Teach Soap

Hi everyone.... total newbie here. I've spent about a week of very late nights lurking through all the information posted by all the very generous soapers here and am more excited by the minute to learn all I can. I have one question about Palm Kernel Oil flakes I ordered from BB.... can you substitute the flakes ounce for ounce with the regular Palm Kernel Oil? The answer might be somewhere but I've not been able to find it yet. I tried a basic recipe in the Everything Soapmaking Book that called for Palm Kernel Oil using the flakes but haven't unmolded it yet.

Thanks everyone

Charlynn

Hi CGim! Welcome to the Forum!

Palm Kernel Oil & Palm Kernel Flakes have slighlty different values on soapcalc.net so I wouldn't sub one for the other without running your recipe through a lye calculator to check it. Any time you change something in a recipe you need to run it through a lye calculator just to be safe.

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

Welcome!
I agree. Always run any recipe through a lye calc just to be safe. Mistakes do happen. I haven't worked with PK flakes in a long time, but I used the same SAP value as if I was using regular palm kernel oil.

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

Hi and welcome! Just to be sure, why dont you go ahead and put the recipe you used through the calculator and see how much lye it says you should have used for the super fat that you did use. They are pretty close, so unless you went very low on sf, I am sure it will be okay. Much luck!

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions. I will definitely run the recipe I used through soapcalc and hopefully it will be ok. If not it's just one of the many lessons to be learned in my new adventure in soapmaking! I have been so busy reading the books and watching YouTube videos I haven't worked with soapcalc yet so I guess that should really be my next lesson.
Quick question.... I suspect I already know the answer but how long does it take one to finally feel a bit comfortable with working all the many avenues in soapmaking before you don't feel like a newbie any longer? My daughter is an equestrian and it's said you never really know all there is to know about horses... and I taught myself to spin a few years ago and remember feeling for a year that I was all thumbs before it all seemed to click. I'm thinking soaping is a lot like working with horses... there's always something new to learn?

Thanks everyone,

Charlynn