First Batch!

Soap color in its natural state.

Boy has this been a learning experience!

I just uncovered the loaf of soap (sounds funny!) after 24 hours.  The corners were a little moist.  Not knowing that I should have let it cool for at least 15 minutes I proceeded to cut the 8-1/2 x 11 inch slab into three blocks and cut each block into bars of roughly 4 ounces.  Since these were hand cut each bar is sized slightly different.  The lavender scent is PHENOMENAL.  The batch was supposed to yield 28 bars but I only got 22 plus a lot of mini  bars from a few larger bars that did not cut evenly because the loaf was too soft.

Mini soaps for guests
or  a few showers.

The soap you see here is in its natural state with no artificial colors.  The properties in the lavender are calming and perfect for a shower right before bed or after a hard day at the office or anywhere else you spend your day.  As mentioned before, no artificial anything goes into Earthbound Soaps so the color will be the same but the scent different and perhaps a few botanicals thrown in for a bit of exfoliation.

Next, lemongrass!

Oy! I See

The good and the bad.

Was it purely coincidental that I was experiencing the same problem with lye batch number three?  Like the two before, the temp only rose to 80 degrees after it was mixed so I tried batch number four and stirred it longer than three.  Same result.  My assistant and I tried a hot bath but to no avail. All frazzled out by now I finally called the place where I took the soapmaking class.  The guy was baffled as to why the lye did not reach its customary 200 degrees once stirred and mentioned that the thermometer might be faulty.  Um, since I had never used a thermometer before I did not know that it reads at room temperature right out of the package so I had calibrated it to zero!  Since I had monkeyed around with it there was nothing left to do but buy another one. Sadly my assistant had to leave at this point.

So, I run to the store to get a brand-spanking-new thermometer and was back in soapmaking business within 30 minutes.  With the lye at 102 degrees (based on an experienced soapmaker) it went into the pan of oils at same temp.  I carried the pot over to the sofa where I proceeded to stir the mixture on the coffee table for 90 minutes.  When the mixture resembling pancake batter traced (when a drizzle of batter from the spoon leaves a trail on top), I added two ounces of lavender essential oils.  After stirring for another minute the batter was poured into the soap mold where it will remain covered for 24-48 hours after which bars can be cut.  Three weeks after curing (when the lye has dissipated) it is ready and safe to use.

In retrospect, not having my assistant on hand once the new thermometer was in place forced me to do every step from that point on my own.  I think this was for the best because I had to use my own wits to get the job done, which I did.

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SOAPMAKER'S NOTES

Today's Recipe
Sodium Hydroxide (12 ounces)
Distilled water (32 ounces)
Coconut, olive, and palm kernel oils combined (5 pounds)
Pure lavender essential oils (2 ounces)

Deviance from Instructions
Lye and oils at 102 degrees
Did not remove pot from stove while mixing in lye
Did not scrape sides of pan until almost traced
Scraped batter from sides of pan into the mold
Left batter on bottom of pan that had been continuously mixed (could account for reduced count of bars)




 

Lye Disaster

NOTE: Sodium Hydroxide is an ingredient in soap, period.  When mixed with distilled water it becomes lye.  The lye is then combined with oils and stirred for 90 minutes until it saponifies (becomes soap).

I tried to make my first batch of soap last weekend but could not quite get the hang of the lye solution.  It is recommended that you use a 40 ounce glass bottle with a tight fitting lid.  The lid should have two holes drilled - one for venting and the other for a steady pour.  Finding a 40 ounce glass bottle in today's plastic world is almost impossible. 

Extreme danger!

I did find a 50 ounce bottle and took it to Dixieline to have the holes drilled into the lid.  Well, the mouth of the bottle was not wide enough to accommodate the Sodium Hydroxide chips (even after shaking the canister) so some fell on the ground.  I set it aside thinking the solution was ruined.  I then bought a replacement kit and mixed it in a 64 ounce Pyrex measuring cup.  Success.

Proceed with caution!

The lye solution heats to 200 degrees when mixed but needs to cool to 100 to match the heat of the oils.  Well, I let the Pyrex batch cool to 40 so I tried to re-heat with a hot bath but according to the thermometer I could only get it to 80 degrees.  During the course of the bath some tap water made its way into the mixture and it was ruined.  I then took the 50 ounce bottle which was cold (found out the lye could still be used even though about a tablespoon was missing) but it too took on water.  Ruined.  Back to square one!


So that brings me to today.  I have all the elements I need to try again and an assistant to help me through the process.  I will report my findings later.


Wish me luck!