Do you master batch?

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rodeogal

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Like many of you, soaping is my full-time passion, but not my full-time income. With work, our goats, and now our garden, my soaping time is at a premium. I really need more hours in the day. However, I have been researching master batching for oils. I really feel this would be a great help to me, as I could just grab a bowl and go at it.

Do any of you master batch your oils? Do you store them in one big container or weigh them out in batch size containers? Do you find it saves you time?
Do you add all the oils? I saw one person say they add everything but the olive oil and add it when they actually soap.
 
I've been thinking of doing the same thing. Would love to hear some input! I have a master batch recipe, but I'm not too thrilled with all of the ingredients.
 
I master batch my main recipe, and also my lye at a 50% solution. Makes soaping so much faster. What used to take me all weekend to get 2-3 batches done, now takes me a matter of a couple hours...
I will never go back to weighing out individual batches unless I'm doing a new recipe or one of my specialty soaps.
 
So glad to hear this. I am really excited about the prospect. I told Mr. last I was going to make a master batch this weekend if I had to stay up all night to do it! lol
 
I guess my biggest question about master batching is do the oils separate over time, or are you mixing in a big bucket and splitting immediately into specific weights so if it separates, things separate accordingly?
 
Liz, there are different schools of thought on batching from what I can find. For me personally, I feel that mixing all the oils and putting them in batch-size containers will work better for me.

Some people put them all in one big container and use bucket warmers to remelt when they are ready to soap. I don't have the room or equipment for this.

It is my understanding that if you mix the oils very well they will not separate, but will only become slushy after they cool.

p.s. After deciding how many batches you want to make at once, run the amount through the lye calc and that will give you your grand totals to mix.
 
This master batching interests me. I couldn't do it yet. I am waiting to get the garage reorganized, because there just isn't enough room to store all my oils in the kitchen (and I'd like to keep my coconut oil where it will stay liquid). I'm particularly interested in the lye batching. If you do it, what do you store it in? And how do you know how much to measure out with the lye dissolved (is it the water + lye weight called for in the recipe)?
 
I master batch my oils--I weigh them out into batch buckets and it really saves time! Often hubby will weigh the oils for me and he likes to line the molds for me. Depends on what the rest of the day entails because I have a primitive crafts business as well and my days can be really long. I haven't master batched my lye yet though, because of the weight factor of the water/lye when I use it.
 
rodeogal said:
Liz, there are different schools of thought on batching from what I can find. For me personally, I feel that mixing all the oils and putting them in batch-size containers will work better for me.

Some people put them all in one big container and use bucket warmers to remelt when they are ready to soap. I don't have the room or equipment for this.

It is my understanding that if you mix the oils very well they will not separate, but will only become slushy after they cool.

p.s. After deciding how many batches you want to make at once, run the amount through the lye calc and that will give you your grand totals to mix.
Click to expand...

It depends on your recipe. The more hard oils you have the more likely it will solidify.
My particular recipe becomes slushy once cooled and it is easy to just stir the entire thing right before weighing out each batch. I make 20-25lbs of masterbatch oils at a time. I don't split out each individual batch at time of masterbatching because I never know what size batch I want to do until I start soaping.

I just tell my SM3 program that I'm making 25lbs of that recipe and print it out to weigh everything.
 
I know everyone is probably tired of me posting links, but, us newbies spend time on google. Here is one that I found through Natures Garden (which I love their store) but it is about masterbatching:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW90IrBSfdY[/ame]
 
I make soap using a very high percentage of coconut oil and cocoa and shea butters. Does this mean masterbatching is not an option? I would have to measure out the oils, melt them and mix them together and only to have them solidify overnight again. Not sure if it would save me any time :)

I am desperately looking at ways to increase productivity - are there any other methods that save time other than masterbatching the oils?
 

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