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Melana, is that a colorfast black pigment? We've run into several that will bleed their colors readily. Any suggestions on brands that do not bleed?
 
Melana, is that a colorfast black pigment? We've run into several that will bleed their colors readily. Any suggestions on brands that do not bleed?

I Usually use mica. I also try to use them at the lowest possible rate to help with bleeding and staining.
 
That looks awesome.

I just poured a tiny batch of "spa" salt bars. I used 80% coconut oil, 20% castor oil, 100% coconut milk for the liquid, and 4 ounces of finely ground sea salt. I'll be cutting within an hour- those salt bars get rock hard really fast!
 
Honey oatmeal.
That looks fantastic! Love me some honey oatmeal soap!

That looks awesome.

I just poured a tiny batch of "spa" salt bars. I used 80% coconut oil, 20% castor oil, 100% coconut milk for the liquid, and 4 ounces of finely ground sea salt. I'll be cutting within an hour- those salt bars get rock hard really fast!

Yes! please post pics :)
 
So, you mixed the lye with the coconut milk?

This time I did. I didn't mean to..............but I did. Even though I stuck the coconut milk in the freezer, it immediately started to turn yellow and then tan as it heated and I panicked- but now the bars are white, but maybe not as white-white as before.

I meant to mix up the 3ish ounces of lye in water, and add the coconut milk at trace and then the salt- but totally messed up.

The photos are boring-
IMG_4044[1].jpg

They are still soft, so I'll trim up the rough edges in an hour or so when they firm up a bit more.
 
Is it wrong that I want to make more like now?

It's worse than brewing that way, isn't it?

That's why we ended up with lots of soap, but not so much beer.

I've said it before, but if Bob would shower more and drink less, we'd be able to match up our supply/demand issues here.

So, if he showers 6 times per day, and goes to 3 beers per week, we should even out in mid-2016.

A "good" thing is that salt bars don't last nearly as long as a tallow bar, or other traditional bar, so I can make salt bars once a month and get my soap fix by only making 4 salt bars a month.

I pretty much have a lifetime supply of deer tallow bars............................
plus more deer tallow in the freezer. Those bars last forever and ever and ever. I guess that is a good thing for people who would buy soap, since they'd get their $6 worth and more, but for those who want to make soap it sorta sucks.
 
Does anyone else use their own homebrew for soap?...Didn't read through all 19 pages:D I have made a few batches now using the cold process and can't believe how easy it is!! To really emphasize the "beer" part I use milled grain or homegrown hops in the mix. Just like brewing I really enjoy the process. Obviously I can't possibly use that much soap so I have started selling mine at local craft fairs and beer festivals.
 
Does anyone else use their own homebrew for soap?...Didn't read through all 19 pages:D I have made a few batches now using the cold process and can't believe how easy it is!! To really emphasize the "beer" part I use milled grain or homegrown hops in the mix. Just like brewing I really enjoy the process. Obviously I can't possibly use that much soap so I have started selling mine at local craft fairs and beer festivals.

I don't use grain or hops- the grain is too scratchy and the hops turn brown.

But I do use beer in many of my soaps. And I've steep hops in the water before using, although the hoppy aroma doesn't seem to survive long. I'm thinking that I'll do a hot process soap, and add the steeped hops liquid at the end, to see if that survives better.
 
Don't do it. It's a slippery slope.

I laughed and laughed.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have led you down this path.

Do you want to talk about liquid soap making? how about hot process (I do a lot of hot process now)? Or, making lotions, lotion bars, bath salts, body butters, body scrubs?

I'm sorry to have been a bad influence on you. But c'mon- you have SOAP. :ban:
 
I don't use grain or hops- the grain is too scratchy and the hops turn brown.

But I do use beer in many of my soaps. And I've steep hops in the water before using, although the hoppy aroma doesn't seem to survive long. I'm thinking that I'll do a hot process soap, and add the steeped hops liquid at the end, to see if that survives better.

Have you ever used any hop oil? The type that is supposed to replicate dry hopping. Thinking it might work really well in soap making hop aroma.
 
No. I read my ingredients, and it states it has alcohol in it. I was afraid my soap would seize, so I didn't use it.

Interesting. Do you boil your beer before you use it for soap so that the alcohol cooks off? I have seen some recipes that call for that. I have also seen some recipes say the beer needs to be flat and warm. The recipe I have been using came out of Zymurgy from a few years back. They just call for "beer" and didn't make mention of any special treatment for the beer.
 
We have used several different beers so far. We boil off the alcohol and have used very dry beers, so that there is very little residual sugar left to interact with the lye.

I think my favorites were a Sour Cherry Chocolate Stout and an Amarillo Pale Ale that we added Wasabi to for a bit of spice aroma. My favorite is 'Not Your Irish Spring' - Cedar and Lavender with Pink Sea Salt.
 
Interesting. Do you boil your beer before you use it for soap so that the alcohol cooks off? I have seen some recipes that call for that. I have also seen some recipes say the beer needs to be flat and warm. The recipe I have been using came out of Zymurgy from a few years back. They just call for "beer" and didn't make mention of any special treatment for the beer.

Yes, I do boil it to decarbonate it, get the alcohol out, and also to condense it a bit (so I can use more). Then I just let it cool while I get my other things together.

If I use a beer with a higher FG, I take the added sugar into account, but it's not much. Some times 1 use 1 teaspoon of sugar per pound of oils in the batch anyway (makes greater lathering/bubbles) so I'll just leave out other sugars like honey or sugar if I'm using, say, oatmeal stout.
 
I laughed and laughed.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have led you down this path.

Do you want to talk about liquid soap making? how about hot process (I do a lot of hot process now)? Or, making lotions, lotion bars, bath salts, body butters, body scrubs?

I'm sorry to have been a bad influence on you. But c'mon- you have SOAP. :ban:

FYI - Kris wants to do more "homemade" gifts this year and get into the festive spirit. She mentioned I might want to make some soaps.

This led to her asking if we can make liquid soaps. I told her you make that and lip balm, laundry soap, etc. So I will be looking up some of those recipes real soon. Hopefully in an hour or so.
 
FYI - Kris wants to do more "homemade" gifts this year and get into the festive spirit. She mentioned I might want to make some soaps.

This led to her asking if we can make liquid soaps. I told her you make that and lip balm, laundry soap, etc. So I will be looking up some of those recipes real soon. Hopefully in an hour or so.

Liquid soaps can be tougher to do and to do well.

You need KOH instead of sodium hydroxide. Also, due to dilution enough to be fluid, sometimes they are a bit thin. So, to get around that, I found "the glycerine method" which works great, but costs more, since you have to buy glycerine but the drug stores have it. Here's the link:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0LPCXo2zvE&ab_channel=TheLadyMarah[/ame]

I found that not using glycerine, and just doing traditional liquid soap, I use a mixture of NaOH and KOH, (about 2% of the lye is NaOH, so it holds together with some body better) and then dilute the paste as much as it takes.

Tell Kris about Bath Bombs! Those are the best, and people love them. Oh, sure, it's mainly women and girls- but Quinn loves them too. He calls them "bath fizzies". Last year I did Christmas tree molds that a friend had and they were perfectly sized. For me, I did use some whole hops, because, well, beer.

You drop one in the tub, and it's like a jacuzzi when it fizzes around the tub. I use citric acid and baking soda for the reaction, but that also makes nice soft water for softer skin. A tiny bit of oil (either sweet almond oil or avocado oil) and some essential oils- and a few miniature squirts of water just enough to hold together but not start the reaction- and then set on a rack in a dry place to harden out before storing. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Bath-Bombs/

Bath salts are just epsom salts, and Dead sea salts with some essential oil and again, maybe a wee bit of sweet almond oil (but not enough to make your tub slipper). My daughter loves orange essential oil, so that's what I do for her. Lavender is awesome as well.

The lip balms are super easy.

Oh, boy. I wish I didn't have to work today/this evening- now I want to make lip balm, bath bombs and bath salts!!!!!!!!
 

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