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8:21 pm
October 17, 2008
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Laura, that makes sense…if you're doing it in a controlled atmosphere with it totally cured before wrapping.
Everything I've read says not to package in plastic. Every time I've packed my soaps in plastic (plastic shoeboxes with lids closed) they come out of it horrible. It could be the humidity or the lack of long enough cure. In Michigan, our summers aren't quite as humid yours, but it's still humid.
I don't have soap that lasts the 60 days though…I make it, let it dry for a week, wrap it and sell it. There's just not enough time to get that much soap ahead for me.
8:46 pm
January 26, 2010
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CindyP – I've been shrink-wrapping soap more than 12 years -- and that's literally tons of soap. It's not a problem so long as the soap's sufficiently cured and dried. I also pack and store unlabeled soap in plastic bags that hold a dozen cured bars – no trouble with those either. The key, though, is that long drying time. It was essential for the style of soap I made, though, and my customers expected those hard bars that last a long time.
8:51 pm
February 15, 2011
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I never really thought about the humidity when I was in the desert. The funny thing is that my rhassoul soap which was perfectly solid and hard in AZ was a gooey mess when we moved to AR. LOL
3:40 am
February 15, 2011
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Argh! I feel like such a dunce. I finally got a chance to make soap since my move and I do nearly everything wrong. My soap seized on me really bad. Of course, since I was doing CP instead of HP this made me a little mad. But I caused it to seize. Duh, I used known seizing oils such as Jojoba and Lanolin, I discounted my water and I used an essential oil known to seize. I'm calling myself blonde. If I end up with it in my crock, so be it. Bleh, I was just trying to make it look purty. Ah well, has to happen to everyone once in a while. 
11:12 am
April 18, 2011
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I made some shaving soap in 3" pvc pipe molds Sunday and was about to take it out of the mold yesterday when I realized I had forgotten to spray the inside with non-stick spray. I haven't had much luck with getting the freezer paper inside without having a huge 'wrinkle' down the sides of my soap. I tried pushing it out with a bottle … no go. So I stuck it in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then tried the bottle again. NOPE .. not budging. I 'googled' and found where a guy had rigged up a stopper for the end of the PVC mold and used his air compressor to force the soap out of the mold. Ok .. that sounded like something I could do. LOL
I found a pvc flat plate thingie on my husbands workbench .. and I confiscated one of the nipples to the air compressor hose. Drilled a hole in the plate just big enough for the nipple and was ready to battle! When I attached the hose it blew the plate back off … sooooo, DUCT TAPE came into play. My middle daughter had come to see what I was up to at this point and asked how I planned on "catching" the soap .. just in case my device worked. Ok .. I hadn't thought THAT far ahead. I got an old tee-shirt and tied the arms together and put that over the opposite end and she volunteered to hold the soap while I attacked with the pressure hose. After the 3rd attempt I banged it … firmly … on the concrete …. to .. um … loosen it up a bit. 
Then tried ONE MORE TIME and OMG … that thing shot out like a rocket!!! VERY good thing we had the make-shift soap-catcher in place! Lesson learned though … practice lining the PVC mold with freezer paper … or remember the spray!
12:06 pm
February 15, 2011
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I'm glad you got your soap out of the pipe. I like the round soaps, but I can't stand getting the soap out of the mold. LOL Children are great aren't they, so happy your daughter was around to "suggest" the soap catcher. My middle boys is always giving me little things that he says would make a "great soap mold, mom!"
12:26 pm
November 29, 2010
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Hey everyone,
This question may seem a little simple BUT when you're HP soap, do you keep the lid on or off when you're cooking it? Last night when I was making soap, there seemed to be a lot of water dripping from the lid?
Thanks and Merry Christmas
3:41 pm
September 20, 2010
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I keep the lid on and watch it very closely, I also stir it down if it seems to do the volcano dance, not sure what others do. Hope this helps!
6:51 am
October 17, 2008
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Yes, you'll need to keep the lid on. Make sure the recipe you're using has at least 38% water (or any liquid you're using), too. Even though there's water on the lid, it needs all that water. At the end it all comes together 
1:30 pm
November 29, 2010
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Thanks for the help.
10:44 pm
July 5, 2011
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I haven't read through all the pages of soaping but was wondering if anyone had a web site or had posted photos of their soaps.
8:03 am
June 2, 2010
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Has anyone here ever used chicken fat in their soap making? I have a very large pot of chicken fat that I'd like to use and not just feed to the birds. Any thoughts? I'd heat it and strain it like I do when I render lard. Once clean I'd heat and then store in jars. Just wondering. I know someone on here knows something. Can't wait to hear.
8:25 am
October 17, 2008
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Haven't used it Kelly, but it's a choice of oils on SoapCalc! More than 1 person has used it!!!
8:53 am
June 2, 2010
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OK, I'll volunteer to be the test subject. I'm not an expert at SoapCalc yet so I may need some help. What other oils/fats do you suggest? Don't have time to think about it today but hopefully I could find time this weekend.
10:39 am
February 15, 2011
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I'd use some fats that would help with a hard bar since chicken fat is so soft. Olive, Avocado, Lard, Palm oil or coconut might be nice.
3:59 pm
June 2, 2010
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amerayl,
Thanks for the suggestions. I've got olive and coconut oil so that's what I'll include. I'll let you know how this turns out if I get to make it this weekend.
10:00 am
May 31, 2011
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I have a bunch of old commercial soap molds, wood.I've never made soap, but need to, both for economy and because DH & I as we age are more and more scent sensitive. Okay. I have HUGE soap molds, or I think they're huge. How can I tell how much soap they'll hold?
TIA --
J
10:01 am
May 31, 2011
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I know how big they are, just not how to calculate how many pounds of soap that works out to? Sorry, I said it badly above.
J
10:06 am
October 17, 2008
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I came up with this by trial and error when I make soapmolds 
1# batch of soap is roughly 50 cubic inches
Inside Width X Height X Length
Determine the Width and Height, then do the equation to figure the length for the batch size
1 large mold can be used for smaller batches
Measure the length you need. Put an end piece where you need it, then brace it with another piece of board to the end.
10:28 am
March 12, 2012
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I posted this question in the wrong place. So I will try again here.
I want to make goat milk soap and finally have milk.
What would you suggest as my initial recipe?
Where do you buy Red Devil lye? Is it only available to order on line?
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