HP to look like CP

[twiggyscreations]

I am glad you got her book! Aren't the pic's fabulous??

If I want to add oil or a butter to a recipe, I add it as a super-fat after the cook. I am sure there are as many ways to do it as there are soapmakers, hopefully somebody else will chime in.

I generally run all recipes through a couple lye calc's before I use them the first time, then I decide if I need to adjust anything so I can add a superfat. I know it sounds like a pain to run recipes through lye calc's everytime, but I photocopy my recipes so I can write notes all over the back of them, so I only have to run them through a calc one time.

ETA: Great! somebody else did chime in!

 

[Jerry S]

Has anyone mastered smoothing out Hot Process soap. I love the HP method but just don't like the look. Any suggestions?
I love smooth and creamy...

Smoothing the top of HP with Pics.

Teresa, I to have always made CP soap and just recently have tried HP. As you, I was not happy with the look of what I ended up with especially the top of the soap when I finished.
I finally came up with a method of smoothing the top of the soap in the mold after getting a tip from someone here on the forum. I can’t remember whom…but it works well for me.
I get a piece of saran wrap ready to put over the soap right after I plop it in the mold and smooth it best I can with any tool that works. Then…quickly. very quickly I lay the saran wrap over the soap and spray some PAM on the saran wrap and use a plastic trowel working it over the wrap back and forth along the top of the mold…Its best if the soap is soft using some of the methods described in the past threads of his topic.
I made HP because I didn’t have enough time before the holidays to do CP and have my soap gifts ready for my relatives….lol.
Here are a couple of pics....

Jerry S

 

[lovethyscent]

Last month I did a batch and forgot to plug the cp back in by accident after stickblending. Came back and the soap was done. It was easier to spoon out & when I unmolded the inside look like cp. I was so excited, yes I have bumpy tops still, but the inside was lovely. Insulated after putting in the mold helps the texture also. I have yet to get it pourable though.

I am glad you brought that up. I have noticed that when I don't preheat the crockpot and start out with my temps under 150 that I get a smoother soap. It takes longer to reach trace and the cook takes longer, and instead of being able to unmold in an hour or 2, sometimes it takes all day, but the results are better. I thought I was just imagining it and trying to rationalize the fact that I never remember to preheat the crockpot.

I live in southern Arizona, I just put it on the porch, plenty warm out there!

Actually my crock was preheated at low the whole time. My outlet on my stove only has one plug so I unplug to stickblend. That's another good theory though.

 

[LisaNY]

Thanks, soapbuddy and twiggies! I will try adding a T (ppo) of oil first and see what happens. (This will be over and above what I run through soapcalc - I normally sf at 10%, anyway - especially headed into the winter!)

)

 

[FloridaSoaper]

Quick question, when you're adding the sugar and sodium lactate at 1 tbsp. ppo to the cphp soap, at what point do you add these two things? I want to make my hp more pourable and finally got my sodium lactate and just need to know when to add the sugar and SL. Thanks!

 

[paillo]

i add just a little water in the beginning, then add glycerin and sugar during the cook. if it's too lumpy, i use a potato masher to smooth it out. then sodium lactate at the very end to ensure a hard bar...

 

[IrishLass]

I add my sugar and sodium lactate to my lye solution.

IrishLass

 

[Stinkydancer]

Hiya, I am an incurable lurker, and am fairly new to this forum, but this post caught my eye.

Rather than fight the soap, embrace it for all that it is. I actually strive to make the top of my soap bumpy and textured. It assures my clients that it is truly handmade by me. Almost all my soaps are CPHP, even my milled soaps start with CPHP soaps that I make. I can't wait 4 minutes, how am I supposed to make it through 4 weeks?

Here is a HUGE pic (sorry, my first post...):

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I agree here- take the HP soap for what it is. I leave my tops- I think they are pretty. I also like the way HP retains scent and lathers. Once water hits them they are smooth as well.
Both CP and HP soaps are great- just take them for what they are. If you want a CP look do CP. HP just doesn't look like CP ever no matter what- it's two different beasts but SL and Sugar help a lot.

 

[Pretty n Plain]

I use glycerine for my HP, makes it so much easier to mould and the texture throughout is lovely I think. As for the rough texture on top, I polish all my soaps and the HP come out quite nice just with a different look but I did find I have to work quickly on the HP tops so they don't get the dry mashed potatoe look on top lol eeek :roll:

 

[Stinkydancer]

Hey I like that look! Or I have embraced it! People seem to like the look so I don't worry too much about it.

 

[SumikoKeel]

Thank you for this thread I am loving the rustic finish to the HP soaps and also the idea of saran wrap to smooth out the top is a very good one. My relatives ( In laws) would not appreciate rustic - while my family would. This has helped me a million fold. Amen for saran wrap and the kindness to post both images of the saran wrap and Twiggy's pics
Rhonda

 

[Soaplady22]

Thank you from me, too, as that is what I'm doing today - rebatching a fresh batch that separated due to over heating (oatmeal, milk & honey).

I'm going to try the sugar method == adding at the end of the meltdown in the crockpot; I've never tried that before. No time like the present!!