Soapmaking

So, fun story. I gave a bar of soap from my first batch to a friend of mine. She loved it. So much in fact that she wants to do homemade soap for her wedding favors.

I.e., It's a very real possibility I will be making 25 pounds of soap for a wedding. For my fourth batch ever. Look what you've started, Yoop.


Edit: Any idea what the ratio is of oil weight to finished soap weight? If I use 1 lb of oils, what should I expect the finished soap weight to be?

Lucky you!

Lucky you ... ?

Recently, I'm focusing on bare-minimum soap: no coloring, no scent, no additions. For my hippie granola friends with kids, or who themselves are trying to cut out unnecessary froufrou smell-um from their lives.

Hot process is perfect for this, because none of the drawbacks apply here. To me, the drawbacks of hot process include lack of ability to do intricate color patterns, lack of ability to put it in a precise mold (you can get a general shape -- cylinder, square, etc. -- but molds with detailed designs come out moofitty).

And the benefits include the ability to get a complete batch, ready to go, in a day or two, and it's much more "forgiving" in terms of getting it out of molds (I've just been plopping it into a cardboard cereal box; when it cools, the cardboard peels away cleanly).

So anyway, here's the tutorials that taught me hot process soap. It's really easy ... to me, easier than cold process because what you see is pretty much what you get:

• Crock pot method My preferred method -- I have a 7qt slow cooker, which I fill with water in which floats a smaller ceramic bowl containing the soap -- good for 1-2lb batches, easy clean up, no fears about ruining the crock pot insert, although experience has taught me I don't really need to be worried about that since the soap, when soaked, just makes soapy water, but I totally understand the desire not to potentially ruin a small appliance with a first-time soapmaking adventure.
• Improvised double boiler method Great pics of the various stages of saponification in this one. Gotta watch that it doesn't foam over. Depending on the ingredients, some batches want to jump for joy, and then you have a huge mess.
  

My one piece of advice would be: depending on the recipe, you soap may never get to the total-gel phase depicted in the photos, or it may pass through the phase very quickly. So you can't always go by that. Generally, when it becomes a held-together solid-ish gel-like mass, it's ready. I know that description is not very helpful, and all I can say is, try a couple batches and you'll develop a sense for the sweet spot.

The good news is, at least in my experience, you can't really over-cook a batch of hot process soap. I mean, sure, you could leave it over heat for more than an hour, and it might start to break down (?? I don't know, it's never happened to me, and I am one sloppy negligent soapmaker). But it's not like cooking souffle or a pancake; hot process soap is pretty durable and willing to put up with a wide range of abuse.

TyTanium said:

So, fun story. I gave a bar of soap from my first batch to a friend of mine. She loved it. So much in fact that she wants to do homemade soap for her wedding favors.

I.e., It's a very real possibility I will be making 25 pounds of soap for a wedding. For my fourth batch ever. Look what you've started, Yoop.


Edit: Any idea what the ratio is of oil weight to finished soap weight? If I use 1 lb of oils, what should I expect the finished soap weight to be?

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I have no idea- as I've never thought about weighing the soap after it's done.

I normally do a 25 ounce batch (oil weight) for a silicone loaf pan. But I also add water. Some evaporates out, of course, but I don't know if 100% of the water evaporates or not.

Get it to boiling and I assure you almost all the water will leave. BTW, you can burn soap. I had that with my first batch that I did not stir and the center turned a brown color. I do mine in a pyrex measuring cup and microwave, stirring occasionally until it froths heartily on the top. Then I put it in molds and I'm good to go. I use frozen dinner dishes as my molds.

I wanted to update this thread, as I'm not making much soap right now. It seems that once you get addicted to soapmaking, soap fills every available nook and cranny in your home. Unlike beer, demand doesn't keep up with supply so we either need to shower more (like 30-40 times per day) or I need to not make soap for a while.

Some of my older soaps (3+ years) are aged beautifully, and I'm very pleased with the way they have turned out. Age seems to really do great things for soap.

I also make lotions, lip balms, deodorant, body butters, bath salts, and so on. But again, since I don't sell, I have a large supply.

But today, I was itching to soap again. And I have a new project to talk about! Liquid soap.

Liquid soap is trickier than cold process (or hot process) soap in that you still hot process, but then you dilute and sequester (age) it. It can cloud up, or not be thick enough, etc.

I found a couple of websites, and I think I'll try three different liquid soaps: 1, shampoo, 2. hand soap in a dispenser 3. body wash.

I need KOH for this, instead of the regular lye so I have to order some. I am most excited about the liquid shampoo even though I like my shampoo bars just fine.

I'll try to remember to keep this updated once I get started!

Yooper, I had the same problem with soap making. I made 4 successful batches and had soap for the whole family for a year. I gave very little of it away because I am nervous about the true fact you can hurt some people from poorly made soap. It is unlike beer that there is no real way to screw it up.

So I tried 3 batches this year in a new mold and had 3 batches go bad. Hops were used in one batch and it turned out to be gross green looking bar.

I will try your recipe and report back!!!!!

mrmcdowe said:

Yooper, I had the same problem with soap making. I made 4 successful batches and had soap for the whole family for a year. I gave very little of it away because I am nervous about the true fact you can hurt some people from poorly made soap. It is unlike beer that there is no real way to screw it up.

So I tried 3 batches this year in a new mold and had 3 batches go bad. Hops were used in one batch and it turned out to be gross green looking bar.

I will try your recipe and report back!!!!!

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I've been lucky, I guess, but I've never had a bad batch of soap. I'm very geeky, though, and enjoy the research and the measuring as much as the process itself so I'm fairly confident of my recipes when I do them.

I just looked through my notes today, and I've made a lot of batches of soap over the last few years, and even though I'm only making 25 ounces (a loaf pan full) at a time (about 6-8 bars), I've sure got a ton of it!

I've grown rosemary and lavender, and then infused them in olive oil and used that for soap and the scent fades but I like to think that some of the properties of those herbs stay in the soap anyway!

I am thinking it was the heat of Texas that played some role in my process. Also I was using my own recipes and possible not up too that yet. I have not given up but had to purchase soap for the first time and can tell how dry my hands feel. I have almost everything to make your recipe so will give it a go!

I made a soap mold out of wood and think the insulating properties of the wood with the heat of a garage in Texas caused 2 batches to over heat. The third was messing with hops and french clay and that did not go so well.....

Very interested to hear about the liquid shampoo! I'm in the same boat; there is so much soap in the hobby room that it's sitting on cookie sheets and stored in the wine racks.

Kittyfeet said:

Very interested to hear about the liquid shampoo! I'm in the same boat; there is so much soap in the hobby room that it's sitting on cookie sheets and stored in the wine racks.

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I've been making liquid soap now. It's come out very good so far.

I recommend Catherine Failor's book "Making Liquid and Transparent Soap" but for one batch I didn't want to use neutralizers so I went with a different method, using glycerine.

I used this method:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3VUGV_H7bZU

I made hand soap for the dispenser in the kitchen, shampoo, and body wash. I really like the mildness of castille soap.

Hello all , I just made a batch two days ago and after 24 hours it seems to be changing colors ? I did not color . I looked online and I found that it could be what it naturally does , the fragrance oil changing it , or a insulating problem. How important is it to insulate the molds after you pour it into them ? That is probably where I messed up .

It's hard to tell, but it looks like a partial gel.

Normally, you either insulate the soap so that it gels all the way through (it heats up in the mold), or chill the soap to prevent gel. But if it's not insulated, and not chilled, it can partially gel and that can leave some weird design looking things in the soap.

It won't matter in the quality of the soap and the use- it's just an appearance thing.

Awesome thank you Yooper !

I just bought some oils and lye for my girlfriends birthday but I think I am into it more than she is! All thanks to this thread! Thanks Yooper!

WissaBrewGuy said:

I just bought some oils and lye for my girlfriends birthday but I think I am into it more than she is! All thanks to this thread! Thanks Yooper!

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Great to hear!

I'm still making soap, both hot process and cold process, and I rendered deer tallow all day on Thursday. Tallow makes awesome soap!

Anyway, one of things I read about was dental soap. Instead of toothpaste, you use a soap to clean your teeth. Of course, I had to try it!

Coconut oil apparently tastes really bad after it saponifies, so I used olive oil and a wee bit of cocoa butter.

Surprisingly, it's not soapy and doesn't taste bad. It doesn't taste good either, though. It's like nothing, I guess. I'm going to try to rebatch it and see if I can find a non-sweet "flavor" extract, maybe something like peppermint extract, so it tastes more like toothpaste.

At this point, we have a lifetime supply of soap (and then some). I can't help it, I just love soapmaking. I might have to set up a table at a farmer's market or something just to have less soap sitting around, so I can more more!

Yooper said:

At this point, we have a lifetime supply of soap (and then some). I can't help it, I just love soapmaking. I might have to set up a table at a farmer's market or something just to have less soap sitting around, so I can more more!

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I hear that! I think that any of these hobbies where you are producing consumable goods you end up with way more than you know what to do with! (i.e. piles of full cases of beer in my basement). At least you can sell soap without having some agency on your back! I have been looking into making my own toothpaste for some time now but haven't made the leap. I hadn't head of dental soap though, I was going down a more baking soda style path. I can't imagine many sopanified oils tasting good (didn't naughty kids in the 50's have to put a bar of soap in their mouths?) but where there's a will there's a way. Let us know what happens!

Finally busted out the oils and lye and made a batch with the kid. We picked up some fragrance at a settlers era event in Indiana. I hope it's the right kind of fragrance!

We also added some blue and red coloring, but it turned out kind of greyish, I think because of the yellow color the soap already had. I finally got enough coloring into it that I think it's going to turn out mostly pink. Was hoping for Lavender color because that was the fragrance we used.

Also cooked some crushed walnut hulls on the stove for several hours to make Walnut Ink. I've never used a dip pen before in my life, so I have not idea how that will turn out, but I plan to get one and try it. The walnut ink can also be used for staining wood or other items.

A lot of people I know use coconut oil for dental stuff. It's called "pulling oil" I think. It's pretty important not to swallow any. I guess any toxins and micro bugs bond to the oils. Kinda cool I guess.

Finally got around to making another two batches this weekend; my stock was running low.

First was pretty similar to Yooper's recipe - Olive/Coconut/Shea/Palm
And second was leftover tallow/lard that I've been saving or the past few months. Added some stearic acid and bentonite; hoping it'll be a decent shaving soap.

All made with old homebrew, of course. Hobbies are great.

I wanted to bump this thread, as I've now done a couple of soap making classes for friends and coworkers.

I pretty much use only homemade soap or shampoo, from liquid to gel to bars. I'm also making some cleaning products with the soap, and also mixing up dishwasher detergent and laundry soap.

Of course, I've been rendering my own tallow (deer and beef) and lard. But those items are available for sale generally. Well, not deer tallow I'd guess, but other tallow and lard.

Awright - just read all 14 pages - hmmmph. Now I must try this!

Yooper, what method do you use to render your fats?

Yooper, I love how thoroughly you explained everything on your posts. I already know how to make soap, but for any newbie interested in the process, you covered a lot of great information!

There is so much incredibly fun chemistry that goes along with soap making. I love understanding all the science behind it all.

My favorite type of mold has become silicone molds. I always pop my soaps in the freezer to stop the gelling process rather than insulate and make them gel. Once they're cold, they pop right out of those silicone molds all nice and perfect!

Taiin said:

Yooper, I love how thoroughly you explained everything on your posts. I already know how to make soap, but for any newbie interested in the process, you covered a lot of great information!

There is so much incredibly fun chemistry that goes along with soap making. I love understanding all the science behind it all.

My favorite type of mold has become silicone molds. I always pop my soaps in the freezer to stop the gelling process rather than insulate and make them gel. Once they're cold, they pop right out of those silicone molds all nice and perfect!

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My favorite molds are silicone loaf pans. I even use those for hot process, and then just glop the soap right in.

I keep thinking I"ll start a new thread on liquid soap making, but I just haven't had time to even think about it lately so that's on the back burner.

The nice thing about having all of the soapmaking items on hand is that I can make lotions and body scrubs too.

For Christmas, my grandson and I made "bath fizzies", avocado oil sugar scrub, lotion, and body butter for his mom. He loved making those things, but he wanted to use the bath bombs all for himself. He did make his mom happy, that's for sure!

My wife only uses liquid soaps. She and the kid have an aversion to bar soap. I have an aversion to the "antibacterial" soaps she gets from Bath and Body.

I admit the liquid pumps are handy when you are just wanting a small shot of soap.

So let us know when you get a liquid soap thread going. I'd be interested in doing that as well.

Homercidal said:

My wife only uses liquid soaps. She and the kid have an aversion to bar soap. I have an aversion to the "antibacterial" soaps she gets from Bath and Body.

I admit the liquid pumps are handy when you are just wanting a small shot of soap.

So let us know when you get a liquid soap thread going. I'd be interested in doing that as well.

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I haven't done that?!?!

I thought I did. I am really tied up for the next 10 days or so, but after that I should be able to put something together!

Yooper said:

I haven't done that?!?!

I thought I did. I am really tied up for the next 10 days or so, but after that I should be able to put something together!

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You may have. I know I was interested before, but wanted to try a few batches of bar soap and I never went back to look.

Actually, I think you may be right. I remember seeing some information about different soaps, including washing soap.

Just did a search and I found where you posted a link to a liquid soapmaking video tutorial....

A page or two back on THIS THREAD!

So now I have to find some Potassium Hydroxide.

And I just remembered I have a hog's worth of fat in the freezer. I should set up a burner outside and render that down now that it's warm out again.

No fight club references?

I wanted to mention that once you have some of these ingredients, making body butters and lotions (and the lip balm posted earlier) is super quick and easy.

I have liquid soap in all of my soap dispensers in my kitchen and bathrooms in both of my places, as well as liquid soap in the showers in addition to the bars.

I made two batches of bar soap on Sunday. One was a small batch of "salt bars", and one was a fairly large batch of deer tallow and olive oil bath bars.

The salt bars are incredibly white, without any additions except for the salt. I don't use titanium dioxide for the whiteness, or other coloring agents, so I was pleased to see the super white color instead of an off-white or a shade of beige.

It's been a while since we've talked about soap much, and I wanted to bring up a new soap that is sort of the rage right now- salt bars. They are generally labeled as "spa" type of bars. They are really popular, and because they have salt in them and coconut oil (lots of both) they lather unlike anything else. I'd really suggest trying them, if you have someone in your life who would like a rich creamy conditioning soap that is softening.

It reminds me of my skin after swimming in the ocean- plump and soft.

I don't use fragrance oils (I'm the hippie all-natural type), but if I did I'd use an ocean/beach scent for a real special treat. And it's cheap to make- fine ground sea salt and coconut oil are cheap compared to other items, and it's superfatted at 20% or so.

Tomorrow, I'm going to make one with beer as the liquid, so instead of a beautiful white bar, it'll be beige/brown but I think it will work very well!

Yooper
How long after you make liquid is it good? I didn't like mine untill it was a year old. My bar was so much better on the skin. There is no way to make a good "dawn" type is there? Like a dish soap.

actech said:

Yooper
How long after you make liquid is it good? I didn't like mine untill it was a year old. My bar was so much better on the skin. There is no way to make a good "dawn" type is there? Like a dish soap.

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It's ok to use fairly soon- but most people like to "sequester" it until totally clear, once diluted. It may take a couple of months to be totally clear.

I haven't made a "Dawn" type, with surfactants, but a 100% coconut oil liquid soap is good at cleansing. You'd have to do a 0% superfat, or maybe 1% to make sure it's not lye heavy. Adding some lemon or other citrus essential oil is nice in a dish soap.

I have a liquid soap in the dispenser at the kitchen sink, and it works fine for all of my dishes but doesn't suds big like a commercial dish soap.

Temptd2 said:

Awright - just read all 14 pages - hmmmph. Now I must try this!

Yooper, what method do you use to render your fats?

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I just saw this. Sorry about that.

I use the oven method to render all of my fats. It's not very messy at all, and it helps heat the house (usually we get our beef, lamb and deer in about November). I froze the pig fat I got in the summer (lard) and will do that when the weather cools.

I just put the fat in the oven at 300 in a big roaster, and smoosh up the big chunks with a metal potato masher. I tried to grind the fat first, as was recommended to me, but it bound up my grinder badly so I just chunk it up as much as possible and put it in the oven. I pour off the hot fat into empty ice cube trays as it melts. Then, once the ice cube trays set up (I stick them in the freezer), I put those cubes in a big ziploc bag.

A friend just requested that I put today's soap pictures on HBT, so here goes.

The white bars are a "spa" type of bar- a salt bar, so I only made four bars. The chocolate swirl bars are a deer tallow/coconut milk bar that Bob just loves in the shower.

Thanks for your explanation of your rendering process, sounds dead simple! I'm gonna do that next time instead of stovetop.

Those bars are things of beauty!

Yooper said:

I just saw this. Sorry about that.

I use the oven method to render all of my fats. It's not very messy at all, and it helps heat the house (usually we get our beef, lamb and deer in about November). I froze the pig fat I got in the summer (lard) and will do that when the weather cools.

I just put the fat in the oven at 300 in a big roaster, and smoosh up the big chunks with a metal potato masher. I tried to grind the fat first, as was recommended to me, but it bound up my grinder badly so I just chunk it up as much as possible and put it in the oven. I pour off the hot fat into empty ice cube trays as it melts. Then, once the ice cube trays set up (I stick them in the freezer), I put those cubes in a big ziploc bag.

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Have you tried grinding it while it's partially frozen, or chilled? I was planning on grinding up my fat before rendering. I'd be borrowing a meat grinder, probably a cheap table mounted hand grinder.

Yooper said:

A friend just requested that I put today's soap pictures on HBT, so here goes.

The white bars are a "spa" type of bar- a salt bar, so I only made four bars. The chocolate swirl bars are a deer tallow/coconut milk bar that Bob just loves in the shower.

View attachment 297255

View attachment 297256

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I wanted to update this, because I've had several people start making soap and asking me about it.

I gave some of the bars shown above to @Melana and she claims it was good so decided to start making soap herself!

Homercidal said:

Have you tried grinding it while it's partially frozen, or chilled? I was planning on grinding up my fat before rendering. I'd be borrowing a meat grinder, probably a cheap table mounted hand grinder.

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I just saw this @Homercidal and I have tried grinding it chilled. It still is a big problem for me, so I just render it "as is". I think it's because we get our fat off the hoof and not from a butcher so it's mixed in with some harder stuff. It doesn't really matter, it renders fine but perhaps I get a little less out of it.

I rendered some lard a couple of weeks ago, that that DID chunk up much easier than deer tallow did.

Yooper said:

I wanted to update this, because I've had several people start making soap and asking me about it.

I gave some of the bars shown above to @Melana and she claims it was good so decided to start making soap herself!





I just saw this @Homercidal and I have tried grinding it chilled. It still is a big problem for me, so I just render it "as is". I think it's because we get our fat off the hoof and not from a butcher so it's mixed in with some harder stuff. It doesn't really matter, it renders fine but perhaps I get a little less out of it.

I rendered some lard a couple of weeks ago, that that DID chunk up much easier than deer tallow did.

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Yes indeed I am going to just as soon as the UPS truck delivers my stuff.
Thanks Lorena.

Got my lye today

Knocked out a batch of cp soap today. I tried a different Dragons Blood that accelerated rather quickly while trying to do an in the bowl swirl. Guess we'll see how it turns out at unmolding.

Also, got my pump bottles in for my liquid soap gifts. It is my first yr giving out liquid soap, so excited to hear how folks like it.

I've got a few more scents showing up Monday, and will be pushing like mad to get a few more batches out before the Holidays.

I really like making and using salt bars. I've got a few 'man' bars that I make up for us guys.

Lemongrass Salt Bars made with black and pink Himalayan salt.