OK, soapers, 2nd batch worked!!

[punkin]

How hard is it really to make homemade soap using lye? I've been doing alot of research and it really doesn't sound that bad. I know that when using lye, you have to take extra precautions and I'm prepared to do that.

Do you have any recipes you would be willing to share?

Also, can I use enameled pots to heat my mixtures in?

 

[freemotion]

Can you read a scale? Can you stir? Can you wear rubber gloves and eye protection? Then you can make soap!!! It really is that easy. The hardest part is all of the time is spent obsessing about it at first! Been there, done that, own the t-shirt!

I use the calculator here: http://www.summerbeemeadow.com/ and kinda make a new recipe each time, based on what fats/oils I have on hand. I try to use a large proportion of tallow, since it is cheap and makes a hard soap. I use the lesser-quality lard, too, when I can get the fat for free.

I used to use the cheaper Costco olive oil as the main oil, but I am trying to do more stuff the way I would if I were totally SS (which is not my goal, but I am figuring out which aspects of life I want to be ss.... ) Since I would like to raise pigs and eventually buy a quarter or a side of beef, I am getting used to using the fat.

It is probably easier to learn by using purchased oils, though, unless you are already rendering fat regularly.

 

[Blackbird]

Punkin!!

If I can do it, you can do it!!

Just look at what fire can do to a person, yet we handle fire in various forms all the time!

If you can drive, you can make soap (and I don't even drive, so HA!).

Yes, I use enamel for melting the oils, mixing lye and goat milk, as well as tracing, Just make sure there aren't any chips in it.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=232309

 

[punkin]

Thank you, FM. That calculator is just what I was looking for. I have recipes, but want to adjust them to a 4 lb. mold that I am thinking about getting.

I already have all of the oils for their "3 oil soap" recipe, so that's handy.

Do you substitute the fat for the olive oil ounce per ounce? And, do you use the lard that I have seen on grocery store shelves. I'm not into rendering fats so that is something I would have to find.

 

[punkin]

Punkin!!

If I can do it, you can do it!!

Just look at what fire can do to a person, yet we handle fire in various forms all the time!

If you can drive, you can make soap (and I don't even drive, so HA!).

Yes, I use enamel for melting the oils, mixing lye and goat milk, as well as tracing, Just make sure there aren't any chips in it.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=232309

Thanks, BB!! I have a great enamel pot that my dad gave me. Now, I have a use for it.

 

[freemotion]

Yup, just use the calculator to adjust the amount of lye. The different fats and oils need different amounts of lye, hence the calculator. So put any combination you feel you'd like to try into the calculator. If you want to add a pound of lard, just put that in, reduce the olive oil or whatever by 16 oz and run your new recipe through the calculator.

Keep us posted!

 

[punkin]

Yup, just use the calculator to adjust the amount of lye. The different fats and oils need different amounts of lye, hence the calculator. So put any combination you feel you'd like to try into the calculator. If you want to add a pound of lard, just put that in, reduce the olive oil or whatever by 16 oz and run your new recipe through the calculator.

Keep us posted!

I learned more from you in 2 posts than in 2 hours of research.

 

[freemotion]

Oh, now my head is swelling again....

It is good to be able to give back here. I've felt the same way, many times. So few people really do things from scratch, it is hard to find the right information.

 

[punkin]

What about precautions in clean up? (like rinsing out the container with the lye mixture) In all my research, I haven't come across anything about this.

 

[freemotion]

Rinsing is all you have to do. Remember, you are making...soap! So just a good, thorough rinsing is all you have to do. It is wise to have containers dedicated to soapmaking, though, and mark them as such. I keep all my soapmaking containers in a large storage tote in the cellar so there are no mistakes in the kitchen.