I think I am in love with HP

[jcatblum]

I figured why bother to HP it seems like extra steps without a different result. I have always CP & it was enjoyable. I haven't ventured into trying different methods until I needed to rebatch. I was so nervous & scared to rebatch. Then it worked. So hey why not try HP. I did a small loaf pan the first try. So easy & quick. Much less mess in my kitchen. Then every day since I have made a HP loaf. Only slowing down now since my olive oil & lye need to be replenished. I can't even count the soap I have on my shelves!
HP takes 1/2 the FO & smells so much amazing. CP scent can't compare. My 2 favs of the month are fruit loops & BBW dupe of eucalypts spearmint.
I think I have been converted. My kids say the HP looks ugly, but I don't care. I am still in love with HP.


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[ourwolfden]

Pictures? I have heard the soap really isn't real until you post pictures.

I have plans to make a pumkin HP batch here in the next week or so, glad to hear you are liking it.

 

[Skatergirl46]

I like HP a lot too. If you add some Sodium Lactate after the cook the soap will be smoother and easier to get settled into the mold.

 

[jcatblum]

I don't think the soap is too ugly, except the bumpy tops. There are some obvious "imperfections" inside the bar, but they r minor IMO. My girls just can't get over the smoother look that CP gives. Side by side HP looks like a failed batch to them.
I will have to order some sodium lactate & see if the soap may get my girls approval.


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[ourwolfden]

Looks really good to me!

 

[StarBrown]

It's beautiful! Hot process is the life. It's the only method I use. I use yogurt as part of my liquid amount, and my soaps come out smooth and pretty...most of the time They say yogurt + lye = sodium lactate...but who knows. I also do a 75% olive oil soap w/o yogurt and it comes out so pretty--and it's pourable. I also take a piece of freezer paper and rub it over the top after I pour; that helps to make smoother tops. I hope you stay with HP. There aren't a lot of us HP only folks around--we need new converts

 

[Obsidian]

I've read on here that powdered milk will also help smooth out HP or rebatch. I'm working on rebatch today and added some powdered milk, lets hope it helps as my rebatch usually look terrible.

 

[Mandarin]

Most of my soap is HP these days. I know how much you love it!

 

[jcatblum]

Freezer paper over the top is a good idea. Will have to remember that one! May try the yogurt trick in the spring. When my goats are in milk yogurt can be plentiful around here! Now I am already working on drying them up.


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[CaraBou]

I've read on here that powdered milk will also help smooth out HP or rebatch. I'm working on rebatch today and added some powdered milk, lets hope it helps as my rebatch usually look terrible.

How much powder do you add, ppo? I have lots of powdered goat milk.

My very first couple of batches were HP (in the stove pot, not crockpot). I would like to try it again some time. It would be really nice to use less EO/FO. That stuff is expensive!

 

[CaraBou]

If you add some Sodium Lactate after the cook the soap will be smoother and easier to get settled into the mold.

I use yogurt as part of my liquid amount, and my soaps come out smooth and pretty...most of the time They say yogurt + lye = sodium lactate...but who knows. I also do a 75% olive oil soap w/o yogurt and it comes out so pretty--and it's pourable. I also take a piece of freezer paper and rub it over the top after I pour; that helps to make smoother tops.

Great tips!

 

[PinkCupcake]

I like HP for my "natural" soaps, where I use EOs rather than FOs. I made a citrus batch that has a strong, bright citrus scent that I could never get from CP. But CP is still what I love most. I just can't resist those swirls!

 

[grayceworks]

I think your soaps are beautiful! I think the tops and the little imperfections inside contribute to the natural handmade look.

I'm still experimenting and learning, but so far, I am thinking I might like HP better than CP too, for the recipes I am doing, and because I am trying to stick with EO's also, so I can use less of them.

I like that I can pretty much see how it's going to turn out, and I can do the same recipe every time and not worry about if I'm using different EO or FO or additives, whether I'll get sudden overheating surprises, accelerating, etc.

No need to insulate the molds when I'm done.

I can choose which oil gets used as SF, by using 0% or 1% SF for the lye in the calculator and then figuring the SF for the special oil separately.

I'm guessing I won't have the swirly tops I wish for, if I keep doing this, but I think I can maybe do pretty tops if I can pipe it with an icing bag? Can I do that with HP? (time to experiment!)

 

[Skatergirl46]

I can choose which oil gets used as SF, by using 0% or 1% SF for the lye in the calculator and then figuring the SF for the special oil separately.

You don't have to do that much work to be specific with your SF oil. Just figure out the whole recipe in the lye calculator and then withhold the SF oil from your batch until it's cooked. Then add the SF oil and mold.

 

[grayceworks]

I do that too. But I was playing with figuring it with the formula from the curious soapmaker blog, because the main oils in the recipe have such different SAP values from the ones I wanted to be SF, and it seemed that the lye discount might be calculated on an average of all the oils values, instead of one specifically?

And I realized actually, you don't really change the lye amt when doing the calculation that way, you actually figure the precise amt of the particular oil you want to SF, so that the lye amt you are using based on the lye calculator for your main oils doesn't saponify your SF oil.

Example: a recipe calling for 4.6oz lye to completely saponify the basic recipe (0% SF, not including the oil you're going to SF with)-- to SF at 10%, using her formula, I could use 2.8oz of coconut oil, OR I could use 7.7oz of jojoba, OR I could use 3.7oz of hemp oil. Big difference in how much extra oil to add in to get the same level of SF for that amount of lye.

So that's why I was calculating it separate, to find out how much of the more specialty oils to SF with, but I've just been going with the soapcalc calculations if I'm not using a special oil. which I've only started really messing with now that I've started playing with HP --

Have I mentioned how addicted I am to this hobby? I am loving how much I am learning from all of you, and all the ideas i am getting.




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My tablet has a wonky on-screen keyboard with a mind of its own -- ignore the typos :-/

 

[tersh79]

I only have about 5 batches of CP under my belt and two came out poorly (over colored) so I wanted to try HP so I can learn rebatching, soo much easier! Sure I'm not making really crazy swirls but so far I haven't shown any ability to do that nicely anyway, ha. I love the rustic look of the HP and not having to wait forever to use it is a major bonus. I think I'm a convert!


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[jcatblum]

Today I did a 3lb batch & it was my smoothest batch yet! I did try to smooth with freezer paper, but honestly it was firming up faster than I was smoothing. Other things I tried different is I withheld the 8% castor oil until the cook was finished. Poured the castor oil on top of the batch along with my FO & 1/2C powdered buttermilk. Then stirred & plopped into my loaf pan. Found the powdered milk instructions here
http://www.pvsoap.com/instructions_for_rebatch.htm
Once it is cut I am curious to see if it looks any different than my previous HP. I ordered Bud's cutter off etsy & I wanted to wait to soap until the new cutter arrived, but I just could not resist!!! I had a 50lb brand new bag of lye & an empty crockpot that really were in need of my attention.

This soap is for sure a smoother end product, happy to see improvement in the texture. .

Another HP batch, 2lb 100% OO, superfated w OO after cook along w 1/4C powdered buttermilk. Seriously smooth to work with! Way excited to see how it looks when I cut it in a few days. Came real close to overflowing the mold, oops!

 

[seven]

i dont think they were DOS, but i absolutely got no idea what they are, sorry. DOS doesnt happen that quick (right after the soap is being made) from what i've read here.

i like HP too... no misbehaving FOs, less FO, no cure time.. if i were you, i would let the top to be as it is, it is a characteristic of HP soaps. in fact, i would make it more rustic, with peaks and all, so when you cut it, it wont be just square.

creamy castile with buttermilk, yuuuummmm! good job

and yeah, you should def try adding sodium lactate. i am sold on SL, it made the batter more fluid, and yes it's pourable. it'll also help make a harder bar, and easier unmold.

 

[jcatblum]

seven, after my recent DOS post, I too think I was calling DOS when it wasn't. For me orange spots caused instant fear! I like rustic tops, but DD wants to wrap the soaps in wax paper. When the tops are not kinda level she says she can't wrap it pretty. I will edit my post to take out the DOS statement, to avoid any confusion.

 

[NurseEmily]

I've only handmade soap by HPCP and I love it. It's a great escape for a couple hours and I like the whole involved process. I'm too scared to do CP. I feel like there's too many variables out of my control that way.