What soapy thing have you done today?

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

It seems as if I was just here. I'm currently doing the 2nd rendering of the grease for batch 6. I have the timer on the range set so I don't get distracted as I type. I'm 10 ft away looking right at it. Tonight, one more time and I will be able to make that (6th) batch.
When I opened the refrigerator I checked batch 5. It is still sticky and I have found that it takes 36 hours before the bars will unmold cleanly. Then they get stacked in a boot box with a layer of parchment paper between each batch where they will cure for 7 weeks. I'll take a picture when I have 2 or 3 boxes full. Unboxing and re-boxing is a necessary step required to get the bars arranged such that the oldest bars are on top.
I have a few questions:
What does adding CA do to a soap recipe like mine?
What does adding sugar do?
What does adding salt, or sea salt do?
Does anyone else use a refrigerator as part of their process? Right after I pour, I go straight to the (soap) refrigerator for 36 hours before un-molding.
Added: Yesterday my Wife admitted that she had used the homemade soap. She said it was nothing special but it cleaned well. I'll take those comments as a win.

 

[DianaMoon]

When you do add lye, the solution turns a very faint yellow that has no effect on the final colors.

No weird lye reactions? I'm getting over it but I suffer from a certain amount of "lye anxiety." I don't want any surprises.

 

[AliOop]

Wow now I’m REALLY jealous! I was already jealous about the SS table.

I’ve definitely been blessed with some wonderful deals lately! The destash included a big bag of stearic acid, about four lbs of glycerine, and some castor oil - all things I needed for making shave soap.

There was a lot more, too. I’m telling myself that I’m banned from buying FOs until I use up some of these. Has that worked for anyone here??

 

[AliOop]

It seems as if I was just here. I'm currently doing the 2nd rendering of the grease for batch 6. I have the timer on the range set so I don't get distracted as I type. I'm 10 ft away looking right at it. Tonight, one more time and I will be able to make that (6th) batch.
When I opened the refrigerator I checked batch 5. It is still sticky and I have found that it takes 36 hours before the bars will unmold cleanly. Then they get stacked in a boot box with a layer of parchment paper between each batch where they will cure for 7 weeks. I'll take a picture when I have 2 or 3 boxes full. Unboxing and re-boxing is a necessary step required to get the bars arranged such that the oldest bars are on top.
I have a few questions:
What does adding CA do to a soap recipe like mine?
What does adding sugar do?
What does adding salt, or sea salt do?
Does anyone else use a refrigerator as part of their process? Right after I pour, I go straight to the (soap) refrigerator for 36 hours before un-molding.
Added: Yesterday my Wife admitted that she had used the homemade soap. She said it was nothing special but it cleaned well. I'll take those comments as a win.

Putting your soap in the fridge is part of the reason it is taking so long to firm up. Since you are using straight lard with no heater FOs or additives (like honey), there is really no reason to refrigerate it. In fact, I deliberately gel mine by insulating it or putting it on a heating pad, or both. That speeds up the unmolding. If you add colors, gelling usually makes them deeper or brighter.

Salt: helps the soap firm up more quickly and release more cleanly from the mold. Too much inhibits lather.

Sugar: acts as a solvent so the bar lathers more quickly and abundantly. Any form of sugar works, but some (honey,
molasses) are heaters so read up before using either of those.

Citric acid: serves as a chelator. This can increase lather in hard water, reduce soap scum (which is prevalent in high lard bars), and prevent or delay rancidity. Too much makes a rubbery bar that may sprout crystals on the outside. You must add extra lye as CA will react with your NaOH and form sodium citrate. Some of us use sodium citrate instead of CA so we don’t have to adjust the lye.

For more scientific and thorough explanations, read DeeAnna’s Soapy Stuff pages on her website.

 

[BWt]

Oh wow, I am bad at checking for mentions! I haven’t used annatto powder only whole seeds - I infuse about an ounce in 16 oz OO, heat them on very low heat in a big roaster pan thing I found at a thrift store. Then I use the oil in place of the OO in the recipe.
We’ll, that is a very big compliment and I will take it. I think I need to somehow keep a “lessons learned” diary so I stop repeating dumb mistakes.
Here are a couple of soaps I made recently. The blue terrazzo one has cut up rim pieces from the challenge here last year for lollipop soap (is that the name?) I am going to call it Seaglass soap. Scented with 8th and ocean from Nurture.
The other one has terrible ash from TD I think. TD and I will never be friends. But I’m going to keep trying on this soap - I’m calling this one Little Starfish Big Wave. Scented with Salty Sea Air from EB&B
View attachment 66165View attachment 66166

It's reassuring to hear that someone as talented as you have struggles as well. It makes me realize there's hope for me yet! I feel like everything I've done lately has been an epic fail. Ugh!

Can you grate the failed soap to make laundry powder? I am making laundry soap with this recipe. Using now for a few months and it’s good as ingredients are heavy I go to Costco for Baking soda and oxi clean. Then to Walmart for borax and washing soda. Now that I am learning soap making can use my own soaps. Was using fels naptha soap.
Laundry soap powdered
Ingredients:

• 4.5 ounces grated bar soap
• 14 ounces borax
• 14 ounces washing soda
• 7 ounces baking soda
• 7 ounces oxi clean

Mix grated soap with powdered ingredients. I put the ingredients into blender (two cups at a time) and blended briefly. This gives the laundry soap a finer grain with easier ability to dissolve. Scent with lemon/eucalyptus if desired
Use approx two ounces or less per load
Can Pre dissolve if cold water washing

 

[BWt]

What a beautiful display! I’d buy your soaps !!!

Your soaps are beautiful. I especially like the display of flowered bars contrasting with cut bars. And that display of soap stones is fabulous. !!!

 

[Zing]

No weird lye reactions? I'm getting over it but I suffer from a certain amount of "lye anxiety." I don't want any surprises.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by reactions. I make cold process soap. With or without adding sugar first to dissolve in water, the process is the same. I understand people are concerned about working with lye. I think of it as bleach -- I respect it but am not afraid of it. I wear goggles, mask, and gloves. I've never had an accident in over 3 years.

 

[Misschief]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by reactions. I make cold process soap. With or without adding sugar first to dissolve in water, the process is the same. I understand people are concerned about working with lye. I think of it as bleach -- I respect it but am not afraid of it. I wear goggles, mask, and gloves. I've never had an accident in over 3 years.

Now that you've said that......

(tempting the lye gods, you are)

 

[Zing]

Now that you've said that......

(tempting the lye gods, you are)

I've been lucky thus far. Awhile back, one day after a soaping session, I had a teeny tiny red spot on my hand that burned like heck. It took me awhile to add 2 + 2 that I must have gotten a lye grain on my hand while cleaning up.

 

[Misschief]

I've been lucky thus far. Awhile back, one day after a soaping session, I had a teeny tiny red spot on my hand that burned like heck. It took me awhile to add 2 + 2 that I must have gotten a lye grain on my hand while cleaning up.

Yup, that would do it.

 

[DianaMoon]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by reactions.

When you add lye to sugar water, does it heat up A LOT, bubble, fizz, etc. Anything that could be hazardous.

I have never had a true accident but I did have an unexpected occurrence that could have resulted in an accident. I added lye to half-ice water, the crystals didn't totally dissolve. I discovered this after I added the lye water to the oils. Saw some undissolved crystals. I panicked (which I shouldn't have, but I did) and added some water to the undissolved lye crystals. Big mistake. Not supposed to do that. Nothing happened but I still consider myself lucky.

I like to be forearmed with any possible reaction that can happen with lye. Plus I try to be in a calmer state when I soap.

 

[DianaMoon]

I've been lucky thus far. Awhile back, one day after a soaping session, I had a teeny tiny red spot on my hand that burned like heck. It took me awhile to add 2 + 2 that I must have gotten a lye grain on my hand while cleaning up.

I handled soap dough the day after without gloves. Got two very puckered palms which I washed off with lots of cold water. Never again. Always use gloves.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I picked up a big destash from a local soaper who is moving across country: NaOH, KOH, glycerin, stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, small amounts of luxury oils, some bowls and molds, and a big box of FOs and EOs. She was very generous for the price she was asking. Now I need to start planning and making a whole lot of soaps to use some of this stuff up while prepping for the craft fairs this fall.

Wow! How do you find these amazing deals?

 

[Zing]

When you add lye to sugar water, does it heat up A LOT, bubble, fizz, etc. Anything that could be hazardous.

Okay, now I know what you're saying. Really, the sugar in the water is a non-issue. The experience is the same as when you omit it. Add the lye to the sugar-water and it quickly heats up like normal.

 

[MiscellaneousSoaper12]

Today I made a design that was too ambitious for my fourth batch lol, from this video. This youtuber is a genius! I used rose clay and activated charcoal for the feather stuff in the middle.

I haven't posted pics of any of my soaps because I am TERRIBLE at taking pictures, but I'll post some of this batch soon! CP is way too stressful with how much you have to wait afterwards LOL

 

[DianaMoon]

Okay, now I know what you're saying. Really, the sugar in the water is a non-issue. The experience is the same as when you omit it. Add the lye to the sugar-water and it quickly heats up like normal.

Great. I like to add some sugar; this is another step that can be done at the outset. I've been known to forget to add something until too late. Like, when it's in the mold.

 

[AliOop]

Wow! How do you find these amazing deals?

A friend alerts me when she sees soapmaking supplies for sale on FB, plus I peruse Craigslist every now and then. It's been a good run, let me tell ya!

 

[Zing]

I made soap today! I used a variation of the famous @earlene 's blacksmith soap, Borax Hand Soap for Blacksmith or other dirty work. I used borax but left out pumice. For scrubbies I added coffee grounds, poppy seeds, sea salt, and shredded loofah. Scented with marjoram, bergamot, and cedarwood essential oils -- smells really nice. Two loaves are cozy and gellin' under towels. Thank you to @Zany_in_CO and @AliOop for their last minute assistance. Waiting not so impatiently for my post-soaping cocktail....

 

[MiscellaneousSoaper12]

I love sitting down and having a post-soap beer!

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

I would have to use hot water to dissolve the sugar then chill it back down for the LYE addition. I think that what I have is very soft water that comes from a limestone well. The same type of water used to make Jack Daniels. I don't have any trouble making soap bubbles.
The soapy thing that I did this afternoon is render my grease for the 3rd and final time to have LARD for Monday morning to make my 6th batch.
Added: I think I just un-molded batch 5 too early. It will still be soap 7 weeks from now though...