me too...
Soapmaking
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me too...
So, I'm watching Parks and Recreation at dinner with the family last night. In this particular episode the city of Pawnee has a terrible tradition of tossing a "Ted" into the local lake. This all stems from the fact that the original event was tossing TEA into the lake, but the "a" in TEA looked like a "d" so the statute that requires tossing tea into the lake became tossing a Ted into the lake.
Ok, I can see that this is going on too long. I'll cut to the chase.
So this guy (Patton Oswald) is an enthusiast of all things traditional. He challenges Leslie to live in the historical village area and the first one to NOT live like it's 1800-something loses and she gives up her quest to remove 100+ outdated laws from the books. He's a history buff so he loves these old laws. He's having a heck of a good time playing at living in the old days; churning butter, etc.
In the end Leslie offers this guy a position in the Pawnee Historical Society and describes all of the advantages to him. His reply was "I don't know. It sounds like it woudl cut into my soapmaking time."
At that point I exclaimed, "Oh Lord, THAT one cut just a little too deep!"
And the family laughed gleefully.
I try to hide my nerdy side at least a little, but I think they see through it.
Ok, I can see that this is going on too long. I'll cut to the chase.
So this guy (Patton Oswald) is an enthusiast of all things traditional. He challenges Leslie to live in the historical village area and the first one to NOT live like it's 1800-something loses and she gives up her quest to remove 100+ outdated laws from the books. He's a history buff so he loves these old laws. He's having a heck of a good time playing at living in the old days; churning butter, etc.
In the end Leslie offers this guy a position in the Pawnee Historical Society and describes all of the advantages to him. His reply was "I don't know. It sounds like it woudl cut into my soapmaking time."
At that point I exclaimed, "Oh Lord, THAT one cut just a little too deep!"
And the family laughed gleefully.
I try to hide my nerdy side at least a little, but I think they see through it.
OH, and I loved the last recipe I tried, but this next time I'm using Lilac scent. I might try a different form of color too.
Be very careful - most florals accelerate like a SOB.
Okay I got to page 5 ... I'll read more later.
I saw some interest in shaving soap. I put together a tutorial and recipe on this some time back. I think most recipes I see out there (including the one Yooper posted, sorry Yoop) don't look very good, they look more like hand soap with clay added. That's not how to make shaving soap. I'm not saying mine is the best recipe ever, but I think some of you may get what you need from this information. It is written for the rank beginner:
http://www.silverfoxcrafts.com/shaving-soap/
Nothing commercial, I won't sell my soap so don't ask, no affiliate links on that entire website (tell me if one snuck in!).
ETA: Finished reading. I must say it took me some restraint and all the maturity I had to not comment on these ladies talking about things being harder, slipperier, longer, or filling racks. Or ... I guess I just screwed that up. Hey at least it's a clean subject!
I saw some interest in shaving soap. I put together a tutorial and recipe on this some time back. I think most recipes I see out there (including the one Yooper posted, sorry Yoop) don't look very good, they look more like hand soap with clay added. That's not how to make shaving soap. I'm not saying mine is the best recipe ever, but I think some of you may get what you need from this information. It is written for the rank beginner:
http://www.silverfoxcrafts.com/shaving-soap/
Nothing commercial, I won't sell my soap so don't ask, no affiliate links on that entire website (tell me if one snuck in!).
ETA: Finished reading. I must say it took me some restraint and all the maturity I had to not comment on these ladies talking about things being harder, slipperier, longer, or filling racks. Or ... I guess I just screwed that up. Hey at least it's a clean subject!
That watermelon slice is sooooo cute! They all look great.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Making first soap today. I came across this recipe that makes 2 loaf pans and I only have one.These are the only ingedients I have on hand.Should I just cut all ingredients exactly in half? Also after using the immersion blender can it be reused for food,the wife wont let me use it otherwise LOL Rush job with no research besides youtube videos.So any tips are welcome.Looking to keep myself occupied today. Using a silicone loaf pan
80% olive Oil
20% coconut Oil
Or, to make about 4.5 lbs of soap, you would use:40 oz. olive oil
10 oz. coconut oil
16 oz. water
6.9 oz. lye
Between 1.5 and 2.2 oz of fragrance or essential oil, according to your preference
80% olive Oil
20% coconut Oil
Or, to make about 4.5 lbs of soap, you would use:40 oz. olive oil
10 oz. coconut oil
16 oz. water
6.9 oz. lye
Between 1.5 and 2.2 oz of fragrance or essential oil, according to your preference
Without going into soapcalc it looks fine. You could cut the recipe exactly in half. What's the superfat?
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
I thought superfat was adding a little more oil up to 5% and figured that was included in the recipe??
FWIW I bailed on the soap making today and spent the time ordering a new immersion blender, silicon loaf pans and a crinkle cutter dedicated to soap making.It'll be here in 2 days so I'm going to do a little more research
It's a slippery slope. Trust me. Go ahead, tell your wife you will only make one batch of soap. That's how it starts.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
I plan on only using only my soap.Just like I only drink my beer and only eat my tomato sauce.I have some odd DIY off the grid obsession. I showed my wife the picture of the racks of soap you have a few pages back.She agreed that looks awesome and might just be a new obsession of mine.
It may be fast..It may be slow but Hope you stick with me on my soap making journey Thanks
I will stick (blender until trace) with you.
I had an itch to make more soap recently, but then I remembered I still have a LOT from previous batches. I need to start selling/giving it.
Got my table saw all tuned up, and I really need to build a better mold than what I used before. Had also thought about using PVC pipe and making round bars.
Got my table saw all tuned up, and I really need to build a better mold than what I used before. Had also thought about using PVC pipe and making round bars.
I put up four 5lb batches over the long weekend. I also rendered four lbs of tallow for use in future soap.
OP
OP
I'm still absolutely addicted to salt bars. I found that if I make a very small 25 ounce batch in a bread loaf pan, I can still make soap about every 8 weeks or so (to get my 'fix') and I use those up over time. I have so many other bars that I made even several years ago that just are sitting in the curing racks. The good thing is that tallow bars are hard and don't seem to go bad at all so they are just fine aging for several years!
The best soap i ever used was your tallow bar.
OP
OP
It's super easy- I gave you the recipe!
First, get your bow and shoot a deer. Butcher the deer, and render all the tallow. Then make soap. Easy, peasy.....................
I can never replicate that!
Suddenly I want to kill deer again!
Seriously, though. I'd love to go out hunting again. If I only had a decently place to hunt. I need to talk to some guys at work and see if they need any of their herds culled. Might as well ask them where they find mushrooms while I'm at it!
Seriously, though. I'd love to go out hunting again. If I only had a decently place to hunt. I need to talk to some guys at work and see if they need any of their herds culled. Might as well ask them where they find mushrooms while I'm at it!
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
New mixer and molds came so its go time!!!
I was thinking of adding yellow cornmeal to give it some color and exfoliating character..My wife also dug up 30 1/3 oz jars of different extract scents I can use so that's a bonus. Any help on adding the scents and cormeal..Thanks
Is my process correct:
Mix Water lye and wait till it comes down to between 110 and 120 deg
Mix oils and heat to 110-120
Add together
Mix with blender till thick but add fragrance before hitting trace
pour in molds
Still no idea how much cornmeal or when to add? I read One teaspoon per pound at a thin trace?
I was thinking of adding yellow cornmeal to give it some color and exfoliating character..My wife also dug up 30 1/3 oz jars of different extract scents I can use so that's a bonus. Any help on adding the scents and cormeal..Thanks
Is my process correct:
Mix Water lye and wait till it comes down to between 110 and 120 deg
Mix oils and heat to 110-120
Add together
Mix with blender till thick but add fragrance before hitting trace
pour in molds
Still no idea how much cornmeal or when to add? I read One teaspoon per pound at a thin trace?
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Wow this uses a lot of essential oil.For my batch I need around 2 oz.Thats six of my little jars and none of them are the same.I opened a bottle of cedarwood and liked it.I looked it up and it goes well with:
Clary Sage
Patchouli
frankincesse
Bergamot
All of which I have so I was thinking of mixing them all together in equal amounts giving me 1 2/3 oz for around 4 lbs of soap.
Will this be a smorgasburg of disgustingness??? They all smell like a guy scent and that works for me
Clary Sage
Patchouli
frankincesse
Bergamot
All of which I have so I was thinking of mixing them all together in equal amounts giving me 1 2/3 oz for around 4 lbs of soap.
Will this be a smorgasburg of disgustingness??? They all smell like a guy scent and that works for me
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Just had another brainstorm,while everything is out cant I just wipe out the mixing bowl and make 2 batches with the same base oil and different fragrance oils.One for me one for my wife? Spliting the ingredients in half for each batch.That would leave me with 2/3 oz vanilla/orange for my wife(on the light side for 2 lbs but its all I have) And then I could cut back on so many different fragrance oils listed above for mine??
Im not a soap maker, but I am a pretty good cook, and I'm not sure you're going to get all the soap off all the little crevasses of that blender. Best to go to a thrift store and get some second hand tools. Just my 2 scents worth
I see now that your order arrived... Never mind...
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Looks like my soap makin peeps aren't about.Going to wing it and hope for the best
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
All in all it went pretty good.The timing of the lye cooling and oil in the microwave was about the only learning curve.I added 1/3 oz Clary sage,1/3 oz cedarwood,1/3 Frankincess and a minimal amount of Bergamot.I went on the fragrance calculator and it said for 40 oz I would need 1.10 for light fragrance for all of them except the Bergamot.That one was only .20 so I guess its considered a strong scent.At a light trace I added 2 teaspoons cornmeal.Its covered in cardboard and wrapped in a T shirt now.Its plain Jane lookin but I guess you need to start somewhere..Hoping for the best.
OP
OP
Let us know! Sorry we weren't around earlier.
Cornmeal is a tough thing to use- I like a scrub with it, but it tears the crap out of my daughter's face (she 26) and I would be very hesitant to use it in soap. Used young, it might be ok but aged soaps may be a bit 'iffy'. I used a spice for color in one soap, and after it aged a bit, the spice powder was rough and exfoliating (not intentional) and it is only good for a gardener's hand soap.
Cornmeal is a tough thing to use- I like a scrub with it, but it tears the crap out of my daughter's face (she 26) and I would be very hesitant to use it in soap. Used young, it might be ok but aged soaps may be a bit 'iffy'. I used a spice for color in one soap, and after it aged a bit, the spice powder was rough and exfoliating (not intentional) and it is only good for a gardener's hand soap.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
The "loaf" smells overly scented.I'm hoping that settles down after 3 weeks curing.I went by the calculator.
I'm making my wifes tomorrow and were both hoping for some color additives.Anything I can buy at the grocery store to make it look a little nicer? Either full color or playing around with a wooden skewer making lines
I'm making my wifes tomorrow and were both hoping for some color additives.Anything I can buy at the grocery store to make it look a little nicer? Either full color or playing around with a wooden skewer making lines
OP
OP
One thing I like is cocoa powder- just the plain stuff, mixed in a little of the oil from the recipe. Then I pour it at thin trace, and pour the chocolate colored stuff from a little pyrex pitcher lifting it quite high (so it goes deeper in the soap) and lower. Then use a skewer and go sideways across to swirl it across.
Or you could use melted baking chocolate (ONLY! no milk chocolate) if you have that in the cupboard.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Awesome thanks!!! We'll give it a shot! (Cocoa powder)
It will calm down, trust me.
In addition to cocoa powder you can use paprika or turmeric to color the soap yellow/orange.
rhoadsrage
Well-Known Member
I wound up clicking on this thread about a month ago and became fascinated by the concept of soap making. Fast forward to last week, the kids and I made our first batch of soap. I am trying to figure out the next batch for this weekend.
I was going to use this recipe for a black and white soap with salt and activated charcoal. That recipe says to use 10.6 oz of H2O and 5.2 oz NaOH but when I put it into the soapcalc it computes 13.6 oz H2O and 5.73 oz NaOH, which seems like a big difference. Also the soap bar quality numbers seem to be out of range.
Hardness 61
Cleansing 47
Conditioning 31
Bubbly 54
Creamy 22
Iodine 31
INS 211
Any advice would be appreciated. TIA.
I was going to use this recipe for a black and white soap with salt and activated charcoal. That recipe says to use 10.6 oz of H2O and 5.2 oz NaOH but when I put it into the soapcalc it computes 13.6 oz H2O and 5.73 oz NaOH, which seems like a big difference. Also the soap bar quality numbers seem to be out of range.
Hardness 61
Cleansing 47
Conditioning 31
Bubbly 54
Creamy 22
Iodine 31
INS 211
Any advice would be appreciated. TIA.
They may be using a different super fat percentage and a water discount.
rhoadsrage
Well-Known Member
So playing around with the soapcalc if I change the lye conc. to 35% then I get the same numbers as she does. And the reviews of this batch seem to be pretty positive so I will test it out.
Thanks.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
Loading up on essential oils.How is Amazon for oil?They have alot of Sun Essential brand oils with lots of reviews.Im looking at 2 oz and 4 oz bottles that will add up in cost.Where would be the best CHEAPEST place to buy oil...Thanks
Amazon is very expensive for essential oils. Essential Depot is good depending on what you want.
Unless you are dead set on the use of essential oils, I would look to fragrance oils as a less expensive and more effective method of adding fragrance. It's not very often that I want a single aroma in my soaps. I do however have a variety of fragrance oils I turn to quite often.
My wife's favorite is "Mineral Salt Spa" from Soapalooza; my personal favorite for shaving soap is "Almond Silk" from the same place.
Soapalooza has 1oz "Cheap Thrill Vials" of nearly all their scents for a very fair price. As low as $1.00 in some cases. You could send $20 + shipping and get a whole bunch of scents to try in small batches.
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