Update: Batch 2, 100% Coconut Oil 20%SF with sea salt
I'm at it again! (Finally!). This recipe was 100% CO 20%SF and at
@Steve85569's suggestion I made salt bars at different levels of salt. I also followed
@Dean and
@KiwiMoose's advice and used 50% of the liquid as ice, this worked a treat! It only leapt to half the temperature as last time and by the time I'd finished measuring out my salt and melted the coconut oil it was at the right temperature for soaping. I did find that some of the NaOH formed a hard disk at the bottom of the lye solution container, so I stir-stir-stirred it and it dissolved.
To make the most of this batch, and find out about different levels of salt, I used four different levels: 0% (pure CO soap), 25% salt, 50% salt, and 100% salt (relative to the oils weight). Note. that fine sea salt was used (H/T KiwiMoose again!). This time I took the soap batter to medium trace (I think, H/T
@Dawni), which happened a lot faster than take Olive Oil to emulsion (as expected). Still no colours or fragrances -- boring, I know -- but interesting seeing the difference between the oils used. The soap batter was then distributed between the mould for the 0% salt, and separate containers for the different salt bars, salt folded through the batter using a spatula, and poured into their moulds. I need to not fill the moulds as much.
So, lots of lessons practiced and learnt, thanks for all your continued help!
Pix as proof: 100% Coconut Oil, 20% Superfat with Fine Sea Salt
Differing salt percentages: 0%, 25%, 50%, 100% (left to right)
Set in a smaller moulds, increasing salt percentage left to right
The smaller moulds yielded much cleaner results, probably because I left them longer than the bars which I unmoulded earlier to cut in half to be handsoap-sized. Apologies to my plant, it never asked to be involved in this.