Teach Soap

Soap makes its own glycerin so adding extra will make your soap soft. For 600 grams of coconut, I would add 102.6 grams of lye and 150 to 225 milliliters of liquid for about a 7% superfat.

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

Hi Chemist,
My computer is not cooperating with me right now but did you run your double sized batch through the lye calculator just to be sure the numbers were correct? I am not sure but that could be the issue. It could also be the perfume (is it skin safe and will it work in CP soap?) or the colorant. This is just off the top of my head of what may have happened.

good luck!
Erin

http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp
here is a lye calculator for your reference.

Hello Everyone!

What type of sodium hydroxide are you using? I'm using the 99% micropearls. Question: Does the temperature of lye solution affect the color of the soap? I mean, what if the lye is still hot, would it affect the color of the soap? I've run some batches. I monitored the temperature of the lye solution. It has a big difference. can you help me? I'm wasting large amounts of oils just getting the color i want. thanks!

Sodium hydroxide comes as pearls or flakes (or powder, but you don't want that). 99% pure is fine. How hot is hot? If you soap too hot, you can end up with the soap overheating, color morphing or a soap on a stick. I normally mix my lye water and oils at a round 110 degrees (US). The temps do not have to be exact, just close. The lighter your oils and butters the better the color. If you have a fragrance with a yellow cast, that can affect the final color.

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

What I meant by "lighter" as in lighter in color. For example coconut, tallow and lard are usually white. Refined mango butter is pretty much white. If you use these oils or butters the end result will be a lighter colored soap. Of course that also depends on the color of your fragrance. If you fragrance is yellow, you will have a harder time with getting blue for example, as blue and yellow make green.

When I use a thermometer (I use a laser one), the temp of the oils and lye is about 110 degrees (US). Most of the time I go by touch. I touch the outside of the lye pitcher and if it's warm, but not hot I know I'm good to go. Same thing with the melted oils.

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