Soap mold pan

[Candybee]

I just found the cardboard paper instruction that came with my pan I bought to use as a soap mold. It says its an Oneida cake pan and it's made out of "aluminized" steel. I think this is a no no isn't it? Doesn't that mean it has aluminum in it?

[TallTayl]

For CP that is a big no. It's best to avoid any and all metal with CP.

Metal ions contribute to DOS. I won't even store CP soap near metal of any sort.

[JanetsCandles]

Weird enough, I'm getting stuff ready to do my own soaping (thanks for the addiction, guys). In the process of it, I'd been looking for a mold to use, didn't have a shoe box. I went to walmart and found these little drawer organizers. They are almost the same exact size as a bread pan, so going to test this out. Weren't that expensive either. It might be a thought instead. And no metal to worry about.

[Candybee]

Oh thanks Janetscandles! I will try Walmart.

But now I am confused. I know I read somewhere that you could use a stockpot or steel bowls for soaping as long as they aren't aluminum. Is this true or should I stay away from steel too? I have been using sturdy plastic bowls to make soap in that I got at the Goodwill. But when I read about using a stockpot I thought that was a good idea because it won't tip over the way a bowl might when you are stirring.

[TallTayl]

If you are absolutely certain the pot is 100% stainless then it is fine for soapmaking. I have purchased several pots, spoons, sieves, funnels, etc. stamped as stainless steel that weren't. They were manufactured in a different country, so I shy away from metals and CP.

Instead, plastic pails from your local hardware store are a great alternative. They come in gallon increments from 1 through 6 and have several advantages:

First, they are taller than wide making them less tippy.

Second, when soaping in a vessel that is taller than wide trace comes more quickly with fewer air bubbles being introduced into the mix. This is key for smooth texture.

Next, but not least, , if you find a little extra time one day that isn't quite long enough to make soap, you can pre-measure your oils (or even master batch them), sealing them easily with their tightly fitted lids. Most of t he smaller sizes fit right into the microwave (remove the metal handles first), so just melt slightly and you're good to go for a quick soap making session.

I find 1 gallon perfect for batches up to 5 lbs of oils. 2 gallon fits batches of up to 10 lbs of oils, etc. I don't often go bigger than 3 gallons (15 lbs of oils) in a single batch simply because my back won't let me.

[Candybee]

Thats an excellent idea! I totally forgot that Lowes has those buckets and pails on sale.

As for premeasuring I was reading a website yesterday that sells a "basic" soap blend with the oils premixed. I thought this was a good idea only I will mix my own. I can premix and use as needed. My only concern is do they stay mixed or maybe I should give them a good stir before I use them each time?!

[Stella1952]

Instead, plastic pails from your local hardware store are a great alternative. They come in gallon increments from 1 through 6

What a good tip!! Except for a couple of my favorite stirring utensils, I use plastic stuff for soapmaking. Sometimes I warm oils in a stainless steel saucepan, but as far as mixing soap - plastic is the way to fly! The largest batch I have made thus far has been 4#, so a tall 2 quart plastic pitcher is perfect for mixing lye & water right in the sink plus it has a spout which makes pouring into the oils go perfectly.

The only problem I have had thus far is the biggest container I use when making 4# batches is too deep to accommodate my stick blender, so I had to combine stirring with an extra long-handled spoon and SBing as deeply as I could. I plan to get one of those long paint/sheet rock mud mixer things that go onto an electric drill for larger batches, kinda like the ones shown here:

http://www.all-wall.com/Categories/Mud-Mixing-Tools/

I haven't premixed oils yet, but I think that's a wonderful idea. I would surely stir before using just in case the lighter ones separated from the heavier ones. Never hurts, KWIM?

[TallTayl]

@candybee - for premeasured that includes both solid and liquid oils I'd likely melt to at least a slurry then mix well. My own soap making process uses the heat of the lye solution to melt the hard oils, adding the liquids once the hard oils are melted. Having both in the pail at the start would require a little 'help'.

@Stella -for deep pails I use a poly material paint mixer attachment on my drill. IIRC the squirrel mixer introduced a lot of air. Mine is flatter, though I cannot seem to find an image online at the moment. Works great even without the high sheer. When batches get really big it is actually helpful to have a 'weaker' tool since they tend to heat up quicker in volume.

Truth be told I hand mix most small (10lb or less) batches with this flat whisk. It reaches to the bottom of the 2 gallon pail even when mostly full. I use the SB only enough to enspure emulsification before coloring and pouring.

[chuck_35550]

My favorite soap pot for small batches is a plastic bowl with a handle that is really easy to pour up and clean up. I found it on a rack at wally world on the ice cream aisle with a bunch of other kitchen tools and they're really cheap. HTH

Steve

[Candybee]

My favorite soap pot for small batches is a plastic bowl with a handle that is really easy to pour up and clean up. I found it on a rack at wally world on the ice cream aisle with a bunch of other kitchen tools and they're really cheap. HTH

Steve

Steve I think I have that exact bowl with the pour spout and handle. Only I use it to mix my lye water in. The plastic bowls I currently use to mix my soap in all have one side with a handy grip and the other with a pour side. It was a set I saw at Walmart but I happened to pick the exact same set up at my local Goodwill for about $2.