Have you ever wondered which qualities your soap will have after it is cured?
Will it be creamy, bubbly, hard, or soft?
There is an easy way to find out before you start with www.soapcalc.net.
You can customize any soap recipe by using oils and butters you have on hand, instead of running out to buy more. If you are like me, you do not want to wait until you go to the store or for your order to come in.
It is always best to run any new recipe through the soap calculator and make any changes to get the results you are looking for.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Detergent Stain Stick Recipes
SOAP RECIPES DETERGENT STAIN STICK
http://www.soapnuts.com/cp7.html
Stain Sticks!
2 # lard
12 oz H2O ( low 10 oz )
4.40 oz lye
This is what I use for laundry soap & stain stics.( put into deod.
holders ). I think it's at 1 % . Recalc. for 5 -6 % for personal use.
BUT.....lots of folks can't use just lard soaps..too, drying ( ask how I
know ). For curing laundry or stain...I wait 2 weeks..personal...4
weeks.
Tallow & lard very hard white bars. Rendering...yes, you have to do it
yourself. Have fun, Hel : ))))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the best recipe I ever had and it is so versatile you can adjust
in in many ways after you get used to making soap.
Jennie's Best Soap Recipe
9 oz olive oil
5 oz coconut oil
2 oz palm oil
2.4 oz lye
5.2 oz water
.7 oz your choice of essential oils at trace
keep temps between 100 and 115 degrees.
O Yes, I pour this into a 6 " section of downspout and it makes 6 bars
about 1" thick
You can use anything you choose for a mold as long as it won't react with
lye, or be destroyed by high heat.
SilverMist Garden Exploring lost arts of living naturally http://members.tripod.com/~Silver_Mist/SilverMist_Garden.htm
http://www.soapnuts.com/cp7.html
Stain Sticks!
2 # lard
12 oz H2O ( low 10 oz )
4.40 oz lye
This is what I use for laundry soap & stain stics.( put into deod.
holders ). I think it's at 1 % . Recalc. for 5 -6 % for personal use.
BUT.....lots of folks can't use just lard soaps..too, drying ( ask how I
know ). For curing laundry or stain...I wait 2 weeks..personal...4
weeks.
Tallow & lard very hard white bars. Rendering...yes, you have to do it
yourself. Have fun, Hel : ))))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the best recipe I ever had and it is so versatile you can adjust
in in many ways after you get used to making soap.
Jennie's Best Soap Recipe
9 oz olive oil
5 oz coconut oil
2 oz palm oil
2.4 oz lye
5.2 oz water
.7 oz your choice of essential oils at trace
keep temps between 100 and 115 degrees.
O Yes, I pour this into a 6 " section of downspout and it makes 6 bars
about 1" thick
You can use anything you choose for a mold as long as it won't react with
lye, or be destroyed by high heat.
SilverMist Garden Exploring lost arts of living naturally http://members.tripod.com/~Silver_Mist/SilverMist_Garden.htm
Whipped Soap
WHIPPED SOAP
For semi-experienced soap makers. One should have a few basic soap batches under their belt before trying this method.
http://nizzymoulds.com/Whipped/index.htm
"The caustic soda/water mix used in this whipped method should be used cold or even chilled to obtain the best results.
Safety Tip: Whipped soap is just Cold Process soap put together a little differently and at room temperature therefore the same respect must be given to it as you give your cold process soap. Whipped soap takes a few days or even a week to get really hard and it is still saponifying during this period. Don't wash with it until it is matured. I would say 3 to 4 weeks but its even better when left longer.
I suggest you go and view the photos in the gallery first, I have tried to set them up in some sort of order from the mixing of the fats and oils through to showing how I achieved my final results. All the information is contained in the text below, there are no hidden secrets, my aim is to share my methods among other soapers and to inspire you to become even more creative.
Gelling - Saponification - Covering Whipped Soap
As there are so many different ways people can ‘soap’ (some cover and insulate, some don’t need to, some use the sun, others use towels) I’ve posted my whipped soap tutorials to show people a different method of making soap before it goes into your moulds - so if you normally have to insulate your batches for 24 hours then that’s what you should do.
In the early days I did cover my whipped soap or placed the box in a cold oven just to keep the atmosphere off it. In the latter years I stopped covering it altogether and found out it didn’t suffer with any ‘Ash’. So I no longer cover it, not that I make a lot of it these days.
Covering CP (Cold Process) soap helps with keeping the warmth inside and promotes the gel process. I can’t say that I have ever seen whipped soap which appears like it is gelling as compared with CP, the dark transparent look CP has about it when its gelling. But whipped soap can warm up and I guess it does go through a gelling period, but not as CP soap does.
I prefer my own whipped soap not to warm up. I like it to stay at room temps and slowly saponify. The caustic soda will do it's job even at room temperatures.
So I guess you can make up your own mind if you want to cover the whipped soap or not. Maybe cover it but only to keep insects off not to insulate it to promote the gelling phase.
Best results are achieved if you can pipe the soaps with a piping bag. This results in less touching of the soap and you only have one side to peel away from the liner. Try adding two or three colours to the piping bag to get nice blended colours. Try placing the colours down the sides of the piping bag and not mixing them too much.
Next best would be using a log mould but be aware that you will need a wire cutter to slice them into bars. A knife will only split the soap.
Silicon muffin moulds or silicone log moulds work beautifully, they just pop right out no matter how long you leave them to set. Again if you use the silicone log mould you will need to slice them with a wire. Read the new edit notes at the bottom of this page. There are some new techniques for successfully cutting and unmoulding whipped soap.
With this tutorial you will begin to think ‘outside of the square’ to achieve some really attractive effects. I can show you what I have achieved so far but I’m sure you will think of other ways to utilise this method to create other artistic pieces. I love to inspire and see other soapers work, you can email me any photos of your creations if you wish.
No heating of oils or fiddling with thermometers.
No worrying about mixing or guessing ‘trace’
You can use it with either animal fats or vegetable oils or both.
Fragrances hold up extraordinarily well.
Colours are pastel, owing to the stark white soap base.
Adding extra water will make the bar even lighter.
It floats, no more lost soap in the bath.
These 4 recipes below are in metric grams.
Recipe 1
Palm Oil 400g
Coconut Oil 200g
Olive Oil 50g
Caustic Soda 95g
Water 244g
-------------------------
Recipe 2
Palm Oil 350g
Coconut Oil 200g
Lard 200g
Caustic Soda 104g
Water 260g
-------------------------
Recipe 3
Palm Oil 500g
Coconut 100
Tallow 100g
Soy Bean Oil 50g
Caustic Soda 105g
Water 281g
-------------------------
Recipe 4
Tallow 500g
Coconut 200
Olive 50g
Caustic Soda 108g
Water 281g
The set rule if your designing your own recipe is that the major part of the oils must be a 'hard' or 'solid' oils these are the oils which set firm at room temperatures. These can be Tallow, Lard etc or any of the hydrogenised vegetable oils. You need this firmness to allow the oil or fat to be whipped or creamed into a light fluffy texture. I have found the best one to use is Palm Oil but I have successfully used Tallow and a blend of half Coconut Oil and half Lard. Adding the soft oils after the harder oils have been whipped light and fluffy. Just make sure you put your new recipe through a soap calculator to check that the caustic soda is balanced correctly."
For semi-experienced soap makers. One should have a few basic soap batches under their belt before trying this method.
http://nizzymoulds.com/Whipped/index.htm
"The caustic soda/water mix used in this whipped method should be used cold or even chilled to obtain the best results.
Safety Tip: Whipped soap is just Cold Process soap put together a little differently and at room temperature therefore the same respect must be given to it as you give your cold process soap. Whipped soap takes a few days or even a week to get really hard and it is still saponifying during this period. Don't wash with it until it is matured. I would say 3 to 4 weeks but its even better when left longer.
I suggest you go and view the photos in the gallery first, I have tried to set them up in some sort of order from the mixing of the fats and oils through to showing how I achieved my final results. All the information is contained in the text below, there are no hidden secrets, my aim is to share my methods among other soapers and to inspire you to become even more creative.
Gelling - Saponification - Covering Whipped Soap
As there are so many different ways people can ‘soap’ (some cover and insulate, some don’t need to, some use the sun, others use towels) I’ve posted my whipped soap tutorials to show people a different method of making soap before it goes into your moulds - so if you normally have to insulate your batches for 24 hours then that’s what you should do.
In the early days I did cover my whipped soap or placed the box in a cold oven just to keep the atmosphere off it. In the latter years I stopped covering it altogether and found out it didn’t suffer with any ‘Ash’. So I no longer cover it, not that I make a lot of it these days.
Covering CP (Cold Process) soap helps with keeping the warmth inside and promotes the gel process. I can’t say that I have ever seen whipped soap which appears like it is gelling as compared with CP, the dark transparent look CP has about it when its gelling. But whipped soap can warm up and I guess it does go through a gelling period, but not as CP soap does.
I prefer my own whipped soap not to warm up. I like it to stay at room temps and slowly saponify. The caustic soda will do it's job even at room temperatures.
So I guess you can make up your own mind if you want to cover the whipped soap or not. Maybe cover it but only to keep insects off not to insulate it to promote the gelling phase.
Best results are achieved if you can pipe the soaps with a piping bag. This results in less touching of the soap and you only have one side to peel away from the liner. Try adding two or three colours to the piping bag to get nice blended colours. Try placing the colours down the sides of the piping bag and not mixing them too much.
Next best would be using a log mould but be aware that you will need a wire cutter to slice them into bars. A knife will only split the soap.
Silicon muffin moulds or silicone log moulds work beautifully, they just pop right out no matter how long you leave them to set. Again if you use the silicone log mould you will need to slice them with a wire. Read the new edit notes at the bottom of this page. There are some new techniques for successfully cutting and unmoulding whipped soap.
With this tutorial you will begin to think ‘outside of the square’ to achieve some really attractive effects. I can show you what I have achieved so far but I’m sure you will think of other ways to utilise this method to create other artistic pieces. I love to inspire and see other soapers work, you can email me any photos of your creations if you wish.
No heating of oils or fiddling with thermometers.
No worrying about mixing or guessing ‘trace’
You can use it with either animal fats or vegetable oils or both.
Fragrances hold up extraordinarily well.
Colours are pastel, owing to the stark white soap base.
Adding extra water will make the bar even lighter.
It floats, no more lost soap in the bath.
These 4 recipes below are in metric grams.
Recipe 1
Palm Oil 400g
Coconut Oil 200g
Olive Oil 50g
Caustic Soda 95g
Water 244g
-------------------------
Recipe 2
Palm Oil 350g
Coconut Oil 200g
Lard 200g
Caustic Soda 104g
Water 260g
-------------------------
Recipe 3
Palm Oil 500g
Coconut 100
Tallow 100g
Soy Bean Oil 50g
Caustic Soda 105g
Water 281g
-------------------------
Recipe 4
Tallow 500g
Coconut 200
Olive 50g
Caustic Soda 108g
Water 281g
The set rule if your designing your own recipe is that the major part of the oils must be a 'hard' or 'solid' oils these are the oils which set firm at room temperatures. These can be Tallow, Lard etc or any of the hydrogenised vegetable oils. You need this firmness to allow the oil or fat to be whipped or creamed into a light fluffy texture. I have found the best one to use is Palm Oil but I have successfully used Tallow and a blend of half Coconut Oil and half Lard. Adding the soft oils after the harder oils have been whipped light and fluffy. Just make sure you put your new recipe through a soap calculator to check that the caustic soda is balanced correctly."
Soap Rebatch
SOAP REBATCH
All is not lost if your soap turns out dry and crumbly. Rebatch it!
http://riverleasoap.blogspot.com/
Really pretty! But alas when I cut it is was crumbly and hard, a sure sign that something had gone wrong. So it got grated and remade.
INGREDIENTS:
Grated Scraps: 1177.5 gr
Water: 28.6 gr
BaseOil: Castor 18.2 gr
FO: FO of choice 37.0 ml
METHOD:
Prepare your mould ahead of time.
Take the grated soap and place it in a microwave jug or heavy duty plastic bucket. It’s going to get very hot.
Take all your wet ingredients, except the Fragrance oil and pour that over the grated soap.
Place the jug/bucket in the microwave and microwave the mixture on 50% strength for 5 minutes.
Take it out and see if it has started to melt. If not do another 2 minutes on 50%. All microwaves are different so you will have to eyeball it.
Place back in the microwave on high for 1 minute. You should have a melted mass of soap. If it is not all melted then keep going in 30 second bursts until it is all melted. You are looking for Apple sauce like mixture. Unfortunately no picture is available.
You may need to add more water if it is really thick. Don’t add too much though as your soap will be very soft and you will have to wait for the water to evaporate from the soap.
Once the mixture has cooled slightly add your fragrance oil and mix really well. Pour into your mould and leave for a few hours or over night.
Once it has cooled down and set, you can cut the soap and if it is hard enough.
All is not lost if your soap turns out dry and crumbly. Rebatch it!
http://riverleasoap.blogspot.com/
Really pretty! But alas when I cut it is was crumbly and hard, a sure sign that something had gone wrong. So it got grated and remade.
INGREDIENTS:
Grated Scraps: 1177.5 gr
Water: 28.6 gr
BaseOil: Castor 18.2 gr
FO: FO of choice 37.0 ml
METHOD:
Prepare your mould ahead of time.
Take the grated soap and place it in a microwave jug or heavy duty plastic bucket. It’s going to get very hot.
Take all your wet ingredients, except the Fragrance oil and pour that over the grated soap.
Place the jug/bucket in the microwave and microwave the mixture on 50% strength for 5 minutes.
Take it out and see if it has started to melt. If not do another 2 minutes on 50%. All microwaves are different so you will have to eyeball it.
Place back in the microwave on high for 1 minute. You should have a melted mass of soap. If it is not all melted then keep going in 30 second bursts until it is all melted. You are looking for Apple sauce like mixture. Unfortunately no picture is available.
You may need to add more water if it is really thick. Don’t add too much though as your soap will be very soft and you will have to wait for the water to evaporate from the soap.
Once the mixture has cooled slightly add your fragrance oil and mix really well. Pour into your mould and leave for a few hours or over night.
Once it has cooled down and set, you can cut the soap and if it is hard enough.
Easy Liquid Soap
EASY SOAP LIQUID
http://tipnut.com/how-to-make-homemade-soap/
1 bar soap (6 oz)
1 TBS honey
1 tsp glycerin
Grate bar into small flakes, toss in blender.
Whip in 1 cup boiling water.
Add 1/2 cup room temperature water and stir in blender.
Stir in honey and glycerin.
Allow to cool (15 minutes) then whip again.
Mixture should be 2 cups at this point. Top with cool water until it measures between 5 and 6 cups, whip.
Pour into containers and allow to cool (do not put lids or caps on yet).
After an hour, close containers. Mixture will thicken up.
Shake before using as needed.
Optional: A herbal infusion can be used, just strain first.
Source: Pearls of Country Wisdom by Debora S. Tukua
Another version:
Save leftover bits (or grate one) then toss in a glass mason jar and top with boiling water (about double the amount of soap bits). Stir then seal with lid. Shake jar a few times while it’s cooling to get rid of any clumps. Once cooled, stir well and add a few drops of essential oil if a scented version is desired.
Pour into bottle then top with water as needed to get the right consistency (shake well). If for some reason it’s too thin, simply melt a bit of grated soap in a little hot water then combine with first mixture to thicken.
http://tipnut.com/how-to-make-homemade-soap/
1 bar soap (6 oz)
1 TBS honey
1 tsp glycerin
Grate bar into small flakes, toss in blender.
Whip in 1 cup boiling water.
Add 1/2 cup room temperature water and stir in blender.
Stir in honey and glycerin.
Allow to cool (15 minutes) then whip again.
Mixture should be 2 cups at this point. Top with cool water until it measures between 5 and 6 cups, whip.
Pour into containers and allow to cool (do not put lids or caps on yet).
After an hour, close containers. Mixture will thicken up.
Shake before using as needed.
Optional: A herbal infusion can be used, just strain first.
Source: Pearls of Country Wisdom by Debora S. Tukua
Another version:
Save leftover bits (or grate one) then toss in a glass mason jar and top with boiling water (about double the amount of soap bits). Stir then seal with lid. Shake jar a few times while it’s cooling to get rid of any clumps. Once cooled, stir well and add a few drops of essential oil if a scented version is desired.
Pour into bottle then top with water as needed to get the right consistency (shake well). If for some reason it’s too thin, simply melt a bit of grated soap in a little hot water then combine with first mixture to thicken.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Soap~Easy Room Temp Method
SOAP ROOM TEMP METHOD
This recipe is for semi-experienced soap makers. Be sure to research before jumping in. It is not something to be taken lightly. Lye burns, and keeps burning unless rinsed with Vinegar and then cool water!
Be sure to wear safety gear, protective safety glasses, long sleeves and long rubber gloves, and work in a very well ventilated area. Have an open bottle of Vinegar within arms reach at all times in case of a splatter on spill. Vinegar neutralized Lye. Clear the room of pets and children.
Here is where I first learned the room temp method then modified it (below).
http://www.soap-making-essentials.com/how-to-make-soap-roomtemp.html
"You don't heat any oils and you don't check temperatures using the room temperature method. This is now my favorite method by far!!
What could be better than being able to make beautiful soaps without having to use any heat source? How about no long waits for the oils and lye to cool...or worse, cold water or ice baths to bring down temperatures. And no thermometers!
It's fast, easy, efficient and in my opinion, much more fun.
These basic instructions on how to make soap using the room temperature method assume you have already read about sodium hydroxide safety.
The Room Temperature Method
Prepare your soap mold and measure out the additives such as scent, colour, botanicals or any soap bits you may be using and set them all aside.
Weigh out and place all hard oils (butters, coconut oil, palm oil, tallow, lard, etc) into your soaping container.
Weigh out the liquid oils and set them aside as well.
Prepare your lye solution by first weighing out the water and then the sodium hydroxide. Slowly pour the sodium hydroxide into the water and gently stir until the crystals dissolve.
Once the lye solution has become clear, you can slowly pour it over the hard oils in your soap pot. The lye solution will be very hot and that heat is what will melt your hard oils.
Gently mash the hard oils down into the lye solution with your whisk and slowly stir until the hard oils have completely melted.
It may take awhile but be patient and keep gently stirring.
Add the liquid oils to the soap pot and whisk together.
Using your stick blender, mix the soap batter in short bursts alternating with hand stirring until the soap reaches a thin trace.
You can now add your scent, colour and other additives. Blend and pour into your soap mold. Cover the soap, wrap and insulate until the soap gels.
Easy, peasy and you're done!"
You are done, but the soap will still need to cure 4-6 weeks or more. I take it a step further so I can use the soap right away. I do not like to wait for my creations to cure!
If you use a large Crock pot set on low heat after trace, put the lid on and let it cook for an hour or so (stirring every 15 minutes to cook evenly) it will go through saponification right in the Crock pot. Be sure to pH test it before scooping into molds. Hp Soap is normally lumpy, and a lot thicker than CP soap. I found the secret to making it smooth and creamy just like CP! Add a teaspoon of sugar to the lye water and increase the water by 5-10%. It will take a little longer to trace, but well worth it! See for yourself below.
Bayberry Cinnamon 3 Layer Soap with oxides for coloring, Hot Process soap made in the Crock Pot. Smells wonderful! Enchanted Rain Soap by Sunflower Acres
This recipe is for semi-experienced soap makers. Be sure to research before jumping in. It is not something to be taken lightly. Lye burns, and keeps burning unless rinsed with Vinegar and then cool water!
Be sure to wear safety gear, protective safety glasses, long sleeves and long rubber gloves, and work in a very well ventilated area. Have an open bottle of Vinegar within arms reach at all times in case of a splatter on spill. Vinegar neutralized Lye. Clear the room of pets and children.
Here is where I first learned the room temp method then modified it (below).
http://www.soap-making-essentials.com/how-to-make-soap-roomtemp.html
"You don't heat any oils and you don't check temperatures using the room temperature method. This is now my favorite method by far!!
What could be better than being able to make beautiful soaps without having to use any heat source? How about no long waits for the oils and lye to cool...or worse, cold water or ice baths to bring down temperatures. And no thermometers!
It's fast, easy, efficient and in my opinion, much more fun.
These basic instructions on how to make soap using the room temperature method assume you have already read about sodium hydroxide safety.
The Room Temperature Method
Prepare your soap mold and measure out the additives such as scent, colour, botanicals or any soap bits you may be using and set them all aside.
Weigh out and place all hard oils (butters, coconut oil, palm oil, tallow, lard, etc) into your soaping container.
Weigh out the liquid oils and set them aside as well.
Prepare your lye solution by first weighing out the water and then the sodium hydroxide. Slowly pour the sodium hydroxide into the water and gently stir until the crystals dissolve.
Once the lye solution has become clear, you can slowly pour it over the hard oils in your soap pot. The lye solution will be very hot and that heat is what will melt your hard oils.
Gently mash the hard oils down into the lye solution with your whisk and slowly stir until the hard oils have completely melted.
It may take awhile but be patient and keep gently stirring.
Add the liquid oils to the soap pot and whisk together.
Using your stick blender, mix the soap batter in short bursts alternating with hand stirring until the soap reaches a thin trace.
You can now add your scent, colour and other additives. Blend and pour into your soap mold. Cover the soap, wrap and insulate until the soap gels.
Easy, peasy and you're done!"
You are done, but the soap will still need to cure 4-6 weeks or more. I take it a step further so I can use the soap right away. I do not like to wait for my creations to cure!
If you use a large Crock pot set on low heat after trace, put the lid on and let it cook for an hour or so (stirring every 15 minutes to cook evenly) it will go through saponification right in the Crock pot. Be sure to pH test it before scooping into molds. Hp Soap is normally lumpy, and a lot thicker than CP soap. I found the secret to making it smooth and creamy just like CP! Add a teaspoon of sugar to the lye water and increase the water by 5-10%. It will take a little longer to trace, but well worth it! See for yourself below.
Beer Soap Tips
SOAP BEER TIPS
http://www.greatcakessoapworks.com/handmade-soap-blog/index.php/how-to-make-beer-soap/
"What is beer soap?
Quite simply, it is soap that is made with beer as the liquid instead of water. However, let me say that if you have not made beer soap before, you should be fully prepared. It is not for the faint of heart because you will have to work quickly.
You should have quite a few successful batches of cold-processed soap under your belt before attempting this process. In fact, I am not even providing a recipe, only a method. Ok, that’s my disclaimer. You can’t say I didn’t warn you!
After that disclaimer, now let me share WHY you might want to make beer soap. For me, it’s a great marketing hook. I often hear at the market – “Wow! Look at that! Beer soap!” Besides that, beer is also supposed to be a great conditioner for your skin.
First, you will need to prepare the beer and the oils a full day ahead. Using your regular soap recipe, start by pouring the beer (amount should be 40% of the oils – do NOT discount the liquid) into a plastic pitcher (do NOT use pyrex or glass) and letting it get flat. Really flat. If you have carbon dioxide bubbles, you will have lye bubbles which is really not safe. I do this in the morning, so that by evening I can put the pitcher in the refrigerator to get cold overnight. I also melt all my solid oils and butters and combine them with the liquid oils in my soap pot. Then they can cool down to room temperature overnight. You want to do everything you can to slow down saponification.
The next day you can make soap. Here is my flat beer in the plastic pitcher just waiting for the lye to be added:
Cold, Flat Beer
Now I add my lye EVER SO SLOWLY into the beer. Notice that I am wearing rubber gloves. Always wear your safety gear!!
It will turn a lighter yellowish color and start to stink pretty bad. That’s why I always make my lye solution under the fan under my microwave WHICH VENTS OUTSIDE. I also learned to cover the back of my stove with a towel. It seems that little bits of lye have eaten away some of the enamel finish. Oops. Back to the lye solution. If you pour the lye too quickly, the beer will heat up and cause a volcano. Ask me how I know! Fortunately, it was contained on my glass stovetop…
Adding lye to the beer, the color is getting lighter
As the beer continues to heat up, it will turn back to a darker brown.
Beer is heating up, turning dark again
Once I have all the lye incorporated, I usually put the pitcher(s) in my sink with cold water and ice to speed up the cooling process. I’ve noticed that with a regular lye and water solution, the stink will eventually go away when all the lye has been fully incorporated. Not so much with the beer. In fact, the plastic pitcher will probably carry the smell even after you run it through the dishwasher too. So don’t think you can use it for lemonade when you’re finished making soap. NOT that you would use your lye pitcher for lemonade anyway!!
When the temperature of the lye solution reaches about 85-90 degrees, you’re ready to make soap. I do use my stick blender for this soap, but you really wouldn’t have to. It will set up just fine with a spoon. I just like the smoothness of soap that’s been blended with the electric blender. Not to mention the adrenaline rush of trying to get the soap made before it becomes a brick in your soap pot…
After about two seconds of stick blending, I add a little bit of wheat bran to this batch.
After stirring the wheat bran with my spoon, I add my essential oil blend. I like to stick blend this too just to be sure it’s all mixed in. Just for a few seconds though. Once it starts to thicken, it will set up fast.
Time to pour!
You can see that by the time I have it completely poured, it is really getting thick. I have a few seconds to smooth the top with my spoon, put plastic wrap over it, and cover it with a towel.
I usually cut this soap the next day. Sometimes I have to wait two. It requires a full 4-6 weeks to cure. And it really does NOT smell like beer when it’s all done. In fact, even by the time I cut it, all I can smell is the essential oil blend."
You can cut the 4-6 weeks cure time out if you use the Hot Process Crock Pot Method. There is a link in my first post called Fast Soap Making. It has a link to my Facebook page where you will find out more www.facebook.com/pages/Enchanted-Rain-Soap.
Dark Side Beer Soap with Wheat Germ is the best one yet for any hair type and the Wheat Germ is a great exfoliant when using it as soap! These were made in round Salt boxes lined with waxed paper. SunflowerAcres Shop for Enchanted Rain Soap
I am currently experimenting with easy homemade beer recipes. I will post the recipes as soon as it is ready and tested. Please bookmark this blog and check back!
http://www.greatcakessoapworks.com/handmade-soap-blog/index.php/how-to-make-beer-soap/
"What is beer soap?
Quite simply, it is soap that is made with beer as the liquid instead of water. However, let me say that if you have not made beer soap before, you should be fully prepared. It is not for the faint of heart because you will have to work quickly.
You should have quite a few successful batches of cold-processed soap under your belt before attempting this process. In fact, I am not even providing a recipe, only a method. Ok, that’s my disclaimer. You can’t say I didn’t warn you!
After that disclaimer, now let me share WHY you might want to make beer soap. For me, it’s a great marketing hook. I often hear at the market – “Wow! Look at that! Beer soap!” Besides that, beer is also supposed to be a great conditioner for your skin.
First, you will need to prepare the beer and the oils a full day ahead. Using your regular soap recipe, start by pouring the beer (amount should be 40% of the oils – do NOT discount the liquid) into a plastic pitcher (do NOT use pyrex or glass) and letting it get flat. Really flat. If you have carbon dioxide bubbles, you will have lye bubbles which is really not safe. I do this in the morning, so that by evening I can put the pitcher in the refrigerator to get cold overnight. I also melt all my solid oils and butters and combine them with the liquid oils in my soap pot. Then they can cool down to room temperature overnight. You want to do everything you can to slow down saponification.
The next day you can make soap. Here is my flat beer in the plastic pitcher just waiting for the lye to be added:
Cold, Flat Beer
Now I add my lye EVER SO SLOWLY into the beer. Notice that I am wearing rubber gloves. Always wear your safety gear!!
It will turn a lighter yellowish color and start to stink pretty bad. That’s why I always make my lye solution under the fan under my microwave WHICH VENTS OUTSIDE. I also learned to cover the back of my stove with a towel. It seems that little bits of lye have eaten away some of the enamel finish. Oops. Back to the lye solution. If you pour the lye too quickly, the beer will heat up and cause a volcano. Ask me how I know! Fortunately, it was contained on my glass stovetop…
Adding lye to the beer, the color is getting lighter
As the beer continues to heat up, it will turn back to a darker brown.
Beer is heating up, turning dark again
Once I have all the lye incorporated, I usually put the pitcher(s) in my sink with cold water and ice to speed up the cooling process. I’ve noticed that with a regular lye and water solution, the stink will eventually go away when all the lye has been fully incorporated. Not so much with the beer. In fact, the plastic pitcher will probably carry the smell even after you run it through the dishwasher too. So don’t think you can use it for lemonade when you’re finished making soap. NOT that you would use your lye pitcher for lemonade anyway!!
When the temperature of the lye solution reaches about 85-90 degrees, you’re ready to make soap. I do use my stick blender for this soap, but you really wouldn’t have to. It will set up just fine with a spoon. I just like the smoothness of soap that’s been blended with the electric blender. Not to mention the adrenaline rush of trying to get the soap made before it becomes a brick in your soap pot…
After about two seconds of stick blending, I add a little bit of wheat bran to this batch.
After stirring the wheat bran with my spoon, I add my essential oil blend. I like to stick blend this too just to be sure it’s all mixed in. Just for a few seconds though. Once it starts to thicken, it will set up fast.
Time to pour!
You can see that by the time I have it completely poured, it is really getting thick. I have a few seconds to smooth the top with my spoon, put plastic wrap over it, and cover it with a towel.
I usually cut this soap the next day. Sometimes I have to wait two. It requires a full 4-6 weeks to cure. And it really does NOT smell like beer when it’s all done. In fact, even by the time I cut it, all I can smell is the essential oil blend."
You can cut the 4-6 weeks cure time out if you use the Hot Process Crock Pot Method. There is a link in my first post called Fast Soap Making. It has a link to my Facebook page where you will find out more www.facebook.com/pages/Enchanted-Rain-Soap.
I am currently experimenting with easy homemade beer recipes. I will post the recipes as soon as it is ready and tested. Please bookmark this blog and check back!
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