Triple Milled/French Milled/Rebatch

[wildflower]

Are these all the same thing?

And...is there a way to get a really smooth triple/french milled soap from your own cold process soap? All the tutorials I've seen end up with a 'chunky' texture from the grated soap. This isn't necessarily unattractive, but is it possible to get a super smooth french milled soap?

Thanks again!

 

[carebear]

despite what some will tell you, no they are not the same.

milled soap is ground and rolled through steel rollers (triple milled = 3X). then compressed into a bar.

rebatched is ground and heated to make it sticky and fluid-ish and then poured and allowed to harden as it cools.

 

[Fragola]

You can get a smoother result, if you try really hard.

This is one of my smoothest, but I'm sure better can be achieved:
http://i44.tinypic.com/9axrlz.jpg

 

[carebear]

so yes, there is a way to get smooth, but not to get milled soap or the hardness found in milled soaps.

 

[wildflower]

@ fragola...yes that is exactly more the look I was hoping cold be accomplished by rebatching . I am guessing you just get that by first grating very finely, and 'melting' it as much as you can?

@carebear--Ok, so let me make sure I understand. A home soaper cannot actually 'mill' soap, whether it be triple-milled, or french-milled because this is done by commercial machines that roll the ground soap through accomplishing a very smooth AND hard bar (what i see when i google triple or french milled soap). Rebatching is what a home soaper can do then, which is grating and heating hte soap before remolding it?

i have seen people put in new oils when they reheat the soap too.

Ok, now this may seem like a dumb question, but....what is hte purpose of rebatching? I mean other than using up odd pieces of soap. Is the finished product somehow more desirable?

I did read one place that said, if you add more oils and /or butters when reheating, then that is why it is desirable, because you get more oils or butters in without them being affected by the chemical process of saponification.

thanks for all your help guys!

 

[carebear]

yes

people rebatch to save soaps gone wrong, and to be able to "master batch" or pre-make soap which is subsequently divided (or not) and colored and fragranced afterword.

yea, you can add extra oils that will not saponify. you can also add them after the cook when you hot process.

 

[Fragola]

Personally, I put the emphasis on melting, since I am too lazy to grate finely.

There are a lot of methods I have used at one time or another. Some methods work better with more liquidy soap, while others help more viscous soap. Personally, I don't rebatch often, so I am not sure which is the best way to do it, you'll need to experiment for yourself.

Using a blender or another type of food processor helps with smoothness. I am wondering if the food processor can't be used to grate/chop the soap. Maybe freeze it first, if it's too soft/sticky.

Certain additives (a little sugar/glycerin/more water/alcohol) can help pourability. Also, I do feel most people don't have the patience to have their soap melt completely.

If you can apply uniform pressure (like a weight) to your soap/mold, that helps getting an even top. Or you can spray your fresh poured soap with alcohol and use a knife to even it out, like with cake icing.

Alternatively, you can turn your soap into the whipped/meringue type of soap, which is ... different, but still pretty smooth.

 

[birdcharm]

What is the terminology for the rebatched / whipped? I don't know why, but "rebatched" is too close (for me anyway) to "re-botched" that I would need to find a better word for marketing purposes. I am considering this as an option to a small line of products in an effort to offer a palm-free soap, but I'm "not there yet" in terms of workspace, recipes, etc. for doing the CP from scratch ... so, for someone in such a position, a whipped rebatch may serve a purpose. I guess it's all a matter of what you are able to work with and if you want to get off of melt 'n' pour, but if you're not ready for "jumping in" for whatever reasons to truly making soap, learning how to make nice rebatch (that is smooth) might be a nice challenge.

I guess, perhaps the term would be "hand-milled" or "whipped hand-milled" ...?

Kathy

 

[Fragola]

For marketing purposes, you should come up with your own terminology. Like ... fairy-dust soap

On a more serious note, the product name should preferably focus on the customer and how the soap is used, not on the producer and how the soap is created.

 

[carebear]

it's not milled.

but call it whatever you like.

 

[birdcharm]

:roll: But, would it be considered "hand milled?" Perhaps "hand molded" is better. I have heard that term before, and I thought it was referring to rebatched soap. Thanks for the nice advice Fragola that I'm sure many of us will appreciate ... name it (anything you like, as Carebear has pointed out) for what it does, not how it was made. (Like the old saying of "Selling the sizzle, not the steak.") I guess "Smells Nice and Leaves Your Skin Feeling Good" is a little long, but I'll come up with something ... I haven't even started on this project yet, but I am entertaining it anyway.

On another note, I am wondering if anyone here has tried Brambleberry's rebatch "noodles" or whatever they call them ...? I have been told that the ingredient of palm oil is from a sustainable plantation, which I want to learn more about anyway, but I'm curious how it performs if anyone has used it (they have a few different types.)

Kathy

 

[lsg]

I use the grating blade and my food processor to grate up soap for rebatching. It works like a charm. Adding a little "Instant" dry milk at the end of the cook also helps the soap to become more fluid. The milk has to be the "Instant" kind or it won't blend in and dissolve in the hot soap. You can dissolve coarser brands of dry milk in a little water and add that at the end of the cook.