Can you do HP Castile?

[jenneelk]

I really want to try this type and see if it's something I might like since I seem to be quite picky after trying several of mine with butters and fancy stuff. Guess I could buy a castile but I already have two others on the way to try so I'm ok to wait it out if I can do it in 6 weeks or so.
I know people say HP cuts the cure time way down.. so can castile be done to shorten the cure from a year? Maybe I can't get to 6 weeks but now I'm just curious about it in general.
I do have an 80% OO done but think that still needs like 3 months right?

 

[savonierre]

I have made HP castile, to me the lather or lack of slime seems quicker than CP, but it still does need a good cure. It really is a personal thing if you like the soap at 3 months that is great, I just prefer to wait longer if I can. if you use a bath pouff with a newer castile you will get nice bubbles and lather.

 

[jenneelk]

Kellie would you say 6 months maybe? Its still better than 12 and if it's all the same in performance at the end I just might do it.

Can I throw another ? on here so I don't have to post again. I want to try adding silk as I've seen it mentioned.. but do people use Silk amino acids? I've also seen Tussah silk mention but I only know that as a yarn type of silk. LOL

 

[Obsidian]

I made a batch of castile a few days ago, added a few things to see if it would help the bubbles and slime. Tried it today and its already making more bubbles then a aged bar of castile and the slime seems less too. I expect to start using it within 3 month.

SF 8%
95% OO
5% castor
3 TBS sugar PPO

 

[sistrum]

Really the only way to find what you like is to start testing. Make your soap. If you're soap gels or you do HP you can start using it as soon as its cooled and cut. Then just keep using it every day or so and take notes. That's really the only way to find what you consider a proper cure for your soap. I would cut down the water, that will help to hurry the evaporation time. Good luck.

 

[sistrum]

Oh, and your silk question, people mostly just use silk fibers but some use a piece of silk fabric. Just put it in your water before adding the lye it will then dissolve. Most people say to us a cotton ball size piece.

 

[CaliChan]

HP is a great way to help your Castile batches set up faster, I will only HP and water discount my castile soaps now. I am not patient enough to wait a week to unmold and cut such a simple soap up ;P but thats me. As for it curing faster I wouldnt say it does (for any soap), I still wait the 4-6 months minimum for pure OO soap. I have a castile that has cured for 5 months and it still doesnt feel to me the way castile should. But its not slimy. Im only recently hearing that it should be cured for a year. So to me thats a grain of salt kind of thing.

 

[jenneelk]

Well I ended up doing a CP today with 90% OO just to have one for later. It's already unmolded fine but drying out more for cutting tomorrow.

Im going to read up on HP and do Castile so I have something hopefully in 6 months.
Thanks for the help.

 

[jennikate]

Any Cp recipe can be made HP. However the finished soap has a different look. Even HP Castille needs long cure. Hope this helps.

 

[bodhi]

I made a batch of castile a few days ago, added a few things to see if it would help the bubbles and slime. Tried it today and its already making more bubbles then a aged bar of castile and the slime seems less too. I expect to start using it within 3 month.

SF 8%
95% OO
5% castor
3 TBS sugar PPO

Sorry, I have to... Call me the castile nazi if you like ... If its not 100% Olive oil, Its not Castile.

To the OP, I cp and hp mine depending on the season and cure both for a year at least. I do recall there being a slight difference but not enough change my curing routines or take special note of.

 

[efeoli]

I have a question relating to this subject, I know castile soap is 100% OO. But how long should I expect a 80% OO HP soap to take to cure? I know it is a trial and error thing, but just to have a idea.

Thanks!

 

[doriettefarm]

I have a question relating to this subject, I know castile soap is 100% OO. But how long should I expect a 80% OO HP soap to take to cure? I know it is a trial and error thing, but just to have a idea.

Thanks!

I second efeoli's question. My recent batch of HP GM soap hasn't firmed up as quickly as expected. It's still kind of a spongey/playdoh-ish texture but I used 55% OO so maybe I'm expecting too much too soon.

I zap tested to make sure there was no active lye and it lathers great. Just wondering how long I should wait for evaporation to occur before labeling and sharing with others . . .

 

[Alaska beauty]

Properly made Hot processed Castile soap ready to use after it's cool down. Big time consuming mistake is to much liquid. Time to cure depend on amount of water in your soap. This is my coconut milk hot process castile with chamomile and aloe powder cooked without it going true gel phase. I want it gel free, so milk to lye in it 2:1. I have done Castile with 1:1 water lye and they was impossible to pour after trase, but cooked quickly and bubbles like aged Castile right away.

 

[Lin]

cure is about more than just water evaporation. So while water discounts can harden and dry the soap faster, its not a replacement for a full cure time.

 

[Alaska beauty]

How do you cure your hot processed soap after cooking?

 

[Alaska beauty]

I just finished my quick Castile with Bay Laurel EO. 1:1 water lye, 100% olive add couple drops of bay EO ( I just love how it smell together with fresh soap) . Castile on top of wood burner. Bay speed it up nicely, i got gel in 30 minutes. Add more Bay and some glycerin. Took it outside to cool down. This is photo of first soap from the mold. Wonderful small babbles right away and no mucus.
When I was learning how to make soaps on-line calculator was not exist. I got couple old books and a good teacher. Oils react with lye not with water. Water used to dissolve lye. More water slower reactions, soft soap, long curing time. Proper amount of water help you produce good soap.

 

[efeoli]

Thank you so much for the replies, I suspected that water was only to dissolve the lye. I will experiment next with different amounts of water discount.

 

[Ktaggard]

Alaska B, how do you hp without going through gel? You've got me really intrigued. And water discounting that much with hp? How did you get you hp Castile that smooth with a 1:1 ratio? Please explain more if do not mind. I've been soaping for almost 3 years and I still feel like a baby - so much to learn!!!!

 

[Alaska beauty]

The temperature of your gel depend on your water amount, mixing temperature and additives. I wrote as much as I can about water calculation, % problems and minimum amount in my blog at alaskasangelsfarm.com. I don't believe in 30-38% water to oils. I don't know where it's come from and what is the theory behind it. My theory works great for me.
Coconut milk castile with chamomile was made for one of my customer with allergies. For her I saved bars CP with no gel. The rest I decide to swirl with aloe powder and cook. That was a fun soap. Made just to show that you can cook and swirl HP soap and do not gel it. It was cooked in the oven on low t- 80C ( near 178 F). It has 1:1,5 lye milk and olive oil. CP bars was ready in a month (PH test).

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

..........CP bars was ready in a month (PH test).

Interesting read in general, but this last point here - does this mean that it was ready based on the pH test or on the feel of the soap itself? As in, did it have any of the qualities of a young Castile or was it more like an older, cured out bar?