when do you add superfat?

[JaimeM]

Trent, are you adding extra castor oil to a recipe, or holding back the castor oil from the recipe to add at the end? Your recipe should have the lye discount/superfat already figured in. Your extra castor may be extra-superfatting your soap.

 

[DeeAnna]

Reaction rate isn't necessarily going to tell you what fats are going to be left over in a finished soap made with a blend of oils. It seems logical that an oil that reacts faster with lye should be all "used up" by the lye when making soap, but the situation is less like a race on a race track (the fastest one wins) and more like a free-for-all fight in a bar.

 

[Bann51]

I'm new at this also, but I have learned a couple of things. One is I like castor oil and I add it in my oils. I have read that too much castor oil can accelerate trace. You might want to check your recipe to see how much castor you are using. If you are using soap cal as mentioned before and put in 5 % then you've got your superfat. If you're a beginner like I am, it's better to use a lye calculator and set it at 5% superfat so you don't have to do any math! From what I've read you shouldn't go over 5% of castor because of it's ability to accelerate. Do some people use more, I'm sure they do, but remember being a newby has it's advantages. Using recipes found in reputable books and sites is the best way to go, then start forumating your own recipes.

 

[Robert]

the situation is less like a race on a race track (the fastest one wins) and more like a free-for-all fight in a bar.

If I ever teach a chemistry course again, I'm going to have to remember this metaphor for the difference between kinetic & equilibrium considerations. I'm thinking about the molecules slugging it out, breaking bonds, bleeding electrons.... Look out, this one's swinging a chair (6-member ring conformation)!

 

[jennikate]

I like the lye discount way of looking at it. I HP but just so I dont forget anything I still factor in 5 % discount and all oil goes in together. Good luck .