Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Soap Making  (Read 7845 times)

Offline greenismycolor

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 149
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #20 on: July 16, 2008, 09:44:46 pm »
Marlena

Thanks a lot for the recipe.  I am a bit nervous, but none the less I'm going to try. It may be a couple weeks, but I hope to give you good results.

green
Believe!

Offline marlena

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 12
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #21 on: July 17, 2008, 02:05:18 am »
deejaycee......you are so welcome. That is the weight for the lye only. I know what you talking about with the lye solution. Some people mix a lye solution at a certain percent and then weight the solution. I'm not one of those people because I make several differant recipes that require differant solution strengths. Besides.....I find it easier to mix lye in smaller quantities. I generally put my water (or milk) in a wide mouth quart canning jar and add lye slowly. Those jars are designed to withstand heat and tend to hold up to the heat from the lye solution. But use caution.....in all my years of making soap, I did have one quart jar bust on me from the heat of the lye solution. So......it's a good idea to mix the solution in sink.


Green......I'm here if you need me. I can even give you my email and/or phone # if you think you may want to chat about this before trying it. I'm sure you'll do great!  :)

Those of you looking for lye......some Lowe's stores do carry lye. Roebic® Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Opener contains 100% sodium hydroxide (Item #146450). That is where I used to get my lye. I now buy it from a chemical company in my area in 50 lb bags.

~Marlena

Offline SgtMaj

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Gender: Male
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #22 on: July 17, 2008, 05:50:26 am »
Thanks Marlena for the recipe.  That looks just interresting enough to try sometime.  One question about it though, can regular whole milk or buttermilk be substituted in place of the goats milk? 

Offline marlena

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 12
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #23 on: July 17, 2008, 12:23:54 pm »
I've never personally used either one but I do know a few soapmakers who use buttermilk with great results. Give it a try.

~Marlena

Offline greenismycolor

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 149
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #24 on: July 17, 2008, 10:32:02 pm »
Marlena...that is a very kind offer and, I will take you up on it.  I am in the midst of gathering supplies right now, I did find that my local supermarket carries lye. I knew from a long time they carried Red Devil, but stopped a couple years ago.  Now it is a different company but the same 100% lye. Since this will be my first attempt I am still taking notes and trying to get containers...like your canning jar for the water and lye, I wasn't sure what to use that would be safe.  So any tips would be great!!! I will send you a private with my email address.

Thanks bunches
green

 
Believe!

Offline greenismycolor

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 149
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #25 on: July 19, 2008, 11:07:18 pm »
Marlena, just wanted to let you know that I made my soap today. It is only 5 hours old at this time but it has started to set.  :-D It turned out a beautiful dark golden color, cant wait until tomorrow to see it when it is 24 hours old. 
When you use goats milk, do you use fresh or store bought canned milk?

thanks again, will keep you posted.
green
Believe!

Offline SgtMaj

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Gender: Male
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #26 on: July 24, 2008, 03:34:16 am »
Green, it's been a few days, how about an update?

Marlena or Green, I have a question for you... do you add the milk to the oil before adding the lye, or do you add the lye to the milk, then freeze it, or freeze the milk, add the lye to the frozen milk?? then add that to the oil?

I finally found lye at ace hardware.  Nobody else around here carries it.  That kinda says something about what kind of society we live in, doesn't it?

Offline greenismycolor

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 149
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #27 on: July 24, 2008, 04:32:50 pm »
SgtMaj, after 24 hours I cut the soap into blocks, checked it yesterday and it seems to be drying, still a bit soft, it is a beautiful amber color and the smell of the lye seems to be weaker. This is my first time around, so keep your fingers crossed.

about your question SgtMaj, do you add the milk to the oil before adding the lye, or do you add the lye to the milk, then freeze it, or freeze the milk, add the lye to the frozen milk?? then add that to the oil?

Yes to the latter.....you freeze the milk and add the lye to it....(the lye mix will get really hot, this is the reason for freezing) when that reaches close to room temp. you add that to your oil. That is the way I did mine, from Marlena's recipe. Are you going to try a batch Sgt.?

Yes the difficulty of buying lye does say something about our society, it's a very strong message when you see the young people around you die, from this stupidity. 2 days ago there was a 22 year old and one week ago a 36 year old ....young men, in the prime of their life, and the heart just stopped. Sorry maybe this is for another forum, but it hit close to home.

green



Believe!

Offline chefbb

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 6
  • Gender: Female
    • www.pamperedchef.biz/bonnie
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #28 on: July 28, 2008, 07:33:07 pm »
Marlena,
Thanks so much for the soap recipe!!  Can't wait to try it.  Someone was asking about a good book to read about soap making...My local public library had LOTS of books...PLus, there is lots of info online.  We ordered our lye online...couldn't find it locally except by the TON!!
Thanks again,
Bonnie
..• ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
 ¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
 ((¸¸.•´ ..•´ Bonnie Banda -:¦:- -.  ?
 -:¦:- ((¸¸.•´* Independent Sales Director
                   The Pampered Chef®

Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #29 on: July 28, 2008, 08:15:33 pm »
I am curious.  How long does the soap last, months, years?  Does it ever go racid with the milk product in it?  Beautiful day, beautiful life, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline SgtMaj

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Gender: Male
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #30 on: July 29, 2008, 04:32:50 am »
Cindi, I believe chemical reactions take place between the lye and soap which makes it able to last pretty much forever.

Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #31 on: July 29, 2008, 10:37:55 am »
SgtMgr.  Oh that is good to know, sounds logical, beautiful day in this great life, living on our wonderful earth.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline marlena

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 12
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #32 on: July 30, 2008, 01:32:34 am »
Cindi, I believe chemical reactions take place between the lye and soap which makes it able to last pretty much forever.

You are correct, SgtMaj! Lye soaps will only get better and harder with age. The harder the bar.....the londer it tends to last.


Congrats Green!!!!  Did you make the OMH soap? Most people don't attempt milk soaps until they have a few batches of soap made with just water under their belt. Your a brave one. And from the sounds of it.......a natural. The OMH soap will take about 6 to 12 weeks to harden up depending on the humidity in the room your drying your soaps.

~Marlena

Offline rdy-b

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2286
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #33 on: July 30, 2008, 02:21:15 am »
I sold some beeswax to someone at the farmers market where i sell and they told me they where going to make soap-then they told me they where making chocolate soap seams the powdered chocolate is added to the batch and this soap is so-posed to be for sensitive skin -has anyone ever herd of such a soap-first time for me-she brought me a piece of this chocolate soap -i think it needs to cure longer because it is soft in the center -i haven't tried the soap yet -but i will- never know it might be a great discovery - :) RDY-B

Offline johnnybigfish

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2039
  • Gender: Male
    • The World of Johnnybigfish
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #34 on: July 30, 2008, 03:37:42 pm »
 Yo rdy-b!
 Are you planning on bathing with this stuff or EATING IT!! :-D
 Sounds DELICIOUS!!

your friend,
john

Offline SgtMaj

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Gender: Male
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #35 on: July 30, 2008, 03:43:05 pm »
Well I just finished mixing up my first batch.  It was interresting to say the least.  I'm not sure I did it right though... it's been more than an hour and it hasn't even begun to solidify, and it still basically looks like oil.  I basically followed the first recipe, except I added buttermilk and honey (no oatmeal or anything else though). 

Offline greenismycolor

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 149
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #36 on: July 30, 2008, 10:52:31 pm »
Thanks Marlena!!!!

Yes I did make the soap by the recipe you gave us.  It was a nice texture after 24 hours, sure has a nice feel to it, I cut it with a normal knife and it slid right through, and made beautiful bars.  Today is 10 days and it seems to be drying fine. My mom remembered when they made lye soap from years ago, and was not very encouraging when I told her I was going to try. When she saw and smell it she was quiet amazed, I think she will try a bar.  :-D  What would make the soap a lighter color, maybe a lighter milk? or?




Good luck SgtMaj. I hope your soap turns out great.  I am thinking to try buttermilk the next time, so keep me posted on your batch. :-D

Believe!

Offline SgtMaj

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Gender: Male
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #37 on: July 31, 2008, 02:58:00 am »
What would make the soap a lighter color, maybe a lighter milk? or?

That's what I thought at first, but when I mixed the lye with the buttermilk, it turned blood red.  When I first saw it I was like :shock: because, not having worked with lye before, and being scared by the warning label on it, I thought the lye had eaten through my glove and had somehow been dissolving my hand.  Should have been using something to mix it with instead of my hand, but oh well.

BTW - I didn't even notice that one of my gloves did have a tear in it until later... and found that lye is pretty much like bleach... you have to rinse it forever to get that slimy feeling to go away, but other than that, you don't notice it much... apart from the heat when mixing it... WOW that was much hotter than I thought it would get.  Seems like soap making would be a good winter activity... that batch had to have given out more than 1000 BTU's by the time it cooled.  Not that that's a whole lot, but in terms of energy savings between summer and winter, you have to double it because no only do you not have to generate as much heat to warm the house, you aren't spending money on A/C to cool it by that much either.  Of course it probably only adds up to a few cents, or maybe $50 if you're on natural gas instead of electric...  :roll:



Good luck SgtMaj. I hope your soap turns out great.  I am thinking to try buttermilk the next time, so keep me posted on your batch. :-D

Yeah, I was wondering, what did your batch look/feel like after you had finished mixing it?  Was it still just like oil?  I'm just not sure I got the recipe right... I might have put too much or too little lye in.  I wasn't sure exactly how much to add, so I just kept adding it to the overall mix until it would no longer dissolve into it, then I let the particles settle out that wouldn't dissolve into it, poured three molds, and the leftover is separate and contains all that extra lye, but all four batches still look, smell, and feel like cooking oil.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2008, 07:53:11 am by SgtMaj »

Offline derrick1p1

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 203
  • Gender: Male
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #38 on: July 31, 2008, 11:13:49 am »
I"m currently reading 'The Everything SoapMaking Book' .  Very informative and interesting.  I haven't made any yet, but did get some lye and am anxious to start.  I need to pick up some of the materials (pots/spoons etc).  She recommends NOT reusing soap making equipment to cook with...what do y'all think? 

SGtmjr, let us know how it turns out.  According to this book, the ratio of lye to liquid is pretty sensitive and can determine if a batch traces and/or cures correctly.  But, as I mentioned, I've not made any before.  She also cautioned about using honey, as it can be difficult to work with in soap making, but I intend to give it a try soon.  She also has a coffee soap recipe.  You use strong coffee in place of water.  You can add the grounds if you choose to help exfoliate.

good luck,
Derrick
I won't let grass grow under my feet, there will be plenty of time to push up daisies.

Offline greenismycolor

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 149
  • Gender: Female
Re: Soap Making
« Reply #39 on: August 01, 2008, 12:36:53 am »




Good luck SgtMaj. I hope your soap turns out great.  I am thinking to try buttermilk the next time, so keep me posted on your batch. :-D

Yeah, I was wondering, what did your batch look/feel like after you had finished mixing it?  Was it still just like oil?  I'm just not sure I got the recipe right... I might have put too much or too little lye in.  I wasn't sure exactly how much to add, so I just kept adding it to the overall mix until it would no longer dissolve into it, then I let the particles settle out that wouldn't dissolve into it, poured three molds, and the leftover is separate and contains all that extra lye, but all four batches still look, smell, and feel like cooking oil.
[/quote]

SgtMaj.

I am posting the recipe that Marlena posted, below, the one with the goats milk is what I used.  It was a really nice dark honey color, but it seems to becoming lighter with age. After I first mixed it didn't look just like oil, but you could tell it contained oil. Within 2 hours you could tell it was going to be a soild, and after 24 hours it was a soft solid, but was firm enough to take out of the mold and cut it. The texture was the same all over, it didn't have any soft spots or spots of liquid. This was my first batch ever so I don't know how much help I can be. I used a diet scale, like you get at walmart for about 3-4 dollars, to measure my ingredients.

This is Marlena's recipe, where u use water:

For the beginner....I would suggest the following recipe:

42 oz Olive oil
2.5 TBS honey (optional)
2 oz fragrance or essential oil (optional)
5.3 oz lye
5.7 oz water (use distilled)

That recipe makes what is known as a castile soap. Many believe it to be the gentlest soap you can make. And I tend to agree. If you want to include beeswax in this recipe, just sub 2 ozs beeswax for 2 ozs of the olive oil. You will have to heat the olive oil in order to blend the beeswax into it. Just allow to cool down before adding lye solution.

And PLEASE.....don't forget to wear safety gear when messing with lye.


This is the one I used, from Marlena as well:

Olive oil  -  41 oz
Beeswax  -  1 oz
Fragrance oil  -  2 oz (optional)
Honey  -  2.5 Tbs
Ground oatmeal  -  2.5 Tbs  (I grind in coffee grinder)
Goat's milk  -  12 oz
Lye  -  5.3 oz

Due to the chance of overheating the milk with the lye, I freeze the milk before adding the lye. Allow the lye solution to cool. Add the beeswax to the olive oil and warm the oil till beeswax is melted. If using fragrance, add to olive & beeswax. Allow olive & beeswax mixture to cool. I usually wait for everything to reach room temp or at least pretty close to that. Once all is cool, add lye solution to oils. Hand stir only. Do not use a stickblender. Stir till soap begins to lightly thicken then add ground oatmeal. Stir till soap reaches trace (pudding consistancy). Pour into mold. Unmold and cut after about 24 hrs.

What kind of oil did you use?.....hope this helps

green[/b][/i][/i][/b]







Believe!

 

anything