misskay
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Post by misskay on Jun 21, 2015 18:33:03 GMT
I recently retired and one of the things on my to do list is to learn to make soap. I bought a couple books and what I got from them is it is very much like chemistry and I must go by the formula exactly including getting a digital scale to get it to the tiniest exactness. I love to cook and I seldom go exactly by the book so this will be a challenge to not experiment with the recipe. So, if I want a variety, what are some good sources for recipes/formulas?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2015 1:30:38 GMT
I would start out with a couple simple recipes to get the hang of how the process works and what the different stages look like. Then get a hold of a saponification chart and experiment away! A good easy starter recipe would be one that uses a lot or all coconut oil. Those ones trace up fast and easy. Something along the lines of castille can actually take a day or two to trace, depending on weather and household conditions. I just made my first batch of soap in March. It was mostly coconut oil and boy did it trace fast! While waiting for it to cure, I kept reading websites about making soap, printed out info about the different qualities certain oils would give to soap and just substituted the oils with the qualities I wanted. I have made 5 or 6 batches of soap now and I have made some kind of adjustment, either to use up an oil I'm almost out of, or because there are some oils that are more readily available. But, like most soaping websites say, always check your lye on a soap calculator like www.soapcalc.comI haven't gotten fancy at all, may never do that! I do add fragrance and in one of my batches I added oatmeal. Good to know about Castile! How do you keep blending it for that long?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2015 1:33:18 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2015 2:08:14 GMT
When you use soapcalc, you can make up your own recipe, the calculations are done for you as far as how much liquid and lye to add. However, I would suggest you start with some recommended recipes, as they usually have the correct proportions of different oils to get a well balanced soap. And for your first time or two, use less expensive ingredients (ie lard or safflower oil) so you get a feel for how soap should trace and how you like to mold it. Once you have tried several recipes, you can figure out what you like - whether more lard based or vegetable based etc. Then do things like add shea butter and cocoa butter for a more moisturizing soap (make sure you put these in the soap calculator program as they change the amount of lye), or add things like finely ground oatmeal or clay to add texture, or experiment with different essential oils to see what scents you like. I often experiment with the same recipes but add different oils or colorants and swirling them in my soap. A digital scale is well worth the cost if you make much soap. Here is one on Amazon that weighs up to 11 lbs and is currently about $12.50: www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen-Elegant/dp/B004164SRA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435197811&sr=8-1&keywords=digital+scale . I picked up one as a backup at Aldi on clearance for about $5 a couple of years ago - although it only weighs up to 5 lbs. And if you don't want to stir for a couple of hours, I strongly recommend a stick blender. Generally your soap will trace in a couple of minutes, although there are a few things that can be added to soap that will accelerate trace and you might not need a stick blender - I know pine tar is one. Welcome to soapmaking, it's addictive.
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Post by Muller's Lane Farm on Jun 30, 2015 16:26:39 GMT
I haven't soaped without a stick blender in over 15 years. When using a solid oil like coconut oil and hand stirring, you really risk the oil cooling down and the oil re-solidifying and your soap separating. I have a couple tried and true recipes on my soapmaking page www.mullerslanefarm.com/soapmaking.htmlIf you're on facebook, I invite you to join my Tallow Soapers page. We discuss all kinds of soaps and the folks there love to answer questions.
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misskay
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Post by misskay on Jun 30, 2015 18:13:48 GMT
Can you post a link to the facebook group? I can't seem to find it. Thanks
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Post by Muller's Lane Farm on Jul 1, 2015 17:45:51 GMT
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misskay
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Posts: 177
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Post by misskay on Jul 1, 2015 21:38:37 GMT
Got it, thanks.
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