CPHP question

[junebug]

I am using the Candletech CPHP tuitorial. It says no alunimum. My hand mixer has 2 metal beaters, should I just use a wooden spoon, or is it ok to use a hand mixer?

TIA

[junebug]

I think I found the answer, it does not seem to matter as the tutorial shows her mixing the lye and water mixture with a silver spoon. I am going to use

wood or plastic, but my hand mixer is going in the CP mixture!

[magsglass]

I'd guess the "silver" spoon in the tutorial is made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is okay to use, aluminum is not. I don't know what your beaters are made of. HTH!

[CareBear]

If you use aluminum with lye you can get an interesting reaction (can you say soap volcano? they add aluminum chips to lye to boost the violence of the rxn of drain cleaners when water is added - to give you a hint why lye + aluminum is not good) and it will turn your aluminum item a nasty color (ask my baking pans....)

Since like 8+ hours have passed since you posted, I was wondering what happened!

[eugenia]

I am using the Candletech CPHP tuitorial. It says no alunimum. My hand mixer has 2 metal beaters, should I just use a wooden spoon, or is it ok to use a hand mixer?

TIA

You do NOT want to use a standard mixer. It will introduce too much air. Stir by hand or use a stick blender.

[junebug]

You do NOT want to use a standard mixer. It will introduce too much air. Stir by hand or use a stick blender.

OOPS!! Too late! Well, the damage is done!

Something went wrong here, my 3 bars have a cornstarchy texture, I may do a rebatch...or toss them, in the trash. Hubby did the lye test and it tasteed like soap...

The real problem here is the recipie, I downsized it because I am not a soap factory!!

Here is the resize, and no, I did not use a scale either:

4 oz Castor Oil

4 oz vegeitable shortning

8 oz extra virgin olive oil

2.05 oz lye crystals

6.08 oz bottled water with the 1/2 T disolved suger before lye

1 dye chip- maple redding

1 oz FO 3 mixed Fo's soap safe

The soap is hard, but very oily and grainy looking

Here is a not so great pic, thank goodness I did not suck at candlemaking too, or I would feel really crappy right now~

Hubby thought this pic was of bricks, and then went on about pumace soap...gotta have humor LOL!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v385/jenigma/?action=view&current=Photo65.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch1

[sudsy]

Couple of things. First a scale is totally necessary in soaping. You run your recipe through the lye calc and if it's off, well it can either become lye heavy (ouch!) or just yucky and oily. Or about a million other things! Get a scale and you'll be much more successful.

When you resized the recipe did you run it through the lye calc again or just resize the amount of lye and water like the oils?

You should also get a stick blender. It will be your new best friend!

Don't give up. Soap is so fun and with those few changes I'll bet you get it down.

[TexasBrat]

I normally use 1oz of fo for a 2lb batch, it looks like yours was a 1lb so it may be oily b/c of the extra fo. A stick blender is a must when making soap, you can get a cheap one at Walmart for about ten dollars. Mine has been going strong for a year and half now.

[CareBear]

DON'T GET AN EVIL OSTER SB. Mine always left me with bubbles - then it broke anyway giving me an excuse to buy the Braun I wanted in the first place.

[junebug]

Well, I did use the lye calc, but I am going to wait until I get a scale, and a stick blender.

I think I used too much FO, and I did not

let the mixture get hot enough either.

Not giving up, that is for sure!

Thanks for all the advice!

I am off to research scales and stick blenders...BTW, my Walmart sells the stick blenders for $25.00. I am going to

see if I can find a better deal on a higher

quality one.

Thanks again!

[tootie04]

I find my SB in the local Goodwill stores. I have 2 and they have been very good so far.

patricia

[eugenia]

Well, I did use the lye calc, but I am going to wait until I get a scale, and a stick blender.

I think I used too much FO, and I did not

let the mixture get hot enough either.

When you said cornstarch did you perhaps mean cornmeal? The pic is fuzzy but it looks like the FO made the soap rice on you. That's when it separates with little solid bits in it. Not your fault at all, some FO's do this.

Sometimes if you keep at it with the stick blender, you can get it back together.

As for letting the mixture get hot enough, you can soap with everything room temp. The oils and lye do not need to be hot and problems arise when they are too warm. I mix mine the day before, oils and lye (separately, of course) and soap the next day. No waiting for cooling that way, just takes a little planning ahead.

[junebug]

When you said cornstarch did you perhaps mean cornmeal? The pic is fuzzy but it looks like the FO made the soap rice on you. That's when it separates with little solid bits in it. Not your fault at all, some FO's do this.

Sometimes if you keep at it with the stick blender, you can get it back together.

As for letting the mixture get hot enough, you can soap with everything room temp. The oils and lye do not need to be hot and problems arise when they are too warm. I mix mine the day before, oils and lye (separately, of course) and soap the next day. No waiting for cooling that way, just takes a little planning ahead.

Thanks for the info, I think rice is the right word, but I checked for soap safe FO's...I think I had some part in this too! No scale, no sticker whipper handi whip, I must be nuts to try to take on the soap unarmed!!!

Anyways, my mind is wiped out at this point.*faint*

I think I will retract into my nice warm wax coocoon until next year!:neener:

Happy New Year Everyone!!! See ya on the candle side for now!!!

[eugenia]

Soap safe just means use can use them on the body. Any FO can be a potential problem.