jaybyrd

I tried TOG's recipe that he posted a few days ago (thanks, Paul!), although I used equal parts salt to oils rather than 75%. Sure enough, they turned out major crumbly - I need to remember to leave a recipe alone until I actually know what I'm doing. :embarasse Stranger thing was that they didn't want to harden, which seems to be the opposite of what people experience with sb's. I soaped very cool - oils & lye were at 82 degrees and used my vertical mold. It didn't heat up much at all, but I pulled it out of the mold after about 90 minutes since I was afraid I'd end up with a single granite log. No chance of that - it held its shape, but was cool to the touch and soft. So then I tried putting it in the oven at 175 for a bit, and in just a few minutes it started getting dark & hot (gelling I guess) & even softer. Pulled it out, & left it alone for a while, still fretting all the while about it getting too hard to cut. Finally did slice it after another 90 minutes or so - it was kind of like room temp cream cheese, but also crumbly where it was harder, and has made for some major ugly slices. At least they lather this time, though the jury's out until I give them a few weeks cure. Good news is they smell wonderful. Bad news is I was using Rocky Mtn Xmas which I bought for the FOH swap, and don't have enough left for a second attempt. :rolleyes2 If shooting myself in the foot were a profession, I'd be better off than Bill Gates.

Well done, you! I know what you mean about being afraid of lye - I put off starting soaping forever for exactly the same reason, and now I can't stop. Though I do still stir the lye solution at arm's length.

LOL - And it was 82 degrees & rising before 9am at my house today. Look at it this way - it makes RT a lot easier. All my "solid" oils are already melted. DO it, DO it, DO it!

Aw, bummer!! :awww: I guess your kitchen brownie was in a bad mood last night.

Congrats! Haven't tried HP yet (no crockpot, for one thing) but the notion of being able to use the soap so quickly sure is appealing . . . And I very nearly spit my coffee all over my monitor reading your description of how it looks - thenk yew so very much - lol .

Meredith, when you refrigerate and prevent gelling, how much more curing time do you tend to need? Jeri

Those look great! And do you notice how the swirls on the lower left bar look like a flag rippling in the wind? Very cool! Jeri

G'ma, that looks great! :highfive: Jeri

They look great! Jeri

I just love that effect! Gotta try it. Jeri

Very sleek! Great job. We really need an internet scratch n sniff technology . . . Jeri

Will do! Jeri

Well, you've piqued my curiousity - lol- I've gone and put the tea on my grocery list. :smiley2: Jeri

Whew!! That's a relief - I know I could use uniodized regular, but I really had my heart set on sea salt. And it's an extra perk to have your feedback, Paul, seeing as how I'm using the recipe you posted a few days ago. Off to the kitchen I go! Cheers too much! Jeri

I don't believe I've smelled Peak's Ocean, but your pic sure makes me want to try it. It's lovely! And it does look like waves . . . Jeri

I'm not certain you'll find what you need, but E.D. Luce Packaging has a fairly comprehensive selection: http://www.essentialsupplies.com/~smartcart/ Jeri

I haven't tried the Bigelow vanilla chai, but these are some of the more common chai spices I've used in my mixes, in addition to what you've already mentioned. Maybe they'll ring a bell? Allspice Clove Coriander Star Anise Mace Nutmeg Fennel Aniseed Ginger HTH! Jeri

Way cool! Be sure to post a cut pic, too. Jeri

Happy soaping & welcome to the addiction! :highfive: Jeri

Love it. You really have a creative gift. Jeri

I wouldn't want to sit in a tub-full, but it does sound great for foot & lower leg soaks. Also, I bet it would feel nice on garden/computer-hands.

How strange - I replied this morning, and it didn't post. Maybe I only hit "preview"... Anyway, yes, those are the ones I meant. I've been trying to take a pic to show what I'm talking about but the details wash out too much. The little platform that rides up and down the screw is kind of a grid, rather than solid. There is a hole on each side of the twist wheel in the base, and the idea is you turn the container upside down, squirt your product through the holes, it flows through the grid to collect in the removable dome & backs up until filled. It's a nice idea, but there's no plug for the fill holes so you never completely close the container, and what if it melts? Also, writing this I realize that if you overfill, the product can backwash into the bottom side of the container. It kind of offsets the appeal of having a rounded top - or am I overthinking? Jeri

I made GM soap recently with Aveda-type rosemary-mint fo & added the lye straight to the frozen milk so it was quite cool, & the bars came out a light brown. At the time I'd completely forgotten gelling means it's heating up, however (d'oh!). As always, I'm learning a lot here - the literature for beginners does all seem to stress that oils & lye MUST be between 100-115 degrees, and you MUST keep the mold insulated, etc. Obviously from all the wonderful work I see here, that's not the case. Although, considering that the last few days "room temp" in my house has been in the ninetys, it might be a moot point...*faint* Jeri

Oops - I noticed my grocery store carries sea salt and grabbed a couple lbs, but now I see that it contains an anticaking agent, yellow prussiate of soda. Does anybody know how that might act in soaping? I'd hate to have a repeat of my dead sea salt disaster! Cheers, Jeri

I've had Salt Works' website bookmarked for quite a while - I don't believe I've ever heard anything bad about them.