Upgrading

[Catalyna]

Hi, I used so far for making soap a 2L pyrex and a size-matching mold.
The jar fitted well my large pan to create a double-boiler to heat the oils and also to mix the soap.
I'm thinking of upgrading to maybe a 5 lb mold.

I don't think my pyrex will be enough. What do you use when making more than 1.5-2 kg of soap at once? It should be something heat-resistant... or do you heat the oils in something and after that making soap in something else? Need some ideas.

Thanks!

 

[SoapAddict415]

You can mix soap in a stainless steel pot or bowl.

 

[bathgeek]

I bought a couple of buckets from the hardware store, they’re #2 and #5 plastics. The smaller one can do 5lbs, the pails can do 8lbs, and if I need much bigger (uh, no, I’m not there yet) I could use my 5 gallon buckets too.

 

[Catalyna]

K, so the plan is to pour heated oils is something bigger to make the soap. Thanks! Need to do some shopping for buckets!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Need to do some shopping for buckets!

Or you could order coconut, palm, hydrogenated soy from MMS and use the buckets those oils come in... I still have some from when I first started soaping. They fit in the microwave for melting and are deep enough to add your lye solution and use a stick blender.

https://www.thesage.com/catalog/FixedOil.html

 

[earlene]

I use plastic bowls or buckets with #2 or #5 recycle numbers on the bottom as they are lye safe, so I can safely mix my soap batter in them. I sometimes use a stainless steel bowl, but it's a rather small one, so not large enough for large batches. I also use my crockpot to heat the oils and often just mix the soap batter in the crockpot as well. It really depends on the size of my batch and if I need to melt hard oils or not (not all my recipes have a lot of hard oils.) And since a crockpot tends to warm the kitchen a lot, I do tend to avoid using it in the summer.

I would caution against using Pyrex for mixing soap batter. Over time lye will etch the glass and when it might break can be completely unpredictable. IMO it is not worth the risk.

Often I will simply melt hard oils in a sinkful of hot water, placing the sealed container in the hot water. It doesn't work so well with Cocoa Butter, but for many it work perfectly to soften and melt my hard oils, and this way I don't risk over-heating the oils either.

 

[Seawolfe]

+1 to plastic buckets from the hardware store. I have a whole collection of them that nest into each other well for storage, and all but the largest fit in my microwave for melting hard fats.

 

[Catalyna]

Yes, I'll save the buckets from the coconut oil (I don't use palm anymore); I'll melt the oils in the pyrex (as I neither use a microwave) and mix after that in a bucket.
Thanks! Good ideas!

 

[cmzaha]

If you are going to pre melt and pour into another container for soaping melt more that you need. You will be suprised how much oil will remain in a container throwing off your measurements. I use #2 HDPE buckets for soaping, by measuring all my hard oils and melt in the micro, then measure in my liquid oils. I have the same soaping buckets that are 7+ years old. I also have stainless steel bowls that have a stable fairly wide flat bottom that I can put right on my hot plate for melting.

 

[Kittish]

I bought a set of wide, flat bottomed stainless steel bowls for soaping. The smaller sizes are good for small batches, and the biggest bowl should be able to handle up to about 10 pounds of soap batter, if I ever decide I need to make that much soap all in one go. Because they're wide and flat on the bottom, they're very stable- to the point where it would very nearly take deliberate action to tip them over. About half the set fits into one of my regular kitchen pots for a double boiler set up, only the very largest one or two bowls in the set won't fit into at least SOME pan or skillet that I have.

 

[cmzaha]

I bought a set of wide, flat bottomed stainless steel bowls for soaping. The smaller sizes are good for small batches, and the biggest bowl should be able to handle up to about 10 pounds of soap batter, if I ever decide I need to make that much soap all in one go. Because they're wide and flat on the bottom, they're very stable- to the point where it would very nearly take deliberate action to tip them over.
This is one set I have https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0778XFNV8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20. I will clarify that I do not put it on a gas burner but an electeric table top burner. This is my big lotion making bowl https://www.tramontina-usa.com/shop...accessories/80202-019ds-ss-13-qt-mixing-bowl/ Forgot to mention I only use the one's that are NSF on a burner and they are holding up great. I even heat and hold my lotion making oils in the large bowl when making a big batch

 

[Kittish]

Here are mine: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XF1C46C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I started with a set similar to yours, cmzaha. They weren't stable enough for my liking, because the bottom is so small compared to the overall bowl size.

 

[scard]

I use these, cause I'm a bit of a clutz and these have fortunatly stayed upright and on the counter.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IR5MCEG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Traumabrew]

My suggestion is to go to WalMart. You can easily set up a nice soap set up from there. They have cheap large stainless steel mixing bowls, which have a nice wide flat bottom. I use them to measure and heat my oils. In the paint department, they have some very nice and cheap pails for mixing lye in. They also have a huge selection of small containers in safe plastic for molds. They also sell canning jars and supplies. If you like yogurt, Yoplait has a line of French yogurt called Oui which is yummy, but the best part is they come in 5 oz glass jars which are perfect to mix your colors and oils in. They also have cheap stick blenders and pretty much everything you could need, including cheap all silicone spatulas and spoons. My home brewery is from Home Depot and my home soap studio is mostly Amazon and Walmart. I use Amazon because of Prime and free shipping.

 

[user 20684]

I use stainless steel saucepans, in various sizes. I bought them all in charity shops.

 

[Traumabrew]

The one thing I would not cheap out on is the stick blender. Dont get an all plastic one, but dont blow the bank on one either. I try to stay around 20 dollars or so and have several on hand as back up.

9https://www.amazon.com/Ovente-Multi-Purpose-Immersion-Stainless-HS680W/dp/B01MU60A7O/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1513294650&sr=1-1&keywords=Ovente+Multi-Purpose+Immersion+Hand+Blender%2C+Brushed+Stainless+Steel%2C+Variable+6-Speed+Control%2C+500-Watts%2C+White+%28HS680W%29

 

[cmzaha]

Here are mine: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XF1C46C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I started with a set similar to yours, cmzaha. They weren't stable enough for my liking, because the bottom is so small compared to the overall bowl size.

The bottom is really not to small on mine and quite stable. I use the largest one for 2 gallon batches of lotions with no spill problems. I will only use NSF certified for using with soap batter and lye, since I have had many stainless pans and bowls eaten up from the lye. For the price of yours I am guessing they are not marked as NSF, but of course I could be wrong. Lye will pit many stainless bowls and pans. As a side note I did a search for my 13gt bowls and could not find one for sale, but it is listed on their website. I still find buckets the best for soaping in. Big bottoms and the oils can be melted in the microwave