Re: help with recent batch

[Guest guest]

the sponginess could be to much liquid I would assume. or you used oils that

create a softer bar but since it is the center I would think too much water.

The hard bar could be the coconut, coconut makes a really hard bar as does PKO

and beeswax.

>

> Hello all,

>  

> I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well after

the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any ideas as to why

this happened?

>  

> Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make a

batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on the scale

for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to what went

wrong?

>  

> Thanks,

> Sammi

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

What was and how much was your liquid? Is the soap spongy only on the

inside or are the sides soft as well?'

Jeanine

Jeanine's Hummingbird Soap Works

help with recent batch

Hello all,

I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any ideas

as to why this happened?

Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on the

scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

what went wrong?

Thanks,

Sammi

[Guest guest]

Your spongy soap sounds like it has too much oil--or too little lye. It

won't be easy to do at this point, but try to determine whether you added

more of any oil than called for or under-measured your lye. You should also

check your formula to make sure it's within the normal range for

superfatting. If you'd like, you could post your formula so we can help you

out if it's the problem.

Your 2nd formula makes a really hard soap because both coconut and tallow

make very hard soaps. Combine them, and the result is a very hard soap.

:-) I wouldn't say there's really anything wrong with it, as it turned out

the way it should have given the oils you used. In fact, this would be good

for a laundry soap. Use it to pre-treat stains.

My best suggestion for is to make small, 1 - 2 lb. batches until you get the

hang of things. If you make a small batch and dislike it, it's less of a

problem than a large batch that you don't like. :-) Additionally, the more

batches you make, the better you'll get at making them.

Beth Byrne

http://www.SoapAndGarden.com

Soap, get the real thing!

http://www.Saponifier.com

On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 4:58 PM, Sammi <simplysoap2010@...>wrote:

>

>

> Hello all,

>

> I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any ideas

> as to why this happened?

>

> Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

> a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on the

> scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

> what went wrong?

>

> Thanks,

> Sammi

>

>

[Guest guest]

Good point, Jeanine. It could also be too much liquid.

Beth Byrne

http://www.SoapAndGarden.com

Soap, get the real thing!

http://www.Saponifier.com

On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 9:35 PM, Jeanine Van Voorhees <jlv40@...>wrote:

>

>

> What was and how much was your liquid? Is the soap spongy only on the

> inside or are the sides soft as well?'

> Jeanine

>

> Jeanine's Hummingbird Soap Works

>

>

> help with recent batch

>

> Hello all,

>

> I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any ideas

> as to why this happened?

>

> Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

> a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on

> the

> scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

> what went wrong?

>

> Thanks,

> Sammi

>

>

[Guest guest]

The soap was spongy on the inside. And we used water, 4 1/2 cups for a full

batch.

 

Thanks

Sammi

>

>

> What was and how much was your liquid? Is the soap spongy only on the

> inside or are the sides soft as well?'

> Jeanine

>

> Jeanine's Hummingbird Soap Works

>

>

> help with recent batch

>

> Hello all,

>

> I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any ideas

> as to why this happened?

>

> Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

> a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on

> the

> scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

> what went wrong?

>

> Thanks,

> Sammi

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all the knowledge. The recipe for the batch I made was:

 

4 1/2 C. water

1C. & 3TB lye

 

3C. coconut oil

10C. tallow.

 

I put cinnamon & oatmeal in it as well. And I used a cinn. spice FO.

 

Thanks again for any input,

Sammi

>

>

> Hello all,

>

> I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any ideas

> as to why this happened?

>

> Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

> a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on the

> scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

> what went wrong?

>

> Thanks,

> Sammi

>

>

[Guest guest]

What was your recipe again? Why did you use cups instead of weighing the

water?

Jeanine

Jeanine's Hummingbird Soap Works

help with recent batch

>

> Hello all,

>

> I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any

ideas

> as to why this happened?

>

> Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to

make

> a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on

> the

> scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as

to

> what went wrong?

>

> Thanks,

> Sammi

>

>

[Guest guest]

not sure if you know this or not. I do not know how soapy advanced you are, it

seems you might be new because normally it is best to make soap using weighted

measurments not volume. Perhaps your knew and didnt know that, but, weights are

almost always used when making soaps and lotions and everything. except when I

make bath bombs I find it easier to use cups just because its mostly powders and

well they just work better that way.

See each oil weighs differantly and when making soaps and lotions you need EXACT

measurments and with cups you just arn't getting that. Its crucial to getting

good results.

Also each oil has its own SAP value and soap properties, not sure if you know

that either. So you can't just sub one oil for another, you need to calculate

how much lye it is going to need to make soap. Somewhere there is a very good

teaching site that uses sheep and wolves as an analogy on what happens with the

lye and oils and super fatting and all that. its very cute and a shame I dont

know where it is on here.

I know you had problems now with a very HARD bar and now a spoungy one. here is

a site soapcalc.com that well tell you when your bar would be like when it is

made. punch in your oils your using and check to see if your soap will be in the

range for hardness, creaminess, lather and so on. it might help. thesage also

has a nice calculator as well so do other soapmaking sites. I advice using one

if not all before making each and every bar of soap to make sure you have

correct measurments. I occassionally run a recipe i have been using for years

just to be sure I didn't fiddle with it and mess my measurments up over the

years.

good luck and keep asking questions so we can help you create good soap.

>

> >

> >

> > Hello all,

> >

> > I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> > after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any ideas

> > as to why this happened?

> >

> > Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

> > a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on the

> > scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

> > what went wrong?

> >

> > Thanks,

> > Sammi

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the advice. The recipe I gave was one that was taught to us in a soap

class. I have used that recipe, to a T, to make many batches and was perplexed

when the bar turned out really hard or spongy. So when I needed to half the

recipe I weighed the full amounts and then halfed that weight. I also used

ounces for the soap calc. I hope that was the right thing to do. If not, I have

no idea where to get measurements for 4, 2 or 1 pound recipes.

 

Sammi

From: koalas_boutique <Koalas_boutique@...>

Subject: Re: help with recent batch

Date: Saturday, June 5, 2010, 12:29 AM

 

not sure if you know this or not. I do not know how soapy advanced you are, it

seems you might be new because normally it is best to make soap using weighted

measurments not volume. Perhaps your knew and didnt know that, but, weights are

almost always used when making soaps and lotions and everything. except when I

make bath bombs I find it easier to use cups just because its mostly powders and

well they just work better that way.

See each oil weighs differantly and when making soaps and lotions you need EXACT

measurments and with cups you just arn't getting that. Its crucial to getting

good results.

Also each oil has its own SAP value and soap properties, not sure if you know

that either. So you can't just sub one oil for another, you need to calculate

how much lye it is going to need to make soap. Somewhere there is a very good

teaching site that uses sheep and wolves as an analogy on what happens with the

lye and oils and super fatting and all that. its very cute and a shame I dont

know where it is on here.

I know you had problems now with a very HARD bar and now a spoungy one. here is

a site soapcalc.com that well tell you when your bar would be like when it is

made. punch in your oils your using and check to see if your soap will be in the

range for hardness, creaminess, lather and so on. it might help. thesage also

has a nice calculator as well so do other soapmaking sites. I advice using one

if not all before making each and every bar of soap to make sure you have

correct measurments. I occassionally run a recipe i have been using for years

just to be sure I didn't fiddle with it and mess my measurments up over the

years.

good luck and keep asking questions so we can help you create good soap.

>

> >

> >

> > Hello all,

> >

> > I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> > after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any ideas

> > as to why this happened?

> >

> > Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

> > a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on the

> > scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

> > what went wrong?

> >

> > Thanks,

> > Sammi

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

well what was nice about the soapcalc site is that you can do percentages too.

So say you have a huge recipe that makes say 7 pounds but you only want to make

a 1 or 2 pound batch. enter all the ingredients in whatever scale it is, (oz or

pounds or grams) then calculate it. it will then tell you the percentages as

well. then go back up to the top where it says " ounces or pounds or grams " and

total amount, now change that to say something like " 16 oz for 1 pound bath or

32 for 2 lbs " click recalc and you should have the correct amounts for

everything you need.

if you want I would be happy to email you a few recipies for smaller batches.

> >

> > >

> > >

> > > Hello all,

> > >

> > > I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> > > after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any

ideas

> > > as to why this happened?

> > >

> > > Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

> > > a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on

the

> > > scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

> > > what went wrong?

> > >

> > > Thanks,

> > > Sammi

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

If you could email me some recipes for smaller batches that would be great. I am

having a hard time with the calculations. i guess I need some more practice. But

until I can get it right I'd like to make some soap.

 

Thanks again,

Sammi

From: koalas_boutique <Koalas_boutique@...>

Subject: Re: help with recent batch

Date: Sunday, June 6, 2010, 8:52 PM

 

well what was nice about the soapcalc site is that you can do percentages too.

So say you have a huge recipe that makes say 7 pounds but you only want to make

a 1 or 2 pound batch. enter all the ingredients in whatever scale it is, (oz or

pounds or grams) then calculate it. it will then tell you the percentages as

well. then go back up to the top where it says " ounces or pounds or grams " and

total amount, now change that to say something like " 16 oz for 1 pound bath or

32 for 2 lbs " click recalc and you should have the correct amounts for

everything you need.

if you want I would be happy to email you a few recipies for smaller batches.

> >

> > >

> > >

> > > Hello all,

> > >

> > > I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> > > after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any

ideas

> > > as to why this happened?

> > >

> > > Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to make

> > > a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6 on

the

> > > scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as to

> > > what went wrong?

> > >

> > > Thanks,

> > > Sammi

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Ugh! In a class, no less!

No reflection on you, Sammi, but we soapmakers cringe when we hear " soaping

by the cup. " It's just not accurate enough to make a good soap on a steady

basis. The teacher may have been showing you that way in order to save you

the money of purchasing a scale, but it just isn't proper soapmaking, and

now you're seeing the results.

The first thing you need to do is to buy a digital scale that measures at

least to the 1/10 lb. Hundredths is better, but tenths will do. Then, you

need a formula for an easy 1 - 2 lb. batch. You'll also need to start

learning about SAP values, oil properties, etc. and how to use a lye

calculator.

We can help you with everything but the scale. :-) Do you feel comfortable

using a lye calculator? I use www.soapcalc.com now, but find

www.the-sage.com often easier for beginners to use if they already have a

decent formula.

Beth Byrne

http://www.SoapAndGarden.com

Soap, get the real thing!

http://www.Saponifier.com

On Sun, Jun 6, 2010 at 7:16 AM, Sammi <simplysoap2010@...>wrote:

>

>

> Thanks for the advice. The recipe I gave was one that was taught to us in a

> soap class. I have used that recipe, to a T, to make many batches and was

> perplexed when the bar turned out really hard or spongy. So when I needed to

> half the recipe I weighed the full amounts and then halfed that weight. I

> also used ounces for the soap calc. I hope that was the right thing to do.

> If not, I have no idea where to get measurements for 4, 2 or 1 pound

> recipes.

>

> Sammi

>

>

>

> From: koalas_boutique <Koalas_boutique@...<Koalas_boutique%40>

> >

> Subject: Re: help with recent batch

> <%40>

> Date: Saturday, June 5, 2010, 12:29 AM

>

>

>

>

> not sure if you know this or not. I do not know how soapy advanced you are,

> it seems you might be new because normally it is best to make soap using

> weighted measurments not volume. Perhaps your knew and didnt know that, but,

> weights are almost always used when making soaps and lotions and everything.

> except when I make bath bombs I find it easier to use cups just because its

> mostly powders and well they just work better that way.

>

> See each oil weighs differantly and when making soaps and lotions you need

> EXACT measurments and with cups you just arn't getting that. Its crucial to

> getting good results.

>

> Also each oil has its own SAP value and soap properties, not sure if you

> know that either. So you can't just sub one oil for another, you need to

> calculate how much lye it is going to need to make soap. Somewhere there is

> a very good teaching site that uses sheep and wolves as an analogy on what

> happens with the lye and oils and super fatting and all that. its very cute

> and a shame I dont know where it is on here.

>

> I know you had problems now with a very HARD bar and now a spoungy one.

> here is a site soapcalc.com that well tell you when your bar would be like

> when it is made. punch in your oils your using and check to see if your soap

> will be in the range for hardness, creaminess, lather and so on. it might

> help. thesage also has a nice calculator as well so do other soapmaking

> sites. I advice using one if not all before making each and every bar of

> soap to make sure you have correct measurments. I occassionally run a recipe

> i have been using for years just to be sure I didn't fiddle with it and mess

> my measurments up over the years.

>

> good luck and keep asking questions so we can help you create good soap.

>

>

> >

> > >

> > >

> > > Hello all,

> > >

> > > I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> > > after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any

> ideas

> > > as to why this happened?

> > >

> > > Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to

> make

> > > a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6

> on the

> > > scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as

> to

> > > what went wrong?

> > >

> > > Thanks,

> > > Sammi

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

OK, have to chime in now. I'm the teacher of Sammi and have taught the volume

recipe for large classes so that all are not standing at a scale which would

take FOREVER. I've emphasized to them that this is not typical and that a

digital scale should be used and that most soapmakers cringe at the thought.

Reason is that, if you recall, I stressed that soapmaking is like baking in that

you must be accurate in measuring. The tallow/coconut recipe is pretty fail

safe and it used for beginners. It makes a hard bar typically but if you are

off on your measurements it will shift harder or softer. Last week during

Sammi's posts, we had a bought with very humid weather which could affect the

cure time thinking that you had a soft bar when it was just wetter longer.

Soapmaking sometimes can just be a mystery.

Sammi, if you took my advanced class, I gave you a sheet that showed how to

formulate a recipe mathmatically using 16 oz of lard as an example and to

calculate the amount of lye needed by weight. I also gave you some links to lye

calculators. There are some great books out there to help plus just searching

out information on the internet will bring you an overwhelming amount of info.

If you see a descrepancy in books, this group is helpful in sharing their

experiences since in some cases authors have their own opinions.

Don't be concerned about a failed batch. We've all had them and still have them

occasionally. Even introducing a new scent or color can affect the recipe

outcome. Did you take my Master class? I discuss the 6 biggest mistake of

soapmakers. A couple you have brought up with the group recently. Always try

new recipes with a small batch and introduce new ingredients one at a time to a

recipe you have been using that is tried and true just like the one from class.

[Guest guest]

Yes I have looked at the lye calculators and thought that one batch I did was

right. The soap turned out really hard! It is sometimes confusing with all the

bits of info that are not the same. So the more info I read, the more I shake my

head. I have not taken the advanced class yet. I would like to become more

familiar with what I am doing now before I add more to the swirling amounts of

knowledge. I appreciate all the advice and thank everyone. I am sure with more

practice and weeding out what works for me and what doesn't, I will get it

right.

 

Thanks again,

Sammi

From: angelicglow12000 <angelicglow@...>

Subject: Re: help with recent batch

Date: Monday, June 7, 2010, 5:46 PM

 

OK, have to chime in now. I'm the teacher of Sammi and have taught the volume

recipe for large classes so that all are not standing at a scale which would

take FOREVER. I've emphasized to them that this is not typical and that a

digital scale should be used and that most soapmakers cringe at the thought.

Reason is that, if you recall, I stressed that soapmaking is like baking in that

you must be accurate in measuring. The tallow/coconut recipe is pretty fail safe

and it used for beginners. It makes a hard bar typically but if you are off on

your measurements it will shift harder or softer. Last week during Sammi's

posts, we had a bought with very humid weather which could affect the cure time

thinking that you had a soft bar when it was just wetter longer. Soapmaking

sometimes can just be a mystery.

Sammi, if you took my advanced class, I gave you a sheet that showed how to

formulate a recipe mathmatically using 16 oz of lard as an example and to

calculate the amount of lye needed by weight. I also gave you some links to lye

calculators. There are some great books out there to help plus just searching

out information on the internet will bring you an overwhelming amount of info.

If you see a descrepancy in books, this group is helpful in sharing their

experiences since in some cases authors have their own opinions.

Don't be concerned about a failed batch. We've all had them and still have them

occasionally. Even introducing a new scent or color can affect the recipe

outcome. Did you take my Master class? I discuss the 6 biggest mistake of

soapmakers. A couple you have brought up with the group recently. Always try new

recipes with a small batch and introduce new ingredients one at a time to a

recipe you have been using that is tried and true just like the one from class.

[Guest guest]

Yes, Beth I do feel comfortable with the lye calc on thesage.com. It seemed

really easy to use. We do have a dig. scale and now need to find a 1-2 lb.

recipe to use. We just need more practice with the measuring and the lye calc.

 

Thanks,

Sammi

>

> From: koalas_boutique <Koalas_boutique@...<Koalas_boutique%40>

> >

> Subject: Re: help with recent batch

> <%40>

> Date: Saturday, June 5, 2010, 12:29 AM

>

>

>

>

> not sure if you know this or not. I do not know how soapy advanced you are,

> it seems you might be new because normally it is best to make soap using

> weighted measurments not volume. Perhaps your knew and didnt know that, but,

> weights are almost always used when making soaps and lotions and everything.

> except when I make bath bombs I find it easier to use cups just because its

> mostly powders and well they just work better that way.

>

> See each oil weighs differantly and when making soaps and lotions you need

> EXACT measurments and with cups you just arn't getting that. Its crucial to

> getting good results.

>

> Also each oil has its own SAP value and soap properties, not sure if you

> know that either. So you can't just sub one oil for another, you need to

> calculate how much lye it is going to need to make soap. Somewhere there is

> a very good teaching site that uses sheep and wolves as an analogy on what

> happens with the lye and oils and super fatting and all that. its very cute

> and a shame I dont know where it is on here.

>

> I know you had problems now with a very HARD bar and now a spoungy one.

> here is a site soapcalc.com that well tell you when your bar would be like

> when it is made. punch in your oils your using and check to see if your soap

> will be in the range for hardness, creaminess, lather and so on. it might

> help. thesage also has a nice calculator as well so do other soapmaking

> sites. I advice using one if not all before making each and every bar of

> soap to make sure you have correct measurments. I occassionally run a recipe

> i have been using for years just to be sure I didn't fiddle with it and mess

> my measurments up over the years.

>

> good luck and keep asking questions so we can help you create good soap.

>

>

> >

> > >

> > >

> > > Hello all,

> > >

> > > I have recently made a batch of soap that is still " spongy " inside well

> > > after the 4 week mark. I have tested it and there is no lye left. Any

> ideas

> > > as to why this happened?

> > >

> > > Also I recently went onto www.thesage.com and used their lye calc. to

> make

> > > a batch. I used 48 oz. of tallow and 13 oz. of coconut oil. I used #6

> on the

> > > scale for my lye weight. The batch turned out really hard. Any ideas as

> to

> > > what went wrong?

> > >

> > > Thanks,

> > > Sammi

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Ahhh. . . it's good to understand the whole story, .

I am sure that 's formula and instruction is superb, as she has turned

out lots of very good soapmakers. I know that her basic formula is just

that, basic, and will make a good soap, even with a little off-measurement

here and there, as we discussed it last summer.

Sammi, if you really want to master soapmaking, be sure to follow the

instructions and measurements exactly. If you're doing it on your own,

investing in a good scale is essential. Maybe you need to hire someone to

soap a batch with you personally, so they can explain the process and see

where you're having trouble. Also, remember that it takes around 24 hours

for your soap to be saponified and ready to slice, and then it takes at

least four weeks to be cured, and up to six with most cold process batches.

Keep studying how to determine SAP value and learning to use a lye

calculator. I have been making soap for years and I still run each formula

through a calculator every time I make a batch. It's quite easy to refigure

a batch size once you get a little help, and the more small batches you make

now, the better.

Beth Byrne

http://www.SoapAndGarden.com

Soap, get the real thing!

http://www.Saponifier.com

On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 1:46 PM, angelicglow12000 <angelicglow@...>wrote:

>

>

> OK, have to chime in now. I'm the teacher of Sammi and have taught the

> volume recipe for large classes so that all are not standing at a scale

> which would take FOREVER. I've emphasized to them that this is not typical

> and that a digital scale should be used and that most soapmakers cringe at

> the thought. Reason is that, if you recall, I stressed that soapmaking is

> like baking in that you must be accurate in measuring. The tallow/coconut

> recipe is pretty fail safe and it used for beginners. It makes a hard bar

> typically but if you are off on your measurements it will shift harder or

> softer. Last week during Sammi's posts, we had a bought with very humid

> weather which could affect the cure time thinking that you had a soft bar

> when it was just wetter longer. Soapmaking sometimes can just be a mystery.

>

> Sammi, if you took my advanced class, I gave you a sheet that showed how to

> formulate a recipe mathmatically using 16 oz of lard as an example and to

> calculate the amount of lye needed by weight. I also gave you some links to

> lye calculators. There are some great books out there to help plus just

> searching out information on the internet will bring you an overwhelming

> amount of info. If you see a descrepancy in books, this group is helpful in

> sharing their experiences since in some cases authors have their own

> opinions.

>

> Don't be concerned about a failed batch. We've all had them and still have

> them occasionally. Even introducing a new scent or color can affect the

> recipe outcome. Did you take my Master class? I discuss the 6 biggest

> mistake of soapmakers. A couple you have brought up with the group recently.

> Always try new recipes with a small batch and introduce new ingredients one

> at a time to a recipe you have been using that is tried and true just like

> the one from class.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I know there's a LOT of soaping info. out there. There are many different

methods. There are many websites and books with info. There's even quite a

bit of outdated and even incorrect info. You might be better off sticking

with one person and absorbing her knowledge, rather than reading everything

else right now, because it gets so confusing.

Once you have a method and a handle on soaping, you'll be able to detect

differences in method, opinion, and just plain incorrect info.

Beth Byrne

http://www.SoapAndGarden.com

Soap, get the real thing!

http://www.Saponifier.com

On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 2:28 PM, Sammi <simplysoap2010@...>wrote:

>

>

> Yes I have looked at the lye calculators and thought that one batch I did

> was right. The soap turned out really hard! It is sometimes confusing with

> all the bits of info that are not the same. So the more info I read, the

> more I shake my head. I have not taken the advanced class yet. I would like

> to become more familiar with what I am doing now before I add more to the

> swirling amounts of knowledge. I appreciate all the advice and thank

> everyone. I am sure with more practice and weeding out what works for me and

> what doesn't, I will get it right.

>

> Thanks again,

> Sammi

>

>

>

> From: angelicglow12000 <angelicglow@...<angelicglow%40stny.rr.com>

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

If you can use the lye calculator and have a scale, you should be fine.

Your coconut/tallow blend is easy and will make a nice, hard soap that

lathers well. The simpler, the better, as a newbie, so I suggest that you

continue using it, but in 2 lb. batches. I think the current formula calls

for 30% coconut and 70% tallow.

You can use the same percentages to make 2 lbs. You can even avoid the math

by plugging in the current formula in the Sage Calc. Then, at the bottom,

it allows you to adjust the batch size. Change it to 32 oz., and it will

give you the correct. amts. for 2 lbs.

Beth Byrne

http://www.SoapAndGarden.com

Soap, get the real thing!

http://www.Saponifier.com

On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 2:31 PM, Sammi <simplysoap2010@...>wrote:

>

>

> Yes, Beth I do feel comfortable with the lye calc on thesage.com. It

> seemed really easy to use. We do have a dig. scale and now need to find a

> 1-2 lb. recipe to use. We just need more practice with the measuring and the

> lye calc.

>

> Thanks,

> Sammi

>

>