Grumpy Girl Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 What is the best beginner recipe for CP soap using stuff from the grocery?I looked on millersoap.com and there are soooo many recipes I'm lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberia Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 I'll try to help! What oils do you have on hand? What are you going to use for your mold (size, etc.)?Kimberly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted November 11, 2005 Author Share Posted November 11, 2005 Thanks.I haven't bought a thing yet, and while there is a B&B supplier here in town, they are closed till the first of the month while they're moving. I wanted to try a 2lb recipe using stuff I could either buy at Sam's or at Walmart since they are close and handy. I have more than enough body safe FO on hand and my Mom is making me two regular wooden molds with lids in 2, and 4 lbs sizes. She's a wiz at wood, so I'm sure she'll help me with whatever I need.I got my Soapmakers Companion book in the mail today, so I'm still in information overload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 Try 20% coconut20% Lard60% OliveIt'll take a while for this recipe to come to trace, but would be great for a learning batch and not cost too much. You'll even have time to swirl if ya want! Just be sure to measure out your fo when you measure out your oils, and set it in the mold, that way you can't pour unscented soap in your mold (unless that's what you're going for)Have fun, and we want pics of that first batch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted November 12, 2005 Author Share Posted November 12, 2005 I'm a tad bit confused about the calculator part of this to get the amount of lye needed. I need blonde instructions. I broke down and bought a 9 bar Kelsei mold a few minutes ago. I think that will give me some incentive.*Edited to add:How many pounds does a 9 bar mold hold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberia Posted November 12, 2005 Share Posted November 12, 2005 Two pound recipes scare me! When you are dealing with such small amounts, your accuracy must be dead-on or you will quite likely end up with lye-heavy soap or a big glob of mush. Do you have a good scale? Which lye calculator are you using? According to the Kelsie site, their 9 bar mold holds 2 1/2 pounds of soap. Kimberly:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted November 12, 2005 Author Share Posted November 12, 2005 Yup, I've got a really good digital scale that I bought for candle making from my restaurant wholesale account. I think it could accurately weight dust if I left it out on the counter long enough.I was using the MMS calculator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Posted November 12, 2005 Share Posted November 12, 2005 Ok Girl - ger ready for soapmaking math 101...lolYou have a 2 1/2 pound mold so that's 16+16+8 (one pound plus one pound plus 1/2 a pound) which totals 40 oz.Soooo.. Talking the super simple recipe I posted, here's how you would break it down.20% Coconut 20% Lard 60% Olive.20 x 40 = 8 oz Coconut Oil.20 x 40 = 8 oz Lard.60 x 40 = 24 oz OliveJust move the decimal point two to the right, and mutiply it by the total batch amount for your breakdown. If there's any part of this you don't understand, please holler and I or someone else here will explain it differently! Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted November 13, 2005 Author Share Posted November 13, 2005 Okay, now I have that part understoood and It makes a lot more sense now. What I'm not understanding is the amount of lye and water that I'll be needing for this recipe. I saw a lye calculator last night that gave me a range of numbers for the lye... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angied Posted November 13, 2005 Share Posted November 13, 2005 This recipe sounds fairly easy but I would also like to know about the lye and the water amounts. And maybe a dumb question but where do you actually buy lye?Angie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michi Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 bumping this for you, hoping you get an answer, as I'm curious as well. I've yet to take the CP plunge, it just scares me. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angied Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 bump bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Ok.. The different numbers in lye. I'm assuming you're using thesage's lye calc, and that one has variables for lye. Most crafters the 5% excess fat lye amount. This means, the 5% column has enough lye in it to transform (saponify) 95% of the oils to soap, leaving 5% unsaponified for moisture. Having a 10% superfatted batch can leave too many oils in the batch, causing it to go rancid quickly, and 0% superfat will strip your skin raw! Angied.. Please read this section of the forums, as I'm sure it will help answer many of your questions! Also, check out www.millersoap.com, and know it backwards, forwards, and inside out (or at least know where to go when you need a reference.)http://www.candletech.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=27HTH ya'll! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angied Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Thanks so much Bunny I dont know if I have ever seen that part of candletech before. I am off to read it now. Sorry if I have been a pain:sad2: I guess my only soap making abilities have been with mp and this other stuff is very confusing but I want to learn all I can before I attempt it.Thanks again!!!Angie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angied Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Bunny!!!! I think I love you:yay: Just the little bit of reading and the mms calculator has already helped so much. Not that I am 100% ready to make soap but I am understanding formulas more. Thank you...thank you!!Angie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Girl Posted November 16, 2005 Author Share Posted November 16, 2005 Okay, so if I'm doing this correctly, according to the soapcalc. at 5% superfatted for a 2.5 pound recipe I need:8 oz. Coconut Oil8 oz. Lard24 oz. Olive Oil2.5 oz. FO @ 1 oz. PP15.2 oz. of water5.55 oz. of LyeIs this correct?If so, I feel like an idiot because it looks simple in the calc. now that I can read it and figured out how to put in the total oil weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainmadness Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Okay, now I have that part understoood and It makes a lot more sense now. What I'm not understanding is the amount of lye and water that I'll be needing for this recipe. I saw a lye calculator last night that gave me a range of numbers for the lye...Soap lesson #102- When oils are mixed with lye/water the oils saponify (a molecular change that turns the oils into soap). Oils saponify at different rates (in other words, each oil takes a different amount of the sodium hydroxide molecule to turn it into soap) thus the lye calculator. The type of oil and the quantity that you use determine the amount of lye/water that is needed. Lye calculators will normally give you a range of lye to use. What this means is that if you use the max amount of lye suggested than all of your oils will have a sodium hydroxide bond. If you use the least amount of lye suggested than your soap will contain oils and that are not bonded with a sodium hydroxide molecule (otherwise known as superfat). It is important to know how much lye to use. If you use too much then your soap will burn your skin and the soap will appear dry (too many sodium hydroxide molecules and not enough oil to bond to). If you do not use enough lye than your soap will not become hard and sometimes remain a pudding-like mess (too many oil molecules with no sodium hydroxide molecule to attach to).If you understand the chemical process than it makes more sense.....I hope that I explained it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Thanks MM.. I knew that stuff, just couldn't put it into words! (If that makes any sense...lol)Wonder who's gonna have lesson 103?? Angie, I think many people tend to skip that section.. Me included! Glad I could point it out to you! Lots to learn.. And you haven't been a pain! I'm so glad to see people asking questions instead of making crappy stuff and selling it right away. People who want to learn the right way always come up with a better product, better marketability, and are prouder of their stuff! Be happy!Grumpy Girl, you got it!!!!!! WOOOHOOOO! Now, if you got a new mold, one that holds 4 lbs 2 oz, you know how to handle it? I know you can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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