Thread: The Chemistry of Soap

Originally Posted by mspeel63

Where do you get your lye?

From my kids. oh no that's lies

Originally Posted by Yourmum90

All of that sounded really good i did not really think about how care goes into soap, I am going to enjoy using some tonight.

Ahhhhh.....so true, so true. I never gave soap ANY thought until I started making it. Then its a different ball game.

HEADS UP !!! different drain openers on the shelf ARE NOT, and I repeat ARE NOT always the same. Many have other ingredients added other than the

must be SODIUM HYDROXIDE only.

the only brand that I'm aware of that was pure sodium hydroxide was "Red Devil Lye" and they (the company) removed it from the shelves do to difficulty with folks using it to make Meth.

A year and a half ago, all small home based soap makers were scrambling to find a new source, since Red Devil was removed from the store shelves. You may order lye in small quantities from www.thechemistrystore.com Initially I had to fill out a Hazmat form.....but I order things in larger quantities, and I'm sure Uncle Sam keeps notes on all of us who order in 50# bags....just in case

I'm pretty sure you have to order in 2 pound quanities, and thats more than enough to make a couple of small batches to see if its something you like to do.

I need to reconfigure this recipe for a smaller quanity....I'll do that and then post the actual ingredients so you can gather those up too.

Colleen

This recipe is from a book I own, by Susan Miller Cavitch titled "The Natural Soap Book"

I have resized the recipe to make one pound of soap or 4 - four ounce bars. The ingredients are very simple, you can purchase them at your local supermarket.

Coconut oil 5 oz ( 142g)
Olive Oil 7 oz (198.5g)
Shortening 4 oz. (113.4g)

6 oz. (170g)of Distilled Water ( don't use tap water; hard water/soft water issue)

2.29 (65g) of pure sodium hydroxide.

WARNING Always add your solid form lye, sodium hydroxide...TO the liquid. If you reverse this you will have a violent reaction similar to a small volcano! It ain't purty..

always add lye TO water....

and in case you happen to get splashed with the lye solution keep a bottle of vinegar handy...it helps to neutralize the lye. You may want to line your work area with old newspapers too....just in case.

Basic Soapmaking Instructions

While wearing safety goggles and neoprene gloves ( I use dishwashing gloves) pour the measured amount of lye INTO the water, this will create noxious fumes so wear a mask or hold your breath stir well with a stainless steel spoon, set aside and allow to cool to (100 F to 125 F) sorry I don't know the exchange into celsius <sp?

this is where the large plastic pan comes in handy....fill with cold water and carefully set your lye solution into the container.

heat your oils just until they melt....they must not "smoke"... allow the temperature of the oils to drop to 100 F to 125 F.

combine the lye solution and melted oils. BE CAREFUL not to spash while combining the mixtures. Stir until the mixture traces. If tracing takes more than 15 minutes, which it often does, stir for the first 15 mi., then stir for 5 minutes at 15 minute intervals.

Tracing...looks like a slightly thickened custard, not instant pudding but a cooked custard. It will support a drop, or your stir marks for several seconds. Once tracing occurs...

Pour the raw soap into your prepared molds. (your choice of plastic container lined in freezer paper) then COVER them up and leave for 48 hours, no peeking.

When you uncover your soap it should look hard and be firm to the touch, but you'll find if you push, you can make a dent in the soap. It should not be soft or gooey or have any liquid or oil layered on top. Carefully remove it from the mold, remove the freezer paper and let it sit for a day, then cut the brick into bars.

Now the really hard part here....you have to wait for at least 30 days....you can use the bar before then...but you'll find it won't last very long. It really needs the cure time to become a long lasting bar of soap.

The directions are simple, follow them carefully; measure to the oz. and you'll have your first pound of homemade soap.

I'm sure there will be a few questions.....so just ask. I know I have one. I want to know about the lye and the Soft pretzels ???? I LOVE German soft pretzels. Please do tell...

Colleen

Originally Posted by churley

While wearing safety goggles and neoprene gloves ( I use dishwashing gloves) pour the measured amount of lye INTO the water, this will create noxious fumes so wear a mask or hold your breath stir well with a stainless steel spoon, set aside and allow to cool to (100 F to 125 F) sorry I don't know the exchange into celsius <sp?

Do you heat the water to disolve the lye? or is it just the reaction that makes it hot?

Originally Posted by churley

I'm sure there will be a few questions.....so just ask. I know I have one. I want to know about the lye and the Soft pretzels ???? I LOVE German soft pretzels. Please do tell...

Colleen

I am forbidden from sharing the recipe so you will have to ask my mom for it or wait until she dies to get it.

The lye is used as a wash if I remember correctly (its been years) before baking because it keeps the pretzles moist, not crispy or crusty.

My aunt is the current pretzlemiester in the family and at each function she usually makes half a dozen or more for each guest so her recipe is in grosses of pretzles.

forgot to add that preparing this recipe is best done in a dedicated area with dedicated equipment, including hot plate, pans counter, and if possible oven.

Originally Posted by Wildtim

Do you heat the water to disolve the lye? or is it just the reaction that makes it hot?



I am forbidden from sharing the recipe so you will have to ask my mom for it or wait until she dies to get it.

The lye is used as a wash if I remember correctly (its been years) before baking because it keeps the pretzles moist, not crispy or crusty.

My aunt is the current pretzlemiester in the family and at each function she usually makes half a dozen or more for each guest so her recipe is in grosses of pretzles.

forgot to add that preparing this recipe is best done in a dedicated area with dedicated equipment, including hot plate, pans counter, and if possible oven.

I knew it! I just knew it was gonna be a secret ...My Mom's side of the family is German...or Pennsylvania Dutch. My Great Grandmother used to make soft pretzels and they were soooo good. Perhaps I should send a note to my two surviving Great Aunties...and see if they still have their Mum's recipe.

For the distilled water.....no, just leave it cold. When you pour the lye into it, it gets HOT....it will spike close to boiling even though there are no bubbles and you will actually see steam rising. It also takes on a milky appearance for the first couple of minutes...but then clears.

Colleen

Thanks Colleen!

Is the above recipe for normal bath soap or shaving soap? Where do you chuck in the fragances? I am guessing at the end so it isn't degraded and chewed up by the Caustic Soda (or lye as you call it )

I am going to have a pay this weekend with a few custom fragrances. They will probably be terrible! Now I am office based and not lab based I miss all this fun!

Must reiterate Colleens comments about the lye. It will burn you. Actually if you get it on your hands you will notice your skin turning soapy as it saponifies that fat in your hands. Trust me, I can tell you from experience this hurts. It will also put holes in your clothes (after you have washed them they appear). You must wear safety specs!

Have fun!

where does the waxed paper come in? Do you line the moulds with this? Is the waxed paper what you are calling freezere paper? What do you cover the moulds with? Does it need to be an air tight seal?

So many questions from such a simple recipe You realise you have opened a can of worms here! (is this a British expression?)

Mornin! Yes....always lots of questions regarding details. Better to discuss all these things now than in the midst of formulating...lol.

Freezer paper and waxed paper are not the same...not in the US anyway. Freezer paper is also known as Butcher paper. It is a heavy weight, white paper...that is shiny on one side, the "slick" side. When you line your mold/molds you want to put the shiny side "up"....it keeps the soap from sticking.

The paper is used to line your mold of choice, the reason is cold-process is not like melt and pour. If you pour cp soap without some type of liner, you will be waiting a VERY long time for it to shrink enough to come out of the mold...lol.

Many people use different things to line their molds. Some use plastic garbage bags, plastic shopping bags, you could use a heavy weight type of saran wrap or plastic wrap.....I've tried them all, I like freezer paper the best.

Melt and Pour (mp) soaps on the other hand, will pop right out.

This recipe is for a plain bath soap. Not Shaving, you will forgive me If I don't share my Shaving recipes, whilst I don't mind sharing the Bath soaps....perhaps if everyone learns to make their own shaving soaps....you wouldn't need my services any more....

Personally I would recommend making a few batches of soap before you put any fragrance into it. If you ruin the batch then you've also lost the expense of the Fragrance. But....for those who are adventurous....you will need to find a fragrance oil (craft store) that states it is suitable for SOAP. You cannot use whatever you want....it has to be designed to tolerate the saponification process.

I would use about a Tablespoon per pound (pp)

and lets see....when the soap is poured into the mold, you must find a way for the soap to retain heat. ( Because it generates its own heat, during a process called gelling) In order to properly saponify; the soap must be insulated.

Cover your mold with plastic wrap, then maybe a fold of newspapers, then cover it with a heavy blanket. Leave undisturbed for 48 hours. I recommend the longer cover time, because the batch weight is small and will have a harder time generating the heat it needs....so 48 hrs. and no peeking!!

Oh... we also have "Cans with Worms"...lol.

Colleen

Marvellous!

Thanks Colleen. I understand about the shaving soap and consider your code of silence a wise move! LOL

My Ingredients are in the post for the above recipe. Ordered them on Thursday and was hoping they would be here for the weekend but it looks at though my fun will be delayed to a free evening during the week. I think I will do one without fragrances first and then one with a citrus aroma if that is successful. I was reading about aromas too and how different oils give different "notes". Top notes, middle nots and base notes.....sounds like music to me

Its all pretty confusing at the moment and I can see Colleen has a real talent to get he great feedback she has had from the guys here.

Has anyone else had a go at a DIY soap?