So... I always soap with a 33% lye concentration, which I always heard was recommended. The higher the concentration the less water needed? Thus the water discount? Never really been able to wrap my head around that. Need to do some more reading.That is a very steep water discount tho.
Pretty sure "water discount" just an imprecise way of saying "less water than normal." Hence the preference for ratios and percentages to measurable things.So... I always soap with a 33% lye concentration, which I always heard was recommended. The higher the concentration the less water needed? Thus the water discount? Never really been able to wrap my head around that. Need to do some more reading.
OMG! An accelerating batch of soap can get your blood pumping!!! I’ll keep that in mind the next time I need to spice things up a bit! Thanks for the explanation and the laugh!!!!And not in large batches, unless this is the best you can do for an adrenaline rush in this time of plague.
I agree with the above comments. I'd definitely recommend making a much smaller batch for any new recipe. Say, cut it down to 350 to 400 grams of oils so your Total Batch Weight is more likely to give you 4 bars of soap (with possibly a little left over to pour into an individual mold as a tester.) That way if you make an error or you hate it, you haven't wasted much. An added bonus with a little left over for an individual mold is you can compare gelled soap to non-gelled soap, if you wish (by gelling the loaf & not gelling the single bar).
Using grapeseed oil is certainly tempting as a beginner because it is so readily available (at least here in the US); I know I did when I was new to soaping. I rarely use it anymore because there are so many other oils with a longer shelf life that I don't have to try and use up before they go rancid.
I am also curious why you have chosen such a high lye concentration. It's just generally uncommon with new soapers. Although it is not a bad thing, if you know why you are doing it and what to expect.
It took forever to trace honestly! It gave me a long time to do the design that I wantedLooks good to me too! Ditto on the liquid amount though- I expect this to trace rather quickly.
Do you add Rosemary Oleoresin Extract to your bottles of oil when you open them? It is an antioxident that can help ward off rancidity. Here's a link to an interesting experiment of additives for reducing the occurrence of DOS: LINK.Thanks for the info on the grape seed oil, I had no idea. How long do you think these bars have a shelf life of?