in my oils will cool it down pretty fast this is my first time trying to make Ciaglia soap so I'm hoping some one here has experience with this? Also I'm wondering if I could add my Colloidal Oatmeal to my warm oils before adding my lye I'm guessing yes? Thanks much.
This is just speculation on my part. We are just chopping up shreds. To itty bitty bits. So I am not sure if temp. Plays a big part in that. Hopefully others will set us straight.
Adding oats? anything I can add prior to the lye solution. The less I have to worry about after the fact.
Hi everybody I have 2 Questions. First I'm wondering how hot I should make my oils to blend in my soap shreds if I want my oils to be around 110°F when I add my lye because I'm guessing that blending my sheds in my oils will cool it down pretty fast this is my first time trying to make Ciaglia soap so I'm hoping some one here has experience with this? Also I'm wondering if I could add my Colloidal Oatmeal to my warm oils before adding my lye I'm guessing yes? Thanks much.
This was my second time using shreads, although the first time
the shreads were chopped really fine to make snow. This time the shreads were from a cheese grater so they were much bigger.
I usually soap between 80 and 85 degrees and did the same with this batch. First I made the base, poured it and kept it as smooth as I could. I covered it and let it sit while I made the second layer which was the ciaglia layer. There was probably about 45 minutes between the layers which allowed the second layer to be poured on the first without breaking through.
@CLMP, I haven’t used colloidal oatmeal but I would add it to my oils before adding the lye. Maybe someone with more experience can better answer your question.
Good luck to you both!
I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier, but I’ll answer in case you haven’t already made your soap. I would add the colloidal oats to your oils and blend before adding the shreds or lye. You will want to blend your shreds in the oils to get them small. At that point if you are worried about the oils being too cool, you can gently warm them before adding the lye solution. I usually soap around 90 and didn’t find that to be too cool.Hi everybody I have 2 Questions. First I'm wondering how hot I should make my oils to blend in my soap shreds if I want my oils to be around 110°F when I add my lye because I'm guessing that blending my sheds in my oils will cool it down pretty fast this is my first time trying to make Ciaglia soap so I'm hoping some one here has experience with this? Also I'm wondering if I could add my Colloidal Oatmeal to my warm oils before adding my lye I'm guessing yes? Thanks much.
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