Inspired by the ‘sheep to shawl’ post here , can you describe how you make your soaps? I’m not asking for any trade secrets, mind you, but it would be interesting to find out if you start with wood ash and a live critter, or just pick up Drano and a bucket of lard from the local Safeway…
Not bodypoet, but I am a fairly experienced soapmaker - have done it for a few years, just haven’t been in the mood recently. In the link you provided it looks like they are describing hard-core methods, so this may not be what you are looking for, but here is what I do.
The type of soapmaking you seem to be referring to is called Cold Process (CP)- it involves combining Sodium Hydroxide aka Lye with water and some form of fat/oil - whether it be animal or vegetable. There is also another method of soapmaking called Melt & Pour, which involves a pre-made base.
First of all - DRANO SHOULD NOT BE USED TO MAKE CP SOAP! PERIOD! Drano does have lye in it, but it also has metallic shavings. If you are looking for pure Lye in the grocery store, look for Red Devil.
As for fats, I prefer to use vegetable oils, mostly because I formulate my soaps with specific ingredients to meet specific desires. Lard definitely has its place - but for me, it doesn’t appeal.
I won’t go too deeply into this - if you want to make good CP soap - I would suggest checking out soapnuts.com, and learning from there.
Probably not what you are looking for, but thought I would start from there, and see if you want more detailed.
Susan
Another excellent resource is: http://millersoap.com/ which has plenty of FAQs and links.
For oils/lye calculation I like: http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php
If you’re going to be making a lot of soap, you can get a 50# block of lard, tallow or shortning at places that cater to food services. (Sysco, Smart & Final, etc.) Lye gets progressively tougher and tougher to find, and if you buy the Red Devil cans from the grocery store you’ll end up going bankrupt.
Well, basically, what they said. 
I haven’t made soap for a while either, but have made, probably literally, tons of it in the last ten years or so. (Tons, because for quite some time I had a contract with a soap supplies company to make and ship them 200#/week of unscented soap.)
How I got started: I read, and read, and read some more, a book by Susan Miller Cavitch. She is, afaic, the soapmaking authority around, and her books are amazing. Most soapers I know consider them the Bibles of soapmaking, and they are a must-have for anyone who wants to make soap. IMO, of course.
In short, you get ahold of pure lye (I buy it in 50# bags from a local cleaning supply guy, but if I just want a batch, I pick up a can or two of Red Devil), mix it with water, then add that liquid to melted oils.
You stir and stir, sometimes for hours (ha! I thought that was a joke too, the first time I read it, but it’s NOT), and eventually reach what’s called trace. At trace, soap looks kind of like pancake batter when you dribble it across the surface of the pot–the dribbles sort of leave a trail or, you guessed it, trace, before it sinks into the rest of the lot.
Then the fun starts…color and fragrance. I have about, oh, eight million fragrances. I only have about 40 colors, though, so I do a lot of swirls and blends and such.
One it’s colored and fragranced, I pour it into a lined-with-waxed-paper wooden mold, cover it with a couple of towels to insulate it, and let it sit for 24 hours or longer. Then I turn it out, cut it, and let it cure for about 6 weeks.
My very favorite soap is a honey-goatmilk-oatmeal soap with no fragrance. It smells sweet and organic from the honey and goatmilk, and has a great texture because I use powdered goatmilk.
And that’s about it. I want to start making soap again as soon as I get moved–there’s room in the new house for a dedicated soap/candle space!
I intended to do a guided soapmaking thread at one time, and never got to it. Maybe after the move, though…
Does that help, vunderbob?
Best,
karol
What little I know of the subject comes from reading a volume of the Foxfire series, which documented Appalachian life before electricity. Since that was 25+ years ago, I know next to nothing about it now, but the subject is interesting in light of Colonial House, etc.
All I remember from FF v. 1 is the recipe involved extracting lye from wood ashes, plus mixing in a small amount of ash into the final product.
It’s pretty easy now, with pure lye, pre-extracted fats, perfumes, and stick blenders?
I concur with what everyone else has said, but wanted to add that if you have a good stand mixer, you can avoid the hours and hours of stirring. MrWhatsit and I bought our 6-quart KitchenAid mixer (“Darth Mixer”) specifically because we wanted something large enough to be able to make soap in. I cannot tell you how nice it is to be able to just turn this thing on and have it stir the soap for me while I go watch TV or read a book or whatever. We check it every 15 minutes or so, until it’s approaching trace, and then I start checking it about every 5.
I second the recommendation for the Cavitch books. They are invaluable for home soapmakers.
Well, it’s certainly easier than it was back in the wood-ash days, I’d say. And I’d guess our results are a little more consistent, and the soap is overall much milder and nicer on the skin.
It’s fairly exacting, though. You have to have a very accurate scale, keep close track of measurements, and keep an eye on the temps.
Most people have a few failed batches when they start out, and that can be pretty discouraging. I haven’t lost a batch in a few years, except for a couple of very small experimental ones that had temp problems.
I’ll send you a few bars, vbob. Drop me an email with your address sometime.
Just thought I’d jump in to offer that I can say from personal experience that voguevixen’s soap is pretty damn good.
OK so how do I join Fight Club?