Production soapmaking

[Candybee]

For those of you how make large numbers of soap by yourself at a time do you mind sharing some of your process?

Right now I only have two 18 bar molds and hope to be purchasing some more this year. (I really need more.) But I have also been thinking of what's the best way to produce as many as I can in the 2 days I am off during the week.

Do you make up master oil and or lye batches and use those? Just wondering what techniques you might offer up that could help me run my process more smoothly. Thanks!

[lovemylabs]

We HP, but here's our process: We have these little white buckets that have lids. We measure out all the oils and butters for up to 16 batches. We fill three crock pots, space the start time for each about 20-30 minutes apart. While the first one is cooking, I measure out all the essential/fragrance oils for every batch we are doing and set aside along with the dye and any additives for that particular batch. We make up our lye solution as we go.

[Kitn]

My dh made my moulds so I have lots, I prebatch the hard oils and lye for each batch and have all the colourants and FO's out and just go. I can get 5 - 18 bar batches done in about an hour.

[cmzaha]

I always 5 or 6 buckets ready to go with all my oils and butters and soap room temp with 50/50 lye solution that I make up 2 gallons at a time. Saves a lot of time when the lye is ready to go. The only time I mix lye before soaping is if I am going to add a silk cocoon. They will not dissolve in room temp lye

[Candybee]

We HP, but here's our process: We have these little white buckets that have lids. We measure out all the oils and butters for up to 16 batches. We fill three crock pots, space the start time for each about 20-30 minutes apart. While the first one is cooking, I measure out all the essential/fragrance oils for every batch we are doing and set aside along with the dye and any additives for that particular batch. We make up our lye solution as we go.

Are you talking about those white buckets that the butters come in? I just started saving those. They would be perfect! Thanks for the tip. Having oils ready to go would be a great time saver!

[Candybee]

My dh made my moulds so I have lots, I prebatch the hard oils and lye for each batch and have all the colourants and FO's out and just go. I can get 5 - 18 bar batches done in about an hour.

Holey moley! That's a lot of soap. How big are your batches?

[Candybee]

I always 5 or 6 buckets ready to go with all my oils and butters and soap room temp with 50/50 lye solution that I make up 2 gallons at a time. Saves a lot of time when the lye is ready to go. The only time I mix lye before soaping is if I am going to add a silk cocoon. They will not dissolve in room temp lye

So you make a master batch of lye solution for the day? I use Tussah silk. Where do you get your silk cocoons? I tried googling that yesterday but didn't find much.

[lovemylabs]

@ Candybee...we use the small green molds right now...they only make 8 bars each. We just talked about getting other molds that will hold more. We are swamped and the molds we have are ok for retail, but when the wholesale orders start coming in, these just don't cut it! We have 24 loaves curing right now and have already started soaping another 16 loaves today. We also need to soap 16 tomorrow and Friday. Hopefully we'll be caught up by next week.

[Candybee]

You hit the nail right on the head... it's keeping up with the wholesale accounts. Not only do I need to make several varieties/scents of soap in a day but I also need to make several batches of each scent too.

I got a couple of those 18 bar slab molds with the dividers from Brambleberry. I need about 4 more of those. I've also been looking at the 36 bar molds lately thinking I could use a couple of those too! But that will probably be something I end up accumulating over time. I can't afford to buy everything I need at once. I have to spread the cost over time.

More production molds will help a lot. But I think master batching and prepping beforehand is the key. So thanks to all for the good advice.

[Barbara AL]

I Masterbatch my oils and store them in the 200 ounce tide jugs with the big pour spout easy to pour that way.

[Candybee]

That's what I make my laundry detergent in. Maybe the local hardware store has cheap jugs or pails with pour spouts. Will have to take a looksee.

[lovemylabs]

Yep Candybee...that's what I was talking about...those little white buckets we get from the suppliers. We ordered Cocoa Butter, etc. and these are what they come in. When we have the time to run an assembly line, fill them with all the oils and butters and store, it is such a time saver. I'm going to be looking into the molds you mentioned too. We seriously need much bigger ones. Some of these wholesale accounts are now ordering 20+ bars of particular scents and these lil' green molds just aren't cuttin' it!

[Candybee]

Yeah. Just one wholesale vendor ordered twice from me in less than a month and practically wiped me out. I am in this biz by myself so I have to train myself to make soap a lot faster than what I am doing to keep up. I thought the white pails were kind of nice and on a whim saved the last one. Now I have a good reason for saving them!! What a great idea!

[Shar]

I ordered one of these slab mold with cutter. Makes 24 bars.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/128724671/wooden-soap-making-mold-24-bars-steel?ref=cat_gallery_18

I had a family member make 4 more duplicates minus the slits. Very cost effective for me, and really helps ramp up production. I like to stack these molds on top of each other to ensure gel and this also reduces ash problems. I also have several log molds and decorative molds.

I usually soap 5 batches back to back assembly line style. I don't masterbatch, but sure would help speed up the process.

[ChandlerWicks]

I've been on the hunt for a cutter like that! Thanks!

QUOTE=Shar;1004807]I ordered one of these slab mold with cutter. Makes 24 bars.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/128724671/wooden-soap-making-mold-24-bars-steel?ref=cat_gallery_18

I had a family member make 4 more duplicates minus the slits. Very cost effective for me, and really helps ramp up production. I like to stack these molds on top of each other to ensure gel and this also reduces ash problems. I also have several log molds and decorative molds.

I usually soap 5 batches back to back assembly line style. I don't masterbatch, but sure would help speed up the process.

Edited April 16, 2013 by ChandlerWicks

[Shar]

Yw,ChandlerWicks.. both the cutter and mold are heavy duty and well made. No bowing with the cutter either. Thick stainless blade.The only drawback is having to line the molds...I need to make some myler liners for them, but haven't got around to it.

[cmzaha]

So you make a master batch of lye solution for the day? I use Tussah silk. Where do you get your silk cocoons? I tried googling that yesterday but didn't find much.

I always have at least a gallon of 50/50 lye solution made up. I buy my cocoons from Mulberry Farms in Fallbrook Ca. Will warn that they are whole freeze dried and the pupa is still inside. So if there are issues which such I would not buy them. They are a finer silk than tussah and I have not decided it the glue from the cocoon adds anything to the final feel or not. Still testing

[Candybee]

I always have at least a gallon of 50/50 lye solution made up. I buy my cocoons from Mulberry Farms in Fallbrook Ca. Will warn that they are whole freeze dried and the pupa is still inside. So if there are issues which such I would not buy them. They are a finer silk than tussah and I have not decided it the glue from the cocoon adds anything to the final feel or not. Still testing

Do you mean half water half lye? Also, how long do you make it ahead of time? I always thought you should use any you make on the same day.

I will check out Mulberry farms and read about their silk cocoons. Thanks for the info.