Alcohol in Wine Soap

[Peggyrae]

Let me preface this, I am discussing CP Soap. When making beer soap I just let the beer set for days to removed the carbonation. I have never boiled it to remove the alcohol. I always left it in there because of the sugars. I am getting ready to make some white wine soap and was looking online to see how people are preparing it. I see here and on Brambleberry suggesting that the alcohol should be cooked off. Why is that? I have never had issues with my beer soaps and I don't boil those...

 

[Obsidian]

Alcohol and lye can create a lye volcano. The last thing you want is a container of lava hot boiling lye spewing everywhere.
I boil all my Alcohol, always. The sugars remain, only the alcohol and some water cook away.

 

[TheGecko]

When making beer soap I just let the beer set for days to removed the carbonation. I have never boiled it to remove the alcohol. I always left it in there because of the sugars.

You may think you are leaving all the alcohol in it, but your alcohol is evaporating along with the carbonation.

 

[Peggyrae]

You may think you are leaving all the alcohol in it, but your alcohol is evaporating along with the carbonation.

Thank you for that information. I guess I just end up with a wine vinegar then...

Alcohol and lye can create a lye volcano. The last thing you want is a container of lava hot boiling lye spewing everywhere.
I boil all my Alcohol, always. The sugars remain, only the alcohol and some water cook away.

Thank you. I appreciate the input!

 

[Obsidian]

Wine that has had the alcohol removed isn't vinegar, not unless you let it sit for months.

Just boil and reduce the beer or wine down to a thin syrup like consistency. You can get more of the sugars and what not in the soap if you reduce it.

You won't have to mix the reduction with lye either. I reduce 16oz of beer down to 2 oz and add it at trace. Beer concentrate without the stink and heating up of mixing it with the lye.

 

[TheGecko]

Thank you for that information. I guess I just end up with a wine vinegar then...

Obviously you have never cooked with wine. Once the alcohol is burned off, you’re left with the full flavor of the wine.

 

[amd]

I have never boiled it to remove the alcohol. I always left it in there because of the sugars.

Boiling it will not remove the sugars. Because you are also boiling off some liquid, the sugar concentration will be greater in an equal amount of beer.

suggesting that the alcohol should be cooked off. Why is that?

To avoid lye volcano when adding lye. I've also had some experiences with soap seizing when using unboiled beer.

I guess I just end up with a wine vinegar then...

It won't be wine vinegar. What you are boiling off is the alcohol and also killing any remaining yeasts that may be present in the wine. In order for it to become vinegar you would need to add bacteria, or allow the wine reduction to sit exposed so that it could catch the bacteria naturally present in the air - which takes weeks, and often if you don't have the correct "wild yeast and bacteria" present it will go moldy before it ever becomes wine. vinegar. [corrected 8/12/21]

It kind of sounds like you really don't want to do this. So don't. Follow the process you do for your beer soap, and use correct safety precautions and personal safety equipment.

 

[ttc]

Wine that has had the alcohol removed isn't vinegar, not unless you let it sit for months.

Just boil and reduce the beer or wine down to a thin syrup like consistency. You can get more of the sugars and what not in the soap if you reduce it.

You won't have to mix the reduction with lye either. I reduce 16oz of beer down to 2 oz and add it at trace. Beer concentrate without the stink and heating up of mixing it with the lye.

About how long does this process take? thoughts on a crock pot.... maybe?

 

[cmzaha]

About how long does this process take? thoughts on a crock pot.... maybe?

It really does not matter how long you boil it since it does not take long to boil off the alcohol, it just depends on how syrupy you want it. Like Obsidian I would cook mine down to a thin syrup so it would take a little while although I cannot tell you just how long, just do not burn it dry.

 

[Obsidian]

About how long does this process take? thoughts on a crock pot.... maybe?

It really doesn't take too long, maybe 20 minutes at a low boil for 16oz. A full bottle would take longer of course.
Just keep a really close eye on it, once it starts getting thick, it burns easy.

I wouldn't bother with a crock pot, if you want a syrup consistency, that would take days