Teach Soap

When making cp soaps should the solid oils/butters be melted before measuring? Didn't know if this made a difference... My soaps are just not turning out...

T

Oils weigh the same solid vs. melted. They change in volume not weight. Is your scale accurate? Are you using a Lye Calculator?

If you'll post your recipe and method, we'll be glad to help you figure out what's going on.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

wildchick... that is what I thought also but someone was trying to tell me they were different. Just dbl checking..
LJM...i used a basic recipe which gave specific amounts of everything. I melted my oils, dissolved my lye and let it cool to 100 before adding to the oils, brought to trace, added the EOs and the poured into my mold. 24 hrs later when I checked it, it smelled of lye and no trace of the EOs. My goats milk recipe smelt of burnt milk. going to give it a whirl again. Just didn't know if the odd smell was normal.

If your soap smelled like lye after, I would recalculate your recipe. Mistakes online happen and in books too. Recalculate that recipe at a 7% superfat. Calculate everything right up front. Add ALL your oils or butters right up front. Adding any oils or butters at trace is an old wife's tale. Lye at trace is VERY active and it will take whatever it wants. There is no guarantee that any particular oil or butter will end up as your superfat.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I'd also like to add that if you're new to soapmaking, don't use milk until after you've had a few plain batches turn out ok.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Also, some of the lye calculators give you grams, ounces and pounds. You have to be careful with making sure you are using the correct amount. 2.5 lbs does not mean 2 lbs 5 ounces. It means 2 1/2 lbs. which is 2 lbs 8 ounces. Huge difference.

And sometimes the soap gremlins just plain get you. Had that happen. Made two exactly the same batches except for FO. One was fabulous. The other was pretty but hard as a rock and crumbly. When I tried to rebatch it, it became lye heavy (which is weird in itself, because it did not zap before rebatching). I threw that batch out.

Even if you get a recipe from a reliable source, run it through the lye calculator. People make typos/mistakes. The lye calculator is your safety net. If you accidently pour a hair heavy on an oil, run it through the lye calculator again to make sure you don't have to change your water or lye amounts. It's surprising what 0.2 ounces can do to water/lye requirements.

The wonderful people here are most happy to share their knowledge and thoughts with you. Don't hesitate to ask.

Jill