Soapmaking

[actech]

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.

 

[Yooper]

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.

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.

 

[Yooper]

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

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

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.

 

[Yooper]

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.

 

[Temptd2]

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!

 

[Homercidal]

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.

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]

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

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!

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.

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.

 

[Melana]

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.

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

 

[Melana]

Got my lye today

 

[thunderwagn]

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.

 

[Yooper]

I like the black/granite look. Those are very cool!

 

[Melana]

Those are super cool

 

[thunderwagn]

Thank you!

 

[Melana]

Ooohhh thanks to @Yooper I'm now an official soap addict. At very least it's a clean hobby.

 

[Melana]

In my soap box

View attachment 1448039551562.jpg

 

[thunderwagn]

Looks great! Can't wait to see it cut

 

[Temptd2]

Ditto that!!

 

[thunderwagn]

Goat milk tie dye

 

[Melana]

Done

View attachment 1448115335265.jpg

 

[CA_Mouse]

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?

 

[thunderwagn]

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.

 

[Melana]

It was activated charcoal powder in a kit that I bought.

 

[Melana]

Honey oatmeal.

View attachment 1448141555348.jpg

 

[Yooper]

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!

 

[Temptd2]

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!

Would love to see pics of those too! :rockin:

 

[Melana]

So, you mixed the lye with the coconut milk?

 

[thunderwagn]

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

 

[Yooper]

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-


They are still soft, so I'll trim up the rough edges in an hour or so when they firm up a bit more.

 

[Melana]

Awesome

 

[thunderwagn]

Very nice!
No soap photos are boring