AM I DOING THIS RIGHT??? ACKKKK!

[tchad21ut]

I just finished my first 2 batches of CP and WOW, that was fun!! but Im still not convinced that Im doing this all the right way...
So do you mind if I ask a couple questions to all your ADVANCED soapmakers?
ok, maybe a few more than a couple, but I want to make sure that I am doing this right....

First of all, does it matter when you mix the lye and water with your oils, temperature wise? I read that you can mix them as long as they are within 20 degrees of each other.. I just was not sure if I could do it at a higher temp to keep it liquid for longer while I do color and fragrance oils.. or if I should wait till it drops to about 100 or so?

After I mix everything, when is the best time to add color and fragrance or essential oils??

I am almost positive that because of the oils that I was using are yellowish in color, the soap turned out pretty yellow in one batch.. I tried to mix in some purple, but didn't really do much at all... it just kind of turned it a yellowey brown color... are there oils that I can use that promote more of a white base to add color into?

now that they are all poured and everything, they still REALLY smell like the olive oil or something, almost overpowering the fragrance, will this switch after it cures for a couple of weeks? or is the fragrance that it is now going to be the same fragrance at the end of the process?
One of my batches smells almost yeasty.. Im not sure if that is the fragrance that I was using, but it almost smells like BEER! which is not what i was expecting at all.. what did I do wrong???

Only a couple more I promise!! :?

One of my batches turned out rather well, though I got really scared when it turned almost lumpy and really thick while i was mixing with my stick blender, is this normal? am I supposed to pour BEFORE I get to that thickness? or is that the perfect time to pour it?


One of my batches smells almost yeasty.. Im not sure if that is the fragrance that I was using, but it almost smells like BEER! which is not what i was expecting at all.. what did I do wrong???

I really should take pictures of some just to show you what Im seeing, but for now, this will have to do...

Thanks everyone in advance for ALL your help!!!

 

[tchad21ut]

oops,

I put the beer thing twice.. lol, sorry.. I must need a beer.

 

[Lane]

They say the temps matter...but honestly, I've mixed at Oils 130 and lye 130 and I've also done combination's of oils 95 and lye 128....and I have done both below 100... The only difference being how fast trace occurred. The hotter it is, the faster you better move. :wink:

I add color while I'm mixing the lye and oils, BEFORE trace... Fragrance oil at medium trace, or right bewfore you plan to pour. Again, it all depends on what temps you are working at... If you are unsure of how the FO will react, you probably want to work at low temps and add the FO at light trace...

Purple and yellow are complimentary colors... So when mixed together they will always make brown...So will green w/ red, and blue w/ Orange. If you can't get around having a yellowish base, add a color like blue, which will be enhanced into a teal like color.... To whiten a base, ad TD (Titamium dioxide) I have POUNDS of the stuff if you want some to test with (just pm me)

I don't know about the scent thing... What was your recipe?

"it turned almost lumpy and really thick while i was mixing with my stick blender" I would say that it thiiiiiiick trace... I've pushed batches that far, and yeah... get it in your mold before it gets to that point

What fragrance oils are you using? They can massively change how the whole process goes...

Hope that helps at least sooooome. I'm the more unconventional soaper, everyone here does it totally different :wink:

 

[brian0523]

For me - the easiest thing was making soap with Lye & Oils at room temp. It just cuts out one more thing to worry about if all your ingredients are room-temp.