Masterbatching oils - containers?

[dixiedragon]

What containers do you use? What are the benefits/pitfalls? So far 2.5 gallon seems to be my "sweet spot" for quantity and for my ability to lift the full container. I use lard in my batch and I really thought the masterbatched oils would be homogenous, but they aren't. I am melting them fully. The master batch is a mix if of liquid and semi-solid. I stir it around a lot, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom well, to get everything mixed up and homogenous before I pour.

Another issue is bucket lids. I hate prying off those lids. I think I need a pail opener.

 

[Catastrophe]

When I worked in a restaurant that served breakfast, we used this with a spigot on it for storing each day's scrambled eggs. I was thinking about getting a few for master batching and putting my own spigots, but I'm running into the same problem with the oils not homogenizing. I don't particularly want to drop the amount of lard (probably soon to be tallow) in my recipe but master batching is soooooo appealing, I'm considering it.

The containers I'm linking, the lid snaps on and off fairly easily, and I can't remember if it has a gasket or not, but it was not hard to open like our pickle buckets were (we had to use the lid wrench thingie for those.) The containers come in a bunch of sizes and lids are sold separately.

 

[mx5inpenn]

How big are the batches you usually make? I have a bunch of 4# lard buckets that I weigh the usual size batch into.

 

[dixiedragon]

Usually I am making 1 log (3 lbs) or 2 logs. I do have some of my masterbatched oils in my empty lard buckets, but those are kind of flimsly.

 

[Susie]

dixiedragon-I am so glad you asked this question! I was just about to ask the same thing!

I was looking at these since they are microwavable. Just pop it into the microwave, warm up the oils, dump them into the bowl.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FRBSFJE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Or these, if your oils are 32 oz like mine:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FRBSFJE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[cmzaha]

These are what I use. they work in the micro and I mix my 50/50 in the 2 gallon size, but do pour it off into my storage bottles using the spout lid. https://www.mcmaster.com/#storage-buckets/=16c5n4n

 

[Susie]

These are what I use. they work in the micro and I mix my 50/50 in the 2 gallon size, but do pour it off into my storage bottles using the spout lid. https://www.mcmaster.com/#storage-buckets/=16c5n4n

Thank you, Carolyn!

 

[doriettefarm]

I haven't really ventured into masterbatching my oils like I do with lye solution. I use 40-50% hard oils in most of my recipes and I don't want to melt the entire bucket each time to ensure the mix is homogeneous. It might be a different story in the summertime . . . I could just sit the bucket outside in direct sunlight and let the sun do most of the work. That's usually what I do with the 7lb jugs from Soaper's Choice instead of melting them in the sink with a water bath.

Anyway, my batches are usually 2lbs of oils which fits perfectly in the 4lb lard containers (and Lowe's has a similar sized paint bucket with lid). If I want to have a soaping spree, I'll just measure out 2-4 individual batches ahead of time instead of matsterbatching one huge container of oil that won't fit in the microwave. So far this approach is working well but I do like the looks of the containers with snap on lids that Catastrophe posted. They look much easier to open than a typical 5 gallon bucket.

 

[cmzaha]

When I am going to make a soap. I simply fill up to 10 of the above 1 gallon buckets, put the lids on mark which recipe I used. When I want to soap I just put it in the micro and I am ready to go. Some of these buckets are at least 5 yrs old and still going strong. For my molds I use 60-62 oz of oils depending on how much liquid I use, so they work well in the 1 gallon buckets. Fortunetly my customers never seem to notice a difference in the soap feel due to the oils I use, so not all recipes are the same but very similiar. For me once I get the heavy buckets off the shelves it is as easy to fill one as it is to fill more