Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[Solanacae]

Remember you need to insulate the soap after getting it to trace and poured in the mold. When my mom made her first forays into soaping, my dad made her a simple wooden mold, which you line with freezer paper. It is perfect to keep things from cooling too fast. I’ll have to get a picture of it. We’ve gotten a few fun molds since then, and have started using Sodium Lactate (it helps to speed the process up and makes for a harder, longer lasting bar with better lathering). When we make a big batch to mill, it doesn’t matter if it turns out pretty, so we just pour it in a big gallon-ish size Rubbermaid container. The fancy molds and Rubbermaid containers we have to insulate with towels, which isn’t that big a deal, but it’s nice to use the wood mold because you don’t have to worry about insulating.

 

[Sally PB]

Remember you need to insulate the soap after getting it to trace and poured in the mold

Would you explain what this means, please? Very curious here.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Would you explain what this means, please? Very curious here.

Ditto that. I have some actual insulation (1" thick, aluminum sided EPS sheets). If it would help, I can absolutely craft a large wood mold with scrap materials, then line it with the 1" eps, and a bit of silicone caulk in the corners as if I were making a concrete mold.

But first I need to understand why I'm doing what I'm doing, so I don't design it to do something else. Am I trying to slow the rate it cools?

 

[SheaLoner]

Ditto that. I have some actual insulation (1" thick, aluminum sided EPS sheets). If it would help, I can absolutely craft a large wood mold with scrap materials, then line it with the 1" eps, and a bit of silicone caulk in the corners as if I were making a concrete mold.

But first I need to understand why I'm doing what I'm doing, so I don't design it to do something else. Am I trying to slow the rate it cools?

Yes. Something about the speed it cools at changes the soapification<(not the right word)
process.
Would need to dig out my books for an actual scientific explanation.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes. Something about the speed it cools at changes the soapification process.
Would need to dig out my books for an actual scientific explanation.

That will do, THANK YOU! I'll go look it up. I admit it, i was being lazy

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Found it, read it, will definitely build an insulated form. TY for saving me a fail. I'd have learned, sure, but that would have been a lot of wasted goat.

 

[Solanacae]

Yes. Something about the speed it cools at changes the soapification<(not the right word)
process.
Would need to dig out my books for an actual scientific explanation.

Saponification. You were close. There’s cold process soap, which you have to insulate and hot process, which I’ve never tried and not sure if you have to insulate. Considering that you are heating it, I would think it a bit redundant, but I have no idea for sure. Hot process always seemed like a lot of hassle, so I never had much desire to try it.

 

[SheaLoner]

Saponification. You were close. There’s cold process soap, which you have to insulate and hot process, which I’ve never tried and not sure if you have to insulate. Considering that you are heating it, I would think it a bit redundant, but I have no idea for sure. Hot process always seemed like a lot of hassle, so I never had much desire to try it.

That feeling when you know the word but just cant get it out right? Hate that feeling.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That feeling when you know the word but just cant get it out right? Hate that feeling.

Oh, you mean old age! Give it a little bit, and you will be talking to yourself as you type, and it will make perfect sense - but completely different words will appear under your fingertips...

 

[Solanacae]

That feeling when you know the word but just cant get it out right? Hate that feeling.

Happens to me all the time. I’ll remember the word I wanted an hour or a day after the conversation ended and my brain finally sifted through all the similar words and got to the one I wanted.