So annoyed with myself

[AliOop]

Yup, you can do any amount of your recipe (4x, 5x, 10x) as long as you can store it properly. I had started MBing lye solution some time ago, and that was a total game-changer. If you can find a good storage spot, it is totally worth the time and effort.

Only recently did I try making a huge masterbatch of oils, and only because I had accidentally added waaayyyy too much ROE to my home-rendered tallow (or was it lard? I've blocked some of the painful details from my mind, haha). Rather than toss it, I invested in a large HDPE container with a lid and made a big MB of oils that I'm still working through. The hard oils did re-solidify, but it's a pretty homogenous gloppy mass inside the container. Before scooping it out to weigh, I do give it a good whir with the paint-stirring attachment for the drill, or just a long spatula now that the container isn't so full.

All that to say, if you are easily distracted, have only smaller windows of time to soap, or just want to create more time to soap, master-batching is AMAZING. If you like trying all different kinds of recipes, then you'll want to do only small (4x or 5x) MBs so you aren't stuck making the same thing all the time.

 

[TheGecko]

So you literally weigh out say 4 times your recipe, melt it and store it? If you use lard or palm as I do at about 40-60% will it solidify again? Then you just weigh out what you need and remelt? I could MB my oils but I don’t think I have anywhere I could store MB lye safely. However it would halve my prep time. Making a lye solution is quicker than sorting out the oils

Pretty much. Takes me about a hour since I empty and a clean my bucket out well, then I melt and mix 10lbs at a time. I could do it all at once, but I'm not as young as I was and would hate to have an accident and trying to clean that mess up. LOL And my bucket could hold another 20lbs, but 40lbs is working for me right now.

My recipe is 65% Hard Oils...Coconut and Palm Oils, and Cocoa and Shea Butters. I store the bucket in the kitchen and even though it can get cold in the house during the Winter, it doesn't get solid...about the consistency of cornbread batter. During the Summer...it's more like pancake batter. I do have a commercial paint stirrer that I attach to a drill and I give it a really good stir before using it. I have a rolling kitchen island that I use as my 'soaping cart' that I store my Lye Solution in. If I didn't have it, I'd put the jug under the kitchen sink behind the garbage can.

I have a spreadsheet on my wall above my cart. It lists all my molds and I have columns for Oils, Lye and FO. When I want to make soap, I get out whatever mold I am using, check the spreadsheet and then weigh out my stuff. I have a ladle that holds approximately 4oz so if I need 33oz, I tare my bowl, scoop 10 ladles, weigh and take out what I don't need or add a little more in. It goes in microwave at approximately 30 seconds per pound during the winter, 20 during the summer. While that is melting, I weigh out my Lye Solution and add Sodium Hydroxide, and weigh out my FO and add Kaolin Clay.

While it's true that it takes less time to make your Lye Solution (unless you are using milks) than it is to weigh and melt your oils...you have to wait for your Solution to cool down (unless you are doing the Heat Transfer method).

I like the fact that I can come home and whip up a couple of batches of soap in about a half hour.

 

[melonpan]

I'm looking to start masterbatching my oils soon too for the very same reason as you, @DMack - lots of good tips on this thread!

I just wanted to add that the thing I'm finding useful lately is to use part ice, part water for the lye solution so that the waiting time shortens. I tried with half and half the last time and it was quite an improvement from my usual 30+ minutes wait.
So if I have to weight my oils during my soaping session I would go the standard route and mix my lye first so it cools down while I do the rest, but when masterbatching the oils beforehand I'm thinking the ice+water lye solution shorthand can also save you some time if you aren't masterbatching your lye solution.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

but when masterbatching the oils beforehand I'm thinking the ice+water lye solution shorthand can also save you some time if you aren't masterbatching your lye solution.

Well, don't you have a good head on your shoulders! Good thinking!

 

[TheGecko]

I just wanted to add that the thing I'm finding useful lately is to use part ice, part water for the lye solution

I started with mixing my Lye Solution the usual way...room temp DW and NaOH and waiting hours for it to cool. Then I made it the night before, but got a little bit of Lye Lint from it sitting out overnight in the garage. Then came mixing it and setting it in the sink with water, but that annoyed hubby even though there were two sinks. LOL Then came putting my DW in the frig, but that annoyed hubby as it took up extra room. Then it was frozen DW and room temp DW...until hubby used the cubes for ice tea ("How was I supposed to know they were "special"? "Uh...because they were in a bag instead of the ice bin.") Things improved once we got a separate freezer and I went to just using frozen DW with a little room temp, but when the pandemic hit Europe, I filled the freezer with food and started MBing. I use the sink again to cool down my Lye Solution before putting it in my gallon jugs, but hubby staying out of the kitchen during that hour.

It should be known that hubby is VERY supportive of my soap making...in his way. He bought me a shelving unit and put it together (so I wouldn't use the washer and dryer). He encouraged me to get a rolling kitchen island and put it together (no more baskets and taking up the kitchen counters). He went out one day and bought me restaurant quality trays for curing my soap on (so I'd quit using the cookie sheets). He reminds me to order Palm Oil on "Palm" Sunday (he's a man). Seriously though...he really has been very supportive and encouraging. I came home one day to find a shelf over my cart with all my colorants neatly organized on it. Another day, it was a wall rack in the garage with all my FOs arranged by supplier with additional space for packaged soap. He has never once said a word about how much money I have spent and he's is fully aware of how much stuff costs.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

order Palm Oil on "Palm" Sunday (he's a man)

← “face palm” emoji (ngl, I had to chuckle)

 

[AliOop]

@TheGecko Palm Sunday

Almost spit out my Yerba Mate


Seriously though, I love that he’s so supportive. Mine is the same, and I know I’m blessed!!

 

[TheGecko]

Seriously though, I love that he’s so supportive. Mine is the same, and I know I’m blessed!!

Well, he should be LOL...he's a retired musician (not by choice). Fifteen years of rehearsals, fifteen years of gigs, fifteen years of some very expensive equipment (OMG, how many rigs do you need?!?) Fifteen years of being his (unpaid) roadie, including five years of running sound for one of the bands (also unpaid). And even though he doesn't play professionally any more, he still gets together with friends at least twice a month to jam and since he doesn't drive anymore...I drop him off and pick him up.

But I consider myself to be very blessed because he is genuinely interested, but at the same time doesn't get overly involved...if that makes sense. He's my sounding board and will offer his opinion, but doesn't try to direct. I've been fortunate not to have made any expensive mistakes...mostly. Twice I've bought 16oz of FOs without testing first and it wasn't good. And twice I have bought some Micas without reading the descriptions only to later to find out that they weren't made for CP, but that was only a few dollars as they were on sale so they don't count. Molds...whatcha going do? Sometimes things go in different direction, sometimes things don't work out as planned. I do try to make careful, thought out purchases, but sometimes it's just cost of R&D so we're good.

We are really hoping to reno the garage next year as I would like to have a dedicated space for soap making and hubby would like to have a work area of his own. We were going to do it last year, but with Covid the garbage company was only providing construction dumpsters at exorbitant prices and then this year, it was the cost and availability of lumber.

 

[DMack]

I started with mixing my Lye Solution the usual way...room temp DW and NaOH and waiting hours for it to cool. Then I made it the night before, but got a little bit of Lye Lint from it sitting out overnight in the garage. Then came mixing it and setting it in the sink with water, but that annoyed hubby even though there were two sinks. LOL Then came putting my DW in the frig, but that annoyed hubby as it took up extra room. Then it was frozen DW and room temp DW...until hubby used the cubes for ice tea ("How was I supposed to know they were "special"? "Uh...because they were in a bag instead of the ice bin.") Things improved once we got a separate freezer and I went to just using frozen DW with a little room temp, but when the pandemic hit Europe, I filled the freezer with food and started MBing. I use the sink again to cool down my Lye Solution before putting it in my gallon jugs, but hubby staying out of the kitchen during that hour.

It should be known that hubby is VERY supportive of my soap making...in his way. He bought me a shelving unit and put it together (so I wouldn't use the washer and dryer). He encouraged me to get a rolling kitchen island and put it together (no more baskets and taking up the kitchen counters). He went out one day and bought me restaurant quality trays for curing my soap on (so I'd quit using the cookie sheets). He reminds me to order Palm Oil on "Palm" Sunday (he's a man). Seriously though...he really has been very supportive and encouraging. I came home one day to find a shelf over my cart with all my colorants neatly organized on it. Another day, it was a wall rack in the garage with all my FOs arranged by supplier with additional space for packaged soap. He has never once said a word about how much money I have spent and he's is fully aware of how much stuff costs.

He’s a keeper

 

[DMack]

Thank you all so much for the tips, advice, solidarity and support. This has become a really informative thread

 

[ResolvableOwl]

ROE to my home-rendered tallow (or was it lard? I've blocked some of the painful details from my mind, haha)

Lard. Pretty sure. Otherwise I'd have called it “cow juice” back then, not “pig juice”.

 

[DMack]

Yay I made soap. the soap making gods were on my side, the clouds weren’t grey, DH at work, DS at school and I was on a half day. Totally different to last time, much more chilled and I feel a lot happier bergamot and cedarwood, coloured with calendula I harvested and dried. Can’t wait to cut it in a couple of days

 

[Zing]

Yay I made soap. the soap making gods were on my side, the clouds weren’t grey, DH at work, DS at school and I was on a half day. Totally different to last time, much more chilled and I feel a lot happier bergamot and cedarwood, coloured with calendula I harvested and dried. Can’t wait to cut it in a couple of days

Good to know! I frequently use 50/50 bergamot/cedarwood essential oils and love it.

 

[Dru B.]

Well, he should be LOL...he's a retired musician (not by choice). Fifteen years of rehearsals, fifteen years of gigs, fifteen years of some very expensive equipment (OMG, how many rigs do you need?!?) Fifteen years of being his (unpaid) roadie, including five years of running sound for one of the bands (also unpaid). And even though he doesn't play professionally any more, he still gets together with friends at least twice a month to jam and since he doesn't drive anymore...I drop him off and pick him up.

But I consider myself to be very blessed because he is genuinely interested, but at the same time doesn't get overly involved...if that makes sense. He's my sounding board and will offer his opinion, but doesn't try to direct. I've been fortunate not to have made any expensive mistakes...mostly. Twice I've bought 16oz of FOs without testing first and it wasn't good. And twice I have bought some Micas without reading the descriptions only to later to find out that they weren't made for CP, but that was only a few dollars as they were on sale so they don't count. Molds...whatcha going do? Sometimes things go in different direction, sometimes things don't work out as planned. I do try to make careful, thought out purchases, but sometimes it's just cost of R&D so we're good.

We are really hoping to reno the garage next year as I would like to have a dedicated space for soap making and hubby would like to have a work area of his own. We were going to do it last year, but with Covid the garbage company was only providing construction dumpsters at exorbitant prices and then this year, it was the cost and availability of lumber.

Haha! I can relate! Right now I am in the fancy guitar room at Guitar Center in Hollywood, reading the Soap Making Forum, while my musician husband plays and…what’s this? Yes, that sure is a beautiful guitar……oh, it’s coming home with us?
He is also very supportive of my soaping, interested but not too involved, and loves giving it away to his friends.Never complains when I test out all the new fragrance oils when they get delivered.

 

[Catscankim]

Good to know! I frequently use 50/50 bergamot/cedarwood essential oils and love it.

One of my favorite smells

 

[LynetteO]

I made my lye fresh the night before soaping and put it in the fridge…

Why do you keep the lye solution in the fridge? Do you set it out to room temp prior to soaping?

 

[DMack]

Why do you keep the lye solution in the fridge? Do you set it out to room temp prior to soaping?

pardon my inexperience, you can use lye from the fridge or room temp and make soap? The heat of lye has nothing or little to do with the outcome?

 

[AliOop]

One actually has to be careful about lye temps getting too low. If I recall correctly, below 65F is when the lye starts to precipitate out of solution. Instead of refrigerating the lye solution overnight, where the temp could get below 65F, it would be better just to leave the lye container out at room temp; it will certainly be cool enough by morning. Those of us who master-batch use room-temp lye solution all the time, and it's wonderful!

@DMack the heat of the solution doesn't have much to do with the creation of soap per se, but it will affect the speed of trace. A very cold lye solution can also cause false trace by causing some oils with high melt-points to resolidify before emulsion is reached. False trace isn't fatal to soapmaking by any means. Usually you can stick-blend through it, or just wait for the mixture to heat up and thin out from the saponification reaction.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

@AliOop recalls correctly! She has said all that is relevant to be aware of in practice. There is no need, nor any advantage of cooling down soap-strength lye solution anywhere below room temperature. Quite the contrary.

For the overly curious, the exhausting details how NaOH in water behaves, are displayed in the phase diagram:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/lye-water-will-not-clear-stays-white.85254/#post-910975Any attempt to cross that jagged line to the right (increasing amount of NaOH) or bottom (cooling) will be punished by NaOH not dissolving/dropping out of the solution.
A safe minimum temperature for 50% NaOH is 60°F/16°C.
If you, for whatever reason, want to keep lye close to 32°F/0°C, this won't go well with more than 30% lye concentration.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

@AliOop recalls correctly! She has said all that is relevant to be aware of in practice. There is no need, nor any advantage of cooling down soap-strength lye solution anywhere below room temperature. Quite the contrary.

For the overly curious, the exhausting details how NaOH in water behaves, are displayed in the phase diagram:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/lye-water-will-not-clear-stays-white.85254/#post-910975Any attempt to cross that jagged line to the right (increasing amount of NaOH) or bottom (cooling) will be punished by NaOH not dissolving/dropping out of the solution.
A safe minimum temperature for 50% NaOH is 60°F/16°C.
If you, for whatever reason, want to keep lye close to 32°F/0°C, this won't go well with more than 30% lye concentration.

Thank you, thank you for posting that link back to the behavior of sodium chloride with lye water. That explained perfectly the strange reactions I saw when making ZNSC and mixing the liquid portion. Sodium chloride did indeed precipitate out of the solution. After dumping my first solution out, I went ahead and made a batch of ZNSC before the sodium Chloride could precipitate, but while the solution was still milky, and it worked perfectly. there is so much detailed information available on this forum if only we know where to look for it! Thank you again @ResolvableOwl !