Soap Making 101

[freemotion]

Sally, it really and truly is easy! After the first time or two, when you nervously read and re-read and re-re-read the directions and wonder what "trace" really means!

 

[big brown horse]

Sally, it really and truly is easy! After the first time or two, when you nervously read and re-read and re-re-read the directions and wonder what "trace" really means!

 

[punkin]

Punkin--Thanks for the links to the calculators. Which ingredient did you start with from my recipe to base the proper fat % on? I guess what I'm wondering is how you could tell it was wrong and how I can figure that out for other recipes.

Freemotion--Thanks for the tip on keeping it simple. Would you mind posting your recipe for the plain soap you describe above? Sounds like a perfect way to start!

M&TG, it's not that I knew it was wrong, I just got into the habit of running every recipe through SummerBee's Calculator.

Here are a couple more sites for good reading:

www.colebrothers.com/soap/oils - explains oils and the properties they add to your soap

www.soap-making-essentials.com/herbal-natural-soap-ingredients - this explains simple items you can use to color and scent your soaps (click on fats and oils to the left)

 

[punkin]

Sally, it really and truly is easy! After the first time or two, when you nervously read and re-read and re-re-read the directions and wonder what "trace" really means!

Sooooo very true!

 

[FarmerChick]

tip for soapmaking

if you get bubbles on your soap surface when you pour hot soap into the molds, use a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol and it will diffuse the bubbles and make a perfect soap. I do this all the time. Works perfect. Just spray the top and the bubbles disappear. I go thru gallons of alcohol. (OH, don't drink this stuff, not good for you. )

 

[punkin]

Oh, forgot to put this in. This is a very simple recipe. I've not made it yet, but I will.

9 oz. vegetable shortening (Crisco)
4 oz. coconut oil
3 oz. lard
2.4 oz lye
6 oz. water

Fat (oil mixture) and lye/water mixture at 120F

Time in molds: 24 hours

Cure time: 3 weeks

The calculator will adjust each item's amounts based on the size mold you have. If you use SummerBee's calc., just plug in each amount at 5% superfat (Cause FM, I think, suggested that) Don't put in the lye and water amount. The calculator will do that for you based on the superfat amount. So, their lye and water amounts may be different than this recipe.

 

[me&thegals]

Oh, forgot to put this in. This is a very simple recipe. I've not made it yet, but I will.

9 oz. vegetable shortening (Crisco)
4 oz. coconut oil
3 oz. lard
2.4 oz lye
6 oz. water

Fat (oil mixture) and lye/water mixture at 120F

Time in molds: 24 hours

Cure time: 3 weeks

The calculator will adjust each item's amounts based on the size mold you have. If you use SummerBee's calc., just plug in each amount at 5% superfat (Cause FM, I think, suggested that) Don't put in the lye and water amount. The calculator will do that for you based on the superfat amount. So, their lye and water amounts may be different than this recipe.

So, would *superfat* be the total weight of the Crisco, coconut oil and lard?

 

[freemotion]

Superfat is so that all the oils are not saponified and the soap ends up being a bit moisturizing....like a soap with lotion in it, sort of.....am I right, experts? This is how I understand it, anyways. But you can't make it too superfatted, or it ends up greasy or can go rancid.

 

[me&thegals]

I'm sorry, but now I'm even more lost. Maybe I need to just read the book and get back to y'all with the things I don't understand.

 

[punkin]

Superfat is so that all the oils are not saponified and the soap ends up being a bit moisturizing....like a soap with lotion in it, sort of.....am I right, experts? This is how I understand it, anyways. But you can't make it too superfatted, or it ends up greasy or can go rancid.

No expert, but I'm adding my 2 cents.

That's what I understand, too. If you want to add oils at trace, you should use a superfat of only 1%. The oils added at trace will not saponify and will be moisturizing.

Oh, here it is from www.colebrothers.com -

Superfatting Soap - This means that oils or fats have been left in the soap unconverted by the lye either because the amount of lye was decreased to allow some fat/oil to remain or oil/fat was added at the trace stage after the mix had saponified. (In lay terms saponification means that the lye/water and oils have been mixed and brought to a trace stage where at this point the lye has been mostly neutralized. Any oil added at this stage will basically remain unchanged in the final soap bar.)