Soap from the Court of Burgundy - Take 2

I threw out the soap I made this weekend. I did not saponify because the percentage beeswax was way too high. In ten years of soap making (and I make a-lot of soap) I've never seen soap seize before. The oils instantly curdled when I added them to the lye water. It did not thick like soap looks at trace, but almost like (I hate to say it) lumpy vomit.

Of course fresh soap normally smells a little vile to me. It takes a day or two for the oils to settle out before that nasty burnt bile smell goes away. Then all that's left is the scent of the essential oils and/or the scent of the strongest base oil - like cocoa butter or shea butter. And that's a nice smell.

So I experimented a little yesterday with my Soap (now Soaps) From the Court of Burgandy. Both are one pound batches. If I'm going to experiment and possibly throw my results into the mulch pile, then I should waste as little as possible.

Batch #2
Almond SF .5 4%
Olive Oil 6 48%
Beeswax .25 2%
Lard 5.5 44%
Honey .5
Lye 6% = 1.56 oz
Water = 6 oz
1/2 tsp litseacubea and 1 tsp tangerine

What that liquidy stuff is on the top edge, I haven't a clue, but I do know what caused it - not enough lye. I think it may be excess water. Okay, maybe I have a little clue.

My scale doesn't like measuring small amounts. Things have to weigh at least a few ounces before it registers correctly. I knew I should have triple or quadruple checked my lye weight, but I was in a hurry - Fina and Megan could only keep Ed outside so long.

I knew something was off when I was stirring it - nothing specific, but something felt wrong. It will most likely still turn out alright, and certainly safe to use. It will just be a super-super fatted batch and very moisturizing.

My solution to weighing small amounts:
An old peanut butter jar filled with glass gemstones. Total weight: one pound. Place it on the scale, zero out the weight, and then I can accurately weigh small amounts of oils and lye. I made this yesterday afternoon.

Which is why the 2nd batch I made yesterday . . .

Looks Great!!


Test Batch #3
Almond Oil, SF 1.5 oz 12%
Olive Oil 5.5 oz 44%
Lard 5.5 44%
Honey .5
Lye 6% = 1.61
Water 5 oz
Added 2 tsp French Green clay to the superfat oils, essential oils & honey mix.
1.5 tsp of Spearmint EO

I should have taken a pic of it yesterday - it looked just like split pea soup. But as soap has a tendency to do (thank goodness), the color mellowed out over night leaving it a nice sage green. I took out the beeswax (I hate working with beeswax), but left in the honey. I also threw in some French green clay powder just to see what it would do. I actually can't wait to use it.

I may try to make another batch tonight. I may, just may, infuse some olive oil with some of the herbs from the Medieval French kitchen.