CP dryrun sequence

[Deka]

Hi Everyone,

I’ve read a lot, bought some books and watched several vids on CP.
I am familiar with HP so hoping that I can learn CP.
I’m going to do a dry run so I will be familiar with all the steps involved.
I created a list covering the process. Please, if you don’t mind, take a moment and make sure I’ve got all my steps in the proper place or if I missed anything.
BTW: My first batch will be unscented and not colored.
Many thanks to you in advance.

1.Un-clutter counter space. No distractions here!
2.Run recipe through a lye calculator one more time! Kind of like a carpenter – Measure twice, cut once.
3.Create and print out recipe data sheet
4.Put down protective layer on countertop – newspaper, cardboard or paper bags. Easy to replace a protective layer, not so easy to replace a countertop!
5.Prepare mold for soap batter
a.Silicone – no prep needed
b.Wood – Line with freezer paper
6.Put on protective clothing – preferably something that won’t cause too much heartache if it accidentally gets splattered!
a.Long sleeve shirt
b.Long pants
c.Closed toe shoes
7.Collect tools and lay out for use
a.Scale protected by a plastic bag
b.Stick blender
c.Containers for mixing and measuring
d.Gloves
e.Eye protection
f.Apron
g.Silicone spatulas
h.Infrared thermometer
i.Prepared mold
j.Vinegar
8.Gather ingredients to be soaped
9.Measure lye solution ingredients
a.Cold distilled water
b.Silk
c.Sodium lactate
d.Lye
10.Mix lye solution outdoors to avoid lye fumes. SLOWLY POUR LYE INTO WATER while stirring slowly and being upwind so you do not breath the fumes!!
11.When lye is dissolved, bring indoor to cool off. Put in ice water bath if necessary.
12.Measure solid oils
13.Warm solid oils until they are melted
a.Double boiler method
b.Microwave method
c.Direct heat method
14.Measure liquid oils
15.Add liquid oils to melted solid oils to help reduce the melted oil’s temperature
16.Stick blend to thoroughly mix liquid and melted oils
17.Check temperatures of oils and lye solution – both should be within 100 – 110 degrees
18.When the temperature range has been achieved, slowly add lye solution to oils while stirring with a silicone spatula to combine the lye solution and oils
19.Stick blend to light – medium trace
20.Pour into the prepared mold
21.Gently wiggle the batter filled mold to release any air pockets
22.Cover batter filled mold with saran wrap to prevent soda ash
23.Place batter filled mold on a level surface to cure
24.Clean up
a.Right away – Use soapy water
b.Let sit 24 hours and use the saponified soap to clean up with
25.Fill out the note section of your recipe data sheet for future use and recollection.
26.Wait 24 – 48 hours – Don’t peek!
27.Perform zap test
28.Collect cutting tools
a.Ruler
b.Drywall blade
c.Gloves
29.Un-mold
30.Cut into bars
31.Take a moment to admire what you just created and be proud of yourself. Then you realize that you will have to wait (for forever!!! LOL) until you can use what you just created. Bummer!
32.Make notes from cutting the bars on the data sheet
33.Lay out bars on freezer paper lined trays
34.Label freezer paper
a.Recipe name
b.Date when bars will be fully cured
35.Wait 4-6 weeks for full cure; turning bars once a week for even curing
36.Make notes on the fully cured bars

Whew - Did I miss anything? :wink:

Sorry - my outline didn't work very well. :cry:

Deka

 

[Dragonkaz]

Love your list!

I still do most of these things, but maybe not in the exact same order.

I don't zap test until I cut my soap.

I unmould after 48+ hours and then leave for another 24+ hours before cutting. Then wait 24-48 hours before 'polishing' my bars. This is done using a cloth inside a pantyhose. I rub it around the edges to smooth them and across the cut sides of each bar to give them a smooth tidy finish. On average I made 80 bars a week ... usually on one day of my weekend (I work full time) ... and complete all these things in time for the next day of soap making ... and I'm totally addicted ... and loving it!

I wait a minimum of six weeks before testing my bars or selling them. Four months for the salt bars made of coconut oil and six months for the pure olive oil soaps.

I love that you're going to be making so many notes. I love looking back at my soap journals as they're full of notes, including suggestions I've read on this forum.

Good luck with your soapmaking ... please share photos and most important ... have loads of fun!

 

[ToniD]

Wow! Comprehensive list.

Couple of comments for tour consideration: I used to mix lye outdoors, but found it didn't always help with fumes if the wind shifted on me. Besides i didn't like moving it to bring it inside. I like to have a fan to the side of my sink and mix lye in the sink with a fan going.

I find that I need to check my soap in the gelling phase cuz sometimes it can over heat. Then you want to uncover it.

Have fun, let us know how it goes!

 

[Deka]

Love your list!

I still do most of these things, but maybe not in the exact same order.

I don't zap test until I cut my soap.

I unmould after 48+ hours and then leave for another 24+ hours before cutting. Then wait 24-48 hours before 'polishing' my bars. This is done using a cloth inside a pantyhose. I rub it around the edges to smooth them and across the cut sides of each bar to give them a smooth tidy finish. On average I made 80 bars a week ... usually on one day of my weekend (I work full time) ... and complete all these things in time for the next day of soap making ... and I'm totally addicted ... and loving it!

I wait a minimum of six weeks before testing my bars or selling them. Four months for the salt bars made of coconut oil and six months for the pure olive oil soaps.

I love that you're going to be making so many notes. I love looking back at my soap journals as they're full of notes, including suggestions I've read on this forum.

Good luck with your soapmaking ... please share photos and most important ... have loads of fun!

Thank you for your reply Dragonkaz. It is very much appreciated!

I will move the zap test down the list to after cutting the bars.

Do you know if a slab mold saponifies faster than a log mold? I will be making 500 gram batches and pouring the batter into a 9x9x3/4 inch silicone mold.

I love the polishing idea! I have lots of pantyhose available. LOL

I live in the Pacific Northwest (Washington State) and I'll be using the porch (cold temperatures) to cool the batch off. I'm not sure that I want the batch to gel.

Again, Thank You very much!

Deka

 

[Deka]

Wow! Comprehensive list.

Couple of comments for tour consideration: I used to mix lye outdoors, but found it didn't always help with fumes if the wind shifted on me. Besides i didn't like moving it to bring it inside. I like to have a fan to the side of my sink and mix lye in the sink with a fan going.

I find that I need to check my soap in the gelling phase cuz sometimes it can over heat. Then you want to uncover it.

Have fun, let us know how it goes!

ToniD, Thank you for your reply.

The list is a compulation of books, forums and vids. I was so confused because I couldn't find a 'step by step' list. I guess I'm a little OCD. I like to know what I'm doing before I attempt something - especially with a chemical. I have found that when someone knows what they are doing, little details can sometimes get missed when they write it down. I even forgot to mention putting the recipe data sheet in a plastic sheet to check off the ingredients measured and to protect from splatter.

I do understand your concern with shifting winds. A very good point indeed. My range vent does not vent to the outdoors so mixing in the house will not be an option for me. I will make sure that when I make the lye solution outside, I'll be able to freely move around the mixing location to easily get away from the fumes as the wind shifts.

The lye solutions will be in a small batch and be made in a plastic measuring cup. The solution will be 165 grams of water and 70 grams of lye so it is pretty small.

I will be using the porch (cold temps) to keep the saponification temps low so the batter does not overheat. (At least that is my intention. LOL)

I think I'm very close to my dryrun. After that it will be soap batter time!

Again, Thank you for taking the time to review the dryrun sequence. Your input is very much appreciated.

Deka

 

[younglivingmargo]

keeping lists

Dragonkaz, I love your idea of smoothing down the edges.
Does it work once the soap has been curing for weeks or should you do it sooner rather then later.

 

[Dragonkaz]

Re: keeping lists

Dragonkaz, I love your idea of smoothing down the edges.
Does it work once the soap has been curing for weeks or should you do it sooner rather then later.

Thanks younglivingmargo!

I have busy weeks and weekends and my soaping process is spread over each week ... that's from making to polishing ... after which the soap gets put away to cure. This means I usually polish on the seventh day and it works great. I've polished sooner and sometimes if the soap is a little soft it wears away the soap a lot quicker, but it still works fine. I've also polished much later and it still works, it just means that it takes more rubbing to get the edges smoothed, due to the soap being harder.

 

[Fragola]

Regarding concerns about winds and lye, I also keep a lid handy. If I see that the lye vapors move into attack position, I hold my breath, put the lid on and leave the area for few minutes.

 

[IrishLass]

Regrading the zap test: I don't conduct a zap test until my soap is about a week or more old. This is because newly unmolded soaps can sometimes zap without necessarily being lye heavy, especially if ungelled, and you don't want to freak out unnecessarily or do anything crazy like throwing your soap away prematurely. Although it's very possible that it could be lye heavy, it's also just as possible that you have a slow saponifier on your hands. If you do test right out of the mold and it zaps- don't freak out or let that get you down. Test again in a week or so. If you formulated and weighed everything properly, chances are very good that the zapping will disappear completely over the next few days. I had a soap once that zapped for about 6 or 7 days before it finally mellowed out and became tongue neutral. It's because of that incident that I wait a week before testing.

Also- regarding stickblending: don't keep it on the entire time until trace. It's best to use it sparingly in an intermittant/off and on manner instead of continuously.

IrishLass

 

[soap_rat]

You mentioned being familiar with HP, did you mean Melt and Pour? Hot process is everything you're talking about doing, then either heating the mold & soap in the oven for a bit, or cooking it in a crock pot/pot in the oven before molding. Just so you know about that option. Hot Process is usable right away, but works best/longer if allowed to cure.

Just a couple other thoughts for you:
Make sure animals and children can't run into the room while you're soaping, at least when the lye is in there.

Also, your recipe is small, and will cool off quickly. When we started we also did small batches and we found it took forever to get trace because of the cooling--well, we didn't have a stick blender yet either! If you have a heating pad, keep it hot under your mixing container, or if making soap in a stockpot, you can even occasionally hit the pot with a brief blast of heat from the stove burner. The solid fats help accelerate trace. Regular Olive Oil slows it. Pomace olive oil speeds trace.

I hope that helps!

 

[Deka]

Regarding concerns about winds and lye, I also keep a lid handy. If I see that the lye vapors move into attack position, I hold my breath, put the lid on and leave the area for few minutes.

Fragola, Thank you for the wonderful suggestion about the lid for the lye solution. What a great tip!!

Thank you so very much!

Deka

 

[Deka]

Regrading the zap test: I don't conduct a zap test until my soap is about a week or more old. This is because newly unmolded soaps can sometimes zap without necessarily being lye heavy, especially if ungelled, and you don't want to freak out unnecessarily or do anything crazy like throwing your soap away prematurely. Although it's very possible that it could be lye heavy, it's also just as possible that you have a slow saponifier on your hands. If you do test right out of the mold and it zaps- don't freak out or let that get you down. Test again in a week or so. If you formulated and weighed everything properly, chances are very good that the zapping will disappear completely over the next few days. I had a soap once that zapped for about 6 or 7 days before it finally mellowed out and became tongue neutral. It's because of that incident that I wait a week before testing.

Also- regarding stickblending: don't keep it on the entire time until trace. It's best to use it sparingly in an intermittant/off and on manner instead of continuously.

IrishLass

IrishLass, Thank you so much for your time to read and comment on the list.

Zap test dually noted and moved down the list.

Stick blender use needs to be in short bursts so the motor does not burn out. I can use the stick blender to stir with until the next burst of power. - Got it!

More notes added to the list. I'm loving it! I knew I had missed some details and now they are being filled in.

Again, Thank you so much for your time.

Deka

 

[Deka]

You mentioned being familiar with HP, did you mean Melt and Pour? Hot process is everything you're talking about doing, then either heating the mold & soap in the oven for a bit, or cooking it in a crock pot/pot in the oven before molding. Just so you know about that option. Hot Process is usable right away, but works best/longer if allowed to cure.

Just a couple other thoughts for you:
Make sure animals and children can't run into the room while you're soaping, at least when the lye is in there.

Also, your recipe is small, and will cool off quickly. When we started we also did small batches and we found it took forever to get trace because of the cooling--well, we didn't have a stick blender yet either! If you have a heating pad, keep it hot under your mixing container, or if making soap in a stockpot, you can even occasionally hit the pot with a brief blast of heat from the stove burner. The solid fats help accelerate trace. Regular Olive Oil slows it. Pomace olive oil speeds trace.

I hope that helps!

soap_rat, Thank you for reading and commenting.

HP - Hot Process by either the double boiler method or the crockpot method. I am familiar with both.

M&P - Melt and pour I am also familiar with but just didn't seem to fall in love with it.

Thank you for the heads up about other beings in the house. No kids but a dog to be concerned about. He is older and doesn't run around much anymore. I will make sure he is not in the area when I do batches. I would not anything to happen to him!

Total batch weight will be around 737 grams. Solid oils are 43.9%, olive oil is 28.9%, other oils are the balance. I'm thinking that trace should not take too long. Hopefully no more than 2-3 minutes. Because of my knowledge of HP, I at least know what trace looks like!

I feel like I'm putting a large jigsaw puzzle together. All help is appreciated more than you would believe. I actually think I'm learning a 2nd language. :wink:

Again, Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Deka

 

[Relle]

After reading your long list I don't remember seeing Mask on it ( I might be wrong), if you wear a mask when mixing your lye if any fumes arise you will be protected, thats what I do. I think the mask is one of the more important things, as I've been caught out and breathed in the fumes and you don't want to do that and I use a lid as well.

 

[Deka]

After reading your long list I don't remember seeing Mask on it ( I might be wrong), if you wear a mask when mixing your lye if any fumes arise you will be protected, thats what I do. I think the mask is one of the more important things, as I've been caught out and breathed in the fumes and you don't want to do that and I use a lid as well.

Hi Relle9,

You didn't miss the mask because I forgot it! Thank you for reminding me.

What kind of mask would be best? I can't see a paper mask as being the right kind. Would the mask need to have a carbon type of filter to take the fumes out?

Again, Thank you for this very important detail that needs to be included!

Deka

 

[Dragonkaz]

I use a 'dust' mask kind and mix my lye and liquid outside. The mask provides minimal protection, but that's better than no protection and it's a great reminder that the fumes of the lye can do nasty (if not fatal) things to your body if breathed in. In addition, I also check what direction (if any) a breeze is blowing, so I can move around my outdoor table if I need to. Plus I take my time and face away from my lye while I'm gently stirring.

I think your batch size is excellent for your first few, as it's not too small and not too big if anything goes wrong.

With your experience of HP soapmaking, hopefully nothing will go wrong.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Stinkydancer]

CP is easier than HP IMO...same process other than the cook and adding FO.
I think you have it handled.

 

[Relle]

Just a dust mask as Kaz said, those thicker type ones with the top bit you can pinch in to fit your nose, you shouldn't need a filter type one. Here we get them at the hardware. The thinner ones are not much use.