Hello, I'm new here, happy new year. I'd like to make some rosin soap but I've read that it's better to make the sodium rosinate first and then add it to the soap. I have a couple of old recipes for making sodium rosinate but they are very vague and probably not reliable. How would you quantify how much sodium hydroxide is in a quart or gallon of "strong lye" after all? If anyone has a more contemporary recipe or guideline, I'd really appreciate it. I'll paste the old recipes that I have below. Thanks.
Soap Without Grease.--To four gallons of strong lye add ten pounds of distilled rosin, or eight pounds of pine gum, not distilled and free from trash is better; boil steadily until there is no rosin to be seen, and if the quantity of lye is not sufficient add more, and continue to add until the rosin is out, and boil until it makes a brown jelly soap. I have used this soap for a year, and it is equal to the best soap made with grease.
To eight quarts of strong lye, add three pints of pine gum or three pounds of rosin; boil for five or six hours, stirring well to keep the fluid from burning at the bottom. A little wheat flour added will make it hard, if desired.
Rosin added in the soap must not be more than 33%. One secret to adding rosin is to make the tallow soap first before adding the rosin soap in it. This will result in a better quality of soap.
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