Home made soap is cool

[hushnel]

My first attempt at making soap sat patiently for 6 weeks on a shelf in the room I keep my guitars in. It smelled great every time I went in to swap out an instrument. I've been accused of having extreme patience, it was tempting to try the results but I knew that waiting would be a greater satisfaction.

This first batch was olive oil, caster oil, cocoa butter, Shea butter, lard and coconut oil, mostly because it was stuff I had laying around. All I needed was lye and distilled water.

I had a small piece from squaring up an end, that I  used last night. I'm sure I'm not as subjective on this first batch as I will be on future batches but I'm really impressed. It worked as well or better than any of the hand made soaps I've used before. 

Since that first batch I've managed to make one or two batches every week, two this weekend. Now as every weekend arrives I'll have a new soap to try, what I've done with each batch is make a small test bar by scrapping the tracing pitcher remnant soap into a small salvaged fruit cup, so I don't wind up with multiple bars of soap stacking up around the house.

I'm learning a lot from you guys, I want to thank you all. My last batch is so much better looking than that first and I've been tweaking the recipe along the way according to knowledge I've gained here.

First batch, poured into lined cardboard box.

Yesterday's batch cutting bars from my home made mold.

From left to right first to fifth.

 

[ericllucas]

I love a good success story with pictures. Well done! There are many of us that aspire to your level of success.

 

[Sunny]

agreed! very cool! great pics, it looks like you are doing well.

using any fragrance or essential oils in these?

 

[hushnel]

Thanks Eric, like they say it ain't rocket surgery "o) one of the things I have learned in many years of making stuff is to work with the best materials and tools you can afford with the best information you can get, even more important than that is to jump right in, yes, you gotta have a certain amount of information before you attempt any new endeavor but I think you gain great knowledge by doing.

Making soap is a kitchen skill, by that I mean the things you need to know and do to make soap are similar to baking or getting chocolate to temper. I have the tools of the kitchen down fairly well. I can do the same with wood working tools, leather tools and machining tools. Not to say I don't fail, I do, failure is the greatest teacher of all.

Thanks again.

Thanks Tasha, not yet, that will be next, my wife and her friends are really pushing hard for fragranced soap, I need to understand the chemistry a little better, I am adding oatmeal though.

 

[ericllucas]

I bet that Easy Cheese on your counter would make colorful swirls in your soap.

 

[hushnel]

Yeah I keep that there for inspiration, you know the greatest accomplishments of man and science in the 20th century "o)

 

[carolyntn]

Congratulations! Those are some nice looking soaps. I'll bet you are hooked for good, now!!!

 

[cheesenoodle]

For soap nooks like myself, what have you or anyone else learned about soap making that you would pass on to others?

 

[hushnel]

Try to understand the process, have everything ready before you start, take the time to follow the instructions and measure carefully. My biggest problem was molding the bars, then un molding them, now I'm using a plastic sided freezer paper, it works well, I may eventually pour a silicon liner. Pour the soap before it gets too stiff.

I have a descent sense of timing, so far my lye solution and oils have hit about 95 degrees at the same time plus or minus a degree or so. I use an infrared thermometer I got a few years back to keep an eye on my wood fired Dutch oven. I'm also working on a basic formula that I interchange oils to see what the difference is. First I substituted shortening for lard, then cocoa butter for Shea butter, castor oil for grape seed oil so each batch is different by one oil or butter. I'm sticking pretty close to the 50% hard oils and 50% liquid oils at this point.

 

[Dragonkaz]

Your soaps look lovely and it's great you're impressed with it1

I love my basic recipe, although often check out varying the quantities in soap calc ... but so far have no desire to try other oils or butters.

It's a fun addiction and I enjoy sharing my soaps with friends and family! Enjoy your new hobby!

 

[carebear]

Making soap is a kitchen skill, by that I mean the things you need to know and do to make soap are similar to baking or getting chocolate to temper.

Any endeavor in which you simply follow directions can be brought to that level. Creating a soap takes specific knowledge. Troubleshooting takes specific knowledge. Real soaping takes specific knowledge. I'm not saying you need a masters in chemistry - but you do need to know more than how to bake a cake.

By the way, baking takes very specific knowledge too - especially if you are creating a formula.

 

[hushnel]

Making soap is a kitchen skill, by that I mean the things you need to know and do to make soap are similar to baking or getting chocolate to temper.

Any endeavor in which you simply follow directions can be brought to that level. Creating a soap takes specific knowledge. Troubleshooting takes specific knowledge. Real soaping takes specific knowledge. I'm not saying you need a masters in chemistry - but you do need to know more than how to bake a cake.

By the way, baking takes very specific knowledge too - especially if you are creating a formula.

Of course, I agree with you, I am sorry I express myself so poorly. I wasn't addressing the subject of creating soap recipes rather that following basic fundamental recipes and achieving success using the tools and skills acquired in the kitchen are skills learned and practiced in the kitchen.

I am not anywhere near skilled at soap making, I would never try to push the boundaries of what little knowledge I have, by definition I am not a soaper, rather just a guy with skills based on tool sets, it's how I understand the world. I may or may not ever reach a respectable level of soaping but I have already achieve results that I am satisfied with.

I wouldn't expect a novice baker to bake a loaf of rye, leavened with havested native yeasts, and baked in a wood fired oven. I would expect some one who knows their way around a kitchen to be able to follow the directions to bake a simple loaf.

We all look at the world different, I am a guy who learns by doing, the study of the subject comes after I have learned enough to understand the dialogue of the subject.