I got bear fat. starting my very first soap!

[cryglory]

Hey guys IM NEW TO THE SOAP MAKING FORUM!

So my father-in-law is an typical canadian mountain man. He hunts crazy and gets a ton of bear fat which I have access to.

I was wondering if someone could point me into a direction to make some awesome soap w/ bear fat usage.

Also, is there advantage to homemade lye? I also have access to oak and apple wood to burn. Possibly birch as well.

Thanks guys

 

[Lotus]

I can't help you with the first part. I don't know how to render fat. Although I do think (off the top of my head it's something like boiling it, putting it in the fridge and skimming off the top). But, someone else will be better able to inform you.

But, (correct me if I'm wrong, guys), if you burn wood for ashes to make lye (in the good old fashioned way), I believe that is Potassium Hydroxide, or in any case, the kind that is used for liquid soaps. So, I suppose it would depend on which kind of soap you want to make. Bars or liquid.

 

[Forsenuf]

Far as I know, you will still get sodium hydroxide from burning and soaking ash, but it's very difficult to measure the concentration of lye you'll get as the final product- it would be much easier and more reliable to buy your lye?

 

[Lotus]

Forsenuf. Whichever kind it ends up being, I did read somewhere (I'm going to go look it up), awhile back that that method will produce a liquid soap or something. But, you do make a very valid point, where figuring out your recipe will be next to impossible unless you can figure out the concentration and then do the ratio math.

 

[Lotus]

Ah!! You are right forsenuf! But here's what I had read. Taken from a book called, "Soap Maker's Workshop," by Dr. Robert S. and Katherine J. McDaniel.

 

[deedee1]

Hi cryglory Welcome, I have no experience or knowledge of either, but here is a good photo article on Rendering Tallow for soapmaking , that may help you ??
candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapmakingoils/ss/rendertallow.htm

 

[Theda]

I would say the only advantage to making your own lye would simply be the experience, which in itself is sometimes enough - at least once.

 

[lizflowers42]

Cryglory, I have a guy friend that would tell you that you would earn major "beard"points for these projects. I can't help with either question, but best wishes in your experiments, I love that you are being so resourceful!

 

[cursivearts]

I actually want to try making lye just once. My in-laws are big into survivalism/learning how to live off the land. They aren't crazy, they just really like knowing how to self-subsist, even though they live in a nice house, neighborhood and are generally well-to-do. They love going to classes on gardening, raising chickens, making herbal tinctures, etc. My fil is more into it that mil. He is totally down for trying to make lye, simply for the experience of it. My mil likes the idea of all this in theory, but not reality (she has asked me multiple times if maybe I could make soap without lye so it would be safer). Anyway, my fil and I have talked about (a) making lye just to do it, and (b)building a still in order to harvest our own essential oils. I doubt we'll ever get around to it, but I would love to know how, just for the practice of it and the learning experience.

 

[Forsenuf]

I think making soap out of bear fat is super-cool- I'm totally on-board with doing things just to try it out!

 

[judymoody]

Soapcalc.net lists a saponification value for bear tallow if you want to try to formulate a recipe. rendering tallow isn't hard to do but it can be a bit messy. Bear fat can also have an odor, depending on the bear's diet.

Wood ash makes potassium hydroxide which produces soft soap. IMO, commercial sodium hydroxide is abetter, more reliable choice.

 

[christinak]

Even though most people don't want to think about it....there will again come a time when you can't run to the store so knowing how to make lye will be a valuable skill! Props to you and keep me posted! I'd love to learn.

 

[Mark the Box Guy]

Here's a video of two bushcraft guys making soap in the woods. They make their own lye from ashes, render deer tallow, and make soap. No calculators; no rubber gloves; no thermometers; and no essential oils. Just Men, deer fat and a fire. This is serious Man-Style soapmaking.

At the risk of adding another secret soapmaking code to an already growing and difficult to maintain list. I propose calling this method MSHP. Man Style Hot Process.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CLhaJjSZK0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CLhaJjSZK0[/ame]

Another favorite, this time it's MSHP Liquid Soap. This is MSHPLS:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLXuuKj03AI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLXuuKj03AI[/ame]

 

[mel z]

Bear fat sounds like fun! Good luck with it and let us know how it turns out.

I agree with judymoody about lye. It is better to purchase, but there is plenty of info out there on making either the pot ash (which someone has linked above) and there are more videos and websites in general, but it will be a soft soap, and uncertain of accurate lye amounts. There are a couple of videos and more websites on making sodium hydroxide too, but the same applies about accuracy and end product.

Keep us updated, I'm curious about any and all results!