How wet can you actually get it?

[Sponiebr]

Ok... So... yeah....  'splain this one to me Lucy. How much liquid in HP can I get away with? I'm specifically talking about after the cook so the end result won't be exactly what it is on paper due to steam evaporation etc... BUT! Let's  say I cook up a mess o'soap at 38% water to fats and after the cook, oh, I might be in the 35% water range... How much more water/liquids could I add to the batch to REALLY thin it out? I'm talk'n 'bout FLUID stuff here like a low-medium CP trace kinda thin; that's what I'm after.  Could I get away with 60%? 75%? 

Now I know there is gonna be some "cureing" issues like it's pretty much going to be sticky as hell and basically glue itself to my mold liner, and it's going to shrink A LOT. So how would you cure something like this? Cut into oversized bars knowing it's going to shrink, cut the loaf into large 3-4 bar blocks and cure it, or just cure the whole loaf and then cut it? I'll take a wild stab in the dark here and guesstimate that anything this wet and sticky should be done in a slab mold to help dry it out AND to help control shrinkage. 

Your ruminations are much appreciated, and as always:

 

 

Thank you for your support. 


Sponiebr: Executor of Bad Ideas and Sundry Services. "You name it, WE screw it up!"  

[Candybee]

Why so much liquid? What are you trying to accomplish? I think you could go as high as 40 - 50% but even that would be a very, very, very, soft soap and take a couple week or longer before it evaporates enough to harden up. I can't say for sure as I am simply guessing as I never use more than say 33-38%.

[Sponiebr]

4 hours ago, Candybee said:

Why so much liquid? What are you trying to accomplish? I think you could go as high as 40 - 50% but even that would be a very, very, very, soft soap and take a couple week or longer before it evaporates enough to harden up. I can't say for sure as I am simply guessing as I never use more than say 33-38%.

I've gone as high as 46% and the soap stuck to the mold like boogers on a pre-schooler, but after I froze it and got it out it was only sticky for about 1 day it took about 2 weeks to get hard enough that I was good with handing it out. At 46% the soap felt wet... I'm looking to thin out the hot pour so I can do some CP like swirling. Try'na get it loosey-loosey... 

[Jcandleattic]

I would be afraid the bars would warp. That's what happens to my HP when I try to get it fluid enough to pour like it's CP. I always warps, and either dips in the middle of the top of the soap, or if I do a hightop HP then it curves up on the bottom, either way, I don't like the end result once fully cured with anything over 33%-38% liquid. 

[Candybee]

Instead of using more liquid, add some milk and glycerin at the end of the cook. Do a full water soap but save some of the liquid as the milk for after the cook. I don't count the glycerin at all. I use about 1oz PPO. So for a 4 lb batch I would try 3-4oz glycerin with about 3-4oz milk. The milk and glycerin makes the batter more pliable, enough so you can 'cream' it with a whisk or whisk attachment on your SB. It will cause the soap to warp a little but not too bad. Anyway you should be able to split some of the batter off to color and do some swirls. Good luck.

 

Why don't you just do some regular CP and do some swirls with that? I almost never HP unless its for a special batch like shaving soap.

Edited May 14, 2017 by Candybee

[Sponiebr]

8 hours ago, Candybee said:

Instead of using more liquid, add some milk and glycerin at the end of the cook. Do a full water soap but save some of the liquid as the milk for after the cook. I don't count the glycerin at all. I use about 1oz PPO. So for a 4 lb batch I would try 3-4oz glycerin with about 3-4oz milk. The milk and glycerin makes the batter more pliable, enough so you can 'cream' it with a whisk or whisk attachment on your SB. It will cause the soap to warp a little but not too bad. Anyway you should be able to split some of the batter off to color and do some swirls. Good luck.

 

Why don't you just do some regular CP and do some swirls with that? I almost never HP unless its for a special batch like shaving soap.

Wow, a whole ounce of glycerine PPO... Ok. (Is it drying at all?) I've been doing the odd CP here and there, for my swirling fix but I'm missing my HP... 

WHY HP SPONIE... ( This oughtta be straight outta Compton kinda good...) WHY you ask? Two words:

NO DISHWASHER. 

I also don't really have running hot water at work, so that kinda complicates things. BUT! HP, pshaw! I can clean that mess up in 15 minutes FLAT. CP... My gear will be greasy the next day and I'll have to wash everything again... Also with HP I can get rid of the soap A LOT sooner. But the trade off is that it's just not as pretty, though I must say it's generally been nicer on my skin than most of my CP.  

Life has been kinda bleeding edge for me lately, I was just curious to what extreme I could take it...

10-Q!

Sponiebr
   

[Candybee]

Glycerine is a natural humectant. When you make soap it actually makes its own glycerine. Manufacturers extract the glycerine and sell it or use it in commercial soaps, M&P, B&B stuff. So you don't need it when you make soap. I just add it to my shaving soaps.

 

Anyway, glycerine draws moisture from the air so it acts as a moisturizer in soap and B&B products.

 

Its an ingredient I use in my shaving soaps to draw in moisture and soften the beard whiskers. I noticed right away once I added it and a little goat milk to my HP soap after the cook it made the batter very workable. So much so I could 'cream' my soap batter with my SB whisk attachment. Just don't go overboard with adding additional liquids. If you don't want your soaps to warp count both the milk and glycerin as part of your liquid. I just usually never count the glycerine. Just the milk. Works great for me. But then my shaving soaps or 'pucks' are only about 3oz each when finished. So if your soaps are larger take that into consideration.

Edited May 15, 2017 by Candybee