If you had to rebatch soap due to pockets of honey....

[kazmi]

My first attempt at adding honey to soap and yup, I added a little too much. And I didn't blend it enough after adding it at trace. Was too excited to trying doing some pretty swirls and now I have several small pockets of honey throughout my 2 lbs of beautifully swirled soap :cry:

So I've read all the posts about rebatching and wondering what is the best method to use due to the excessive honey. Crock pot with some added water and maybe some powdered milk? Or in a ziplock bag on the stovetop? I'm leaning towards a crockpot with powdered milk. The amount of honey wasn't excessive for a 2 lb batch but I didn't take into consideration that I should have factored in the amount of soap I was mixing it with - not the total amount of soap. Duh, I guess that's what learning is all about. And now I get to learn about rebatching LOL

I would love some feedback on what you think the best method is so I can salvage my soap. And TIA!

 

[chicklet]

I've only rebatched a couple of times - used a boiling bag inside a crockpot. The results were okay, nothing to write home about or anything. A method I like better is to chop up the messed up soap and add some of it to a new batch of soap. I did this with a batch that had a river of honey running thru it a couple of weeks ago. I've done this two ways: 1) half my usual recipe, then add half a batch of chopped up, messed up soap to the oils of the new batch. I mix soap in a stainless steel pot so I put the oils and chopped up pieces on the stove on low to melt everything. I then stick blend that like crazy to get it smooth before adding the lye mix. 2) I have two identical wooden molds so I have done it this way once - chop up a whole batch of messed up soap and add it to the oils of a brand new full sized batch. Stick blend the oils, add the lye and other stuff, pour, new soap. Both methods are the same - just the size of the batch is different. I guess I could have just shared one of those examples . . . seems my fingers took on a life of their own. Hmmm....

 

[kazmi]

Chicklet, your method sounds easy enough. Did you you count the chopped up, messed up soap as oils in your recipe for the new batch? Or you just made a regular batch and only considered the old batch for sizing in your mold(s)?

 

[chicklet]

The last time I did this I had put too much honey in a batch of honey yourt. So I weighed out the oil as per my regular one-mold recipe, added one whole mold full (13 bars) of chopped up soap, melted, stick blended. I mixed the lye for one batch, let it cool, added it to the cooled oil/chopped soap pot, stick blended, added a small amount of honey (less than usual since the chopped up bars had extra). When it was ready, I poured it into two molds. Turned out great.

 

[Lotus]

I JUST made my first batch with honey in it. I hope I didn't put too much in mine. I added 3 Tbs PPO. Does that sound reasonable? It even felt like it wasn't enough.

 

[chicklet]

I learned the hard way that 1/2 oz ppo is plenty. I always weigh so I don't know how that concerts to TBS.

 

[soap_bubbles]

I usually stick with 1T ppo when using honey. I made a batch once with 2T ppo and talk about overheat! BOOM! Like a volcano going off big time. It even smelled like burned honey--I remade the batch with 1 T ppo adn no problems, and no problems since!

 

[Lotus]

Hey!! I just realized that I wrote 3Tbs PPO, but I meant 1.

Normally I would weigh. But I was going off a recommendation from another thread, and Tbs was what I read.

I wrote 3, because it was a three pound batch. : )

 

[Candybee]

For a 5lb batch I weigh out 1.5oz of honey. Thats approximately 3 tbs of honey. I would not go more than 1 tbs of honey ppo. I also don't add my honey directly into my soap batter.

I first measure out the honey in a microwave cup and nuke it for about 20 seconds until it liquifies. I then add a spoonful or two of milk to the honey to temper it. Then add the honey mixture to the rest of my milk and stir. This I add to my soap batter.

I make milk soaps that's why I add the honey to it. If you don't make milk soap you can reserve some of your water and use that instead. I always add the honey water/milk mixture to the soap batter. I don't use honey in my lye although I suppose you could. I just don't want to give the lye any more reason to heat up.

I found out the hard way that honey can create clumps or dark flecks in my soap unless I premelt and mix it before adding to my soap.

 

[DeeAnna]

The 1 TBl honey per pound of oils works well for me.

For those who want to use weight measures, that translates to:

4% by weight ppo
or
40 g honey per 1000 g oils
or
0.6 ounce by weight ppo

I'll also mention that honey weighs a LOT more than water does per volume, so be careful when converting volume measures to weight measures.

 

[Lotus]

Yes! As DeeAnna said, always convert volume to weight (and vice-versa) according to the substance.

I mixed my honey with water, as well. Since I was also using saffron, I mixed that with water also, and had two separate water containers put aside. Oooh! I should take them out of the fridge!!

 

[cursivearts]

When I rebatch, I always do the crockpot method, mostly because it requires a little less maintenance...no pulling bags out of boiling water (I would probably burn myself). I just chop chop chop, sprinkle with water and put on low, then I come back in an hour, then every half hour until it's pudding.

 

[kazmi]

The last time I did this I had put too much honey in a batch of honey yourt. So I weighed out the oil as per my regular one-mold recipe, added one whole mold full (13 bars) of chopped up soap, melted, stick blended. I mixed the lye for one batch, let it cool, added it to the cooled oil/chopped soap pot, stick blended, added a small amount of honey (less than usual since the chopped up bars had extra). When it was ready, I poured it into two molds. Turned out great.

Thanks! I think I'm going to give this a try. I will use half of my chopped up soap this way and try the other half in the crockpot. Just for fun :-D

 

[kazmi]

When I rebatch, I always do the crockpot method, mostly because it requires a little less maintenance...no pulling bags out of boiling water (I would probably burn myself). I just chop chop chop, sprinkle with water and put on low, then I come back in an hour, then every half hour until it's pudding.

I would probably burn myself too with the boiling water so I'm gonna stick with the crockpot method.

I was just worried about working with the honey in the batch and if I had to do anything special because of it.

 

[kazmi]

I usually stick with 1T ppo when using honey. I made a batch once with 2T ppo and talk about overheat! BOOM! Like a volcano going off big time. It even smelled like burned honey--I remade the batch with 1 T ppo adn no problems, and no problems since!

When do you add your honey - with the lye/water or at trace? And do you insulate for gell or just let it gell by itself?

 

[kazmi]

Thanks everyone for your input! sounds like a lot of us have had fun experiences with honey. Well, I'm glad I got my experience under my belt now and can move on to bigger and better things like learning how to rebatch hehehe

 

[DeeAnna]

Glad you have a good sense of humor about it, Kazmi! :grin:

 

[Lotus]

When do you add your honey - with the lye/water or at trace? And do you insulate for gell or just let it gell by itself?

Hey, I know you were asking bubbles, but I put my little honey-water mix in at trace. And I prevented gel, by putting it in the freezer (I just prefer my soaps ungelled), so I can't help you there.

 

[soapguy]

Movers

Movers are things that when added to soap speed up trace. some are supermovers (or seizers) but most are just things that make it so you have to work quickly. Most superheaters (milks, beer, honey, sugar) can be movers if not soaped at RT or if used in too high a percentage. All other movers are Fragrance oils or essential oils. You will find most floral and "Green" fragrance oils to be movers.
http://bethannecreates.blogspot.com/2012/07/common-soap-making-terms-and-acronyms.html