lard question

[Guspuppy]

made my first lard soap 2 days ago. (62%)
zap tested just now and no zap, so I tried a lather test. It was extremely creamy and I was wishing I had remembered the sugar in the lye water for more bubbles. But the bubbles in the sink after rinsing my hand were tremendous! Why is that??
I know it's going to change as it cures and I don't know what kind of lather I will end up with. But I was just curious about the bubbles in the sink! Maybe I can use it for bath bubbles! haha..... :mrgreen:

my hands feel lovely right now though even with brand new soap. Can't wait to see how it really ends up!!

 

[DeeAnna]

One thing about soap is that some types of recipes need more water than others to lather their best. I'd say this is true of soaps made with higher % of palmitic and stearic acids. Try washing your hands again, but mix more water into the lather as you go and see if more bubbles develop.

 

[snappyllama]

I think you're going to be a convert to the lard side. To me, high lard makes a heavier/creamier/lotion-like lather. If you want to bump up the open bubbles, substitute some water for something with sugars (like goat milk, coconut milk, beer, fruit purees) OR add honey OR add sugar. 5% Castor and 15%-20% bubbling oils (CO/PKO) will also enhance the bubbles.

As it cures, you should see more open bubbles. Like DeeAnna said, lard soaps like a bit more water to get an open bubble structure. Mine also perform best on their second or third use.

 

[Susie]

^What they said.

Welcome to the lardy side!

 

[Barbsbreakingbath]

Lard

^What they said.

Welcome to the lardy side!

I got some from the store, because I want to try it also. I did notice it has a "meaty smell" ( it's the kind used in cooking). Does that smell go away when you make and fragrance the soap? Should I not be using cooking lard?

 

[Guspuppy]

I think you're going to be a convert to the lard side. To me, high lard makes a heavier/creamier/lotion-like lather. If you want to bump up the open bubbles, substitute some water for something with sugars (like goat milk, coconut milk, beer, fruit purees) OR add honey OR add sugar. 5% Castor and 15%-20% bubbling oils (CO/PKO) will also enhance the bubbles.

As it cures, you should see more open bubbles. Like DeeAnna said, lard soaps like a bit more water to get an open bubble structure. Mine also perform best on their second or third use.

I did have 19% CO in this soap, and meant to add sugar but forgot it sitting out there on the counter. Can't wait for it to cure! I want to make some nice soaps for a friend who got married last weekend and am trying to figure out all the things like color and swirls, and lard makes such a nice slow-acting batter thus far!

Welcome to the lardy side!

Yep, think I'm going to be an easy convert to the lardy side! Just made a second test batch (75% this time) and used a FO that the reviews said something along the lines of, "work FAST!" and was trying my first ever hanger swirl as well, which I am pretty sure is not going to come out because the darn batter would not set up fast enough for me and I was afraid to wait much longer and have it seize. Haha!

I got some from the store, because I want to try it also. I did notice it has a "meaty smell" ( it's the kind used in cooking). Does that smell go away when you make and fragrance the soap? Should I not be using cooking lard?

I got the green and white bucket of lard for cooking from Walmart and don't notice any meaty smell either before or after soaping with it.

 

[DeeAnna]

Gus -- With 19% coconut oil, you should see some nice bubbleage especially after cure. For now, this soap just needs a bit more water, methinks.

Barb -- Lard you'd cook with is the same stuff as lard you'd use for soap. Lard sometimes has a warm odor to me (not sure I'd call it a "meaty" aroma). This usually disappears as the soap cures. If any fat has a rancid odor, that smell won't go away in the soap -- but that's a different situation.

 

[Barbsbreakingbath]

Thank you

Gus -- With 19% coconut oil, you should see some nice bubbleage especially after cure. For now, this soap just needs a bit more water, methinks.

Barb -- Lard you'd cook with is the same stuff as lard you'd use for soap. Lard sometimes has a warm odor to me (not sure I'd call it a "meaty" aroma). This usually disappears as the soap cures. If any fat has a rancid odor, that smell won't go away in the soap -- but that's a different situation.

Deanna, I bought Manteca brand lard, which is typically used in cooking Mexican food. I don't know if that makes a difference. In any case it's subtle, and I'm glad to hear that it processes out.

 

[Arimara]

Deanna, I bought Manteca brand lard, which is typically used in cooking Mexican food. I don't know if that makes a difference. In any case it's subtle, and I'm glad to hear that it processes out.

Manteca is what I've used too. It does have a bit of a smell (more metallic to my nose) but it does fade with time. You could always use a nice fo or and eo blend if you still have a smell after 3 months cure or so.

 

[Arthur Dent]

Ummm... isn't Manteca Spanish for lard?

 

[Barbsbreakingbath]

Manteca

Ummm... isn't Manteca Spanish for lard?

I have been living in SoCal for 40 years now, and have managed to learn about 3 words of Spanish. Manteca is not one of them.

 

[topofmurrayhill]

I think I finally understand what some people have been talking about. I used to get 50 lb cubes of lard from Soaper's Choice. It was stiff and all but odorless. Recently I ordered a 7 lb bottle from them. This latest lard is much softer and has a noticeable aroma to it. I was having trouble thinking of how to describe it, but "meaty" sounds kind of right. You definitely wouldn't mistake it for a vegetable oil.

I guess the aroma of the lard products out there is pretty variable.

 

[Steve85569]

Looks like we have another lardinator in training - or two.
Welcome to the lard side!

 

[Barbsbreakingbath]

Lard

Looks like we have another lardinator in training - or two.
Welcome to the lard side!

I became interested in it because of the whole palm oil issue. I guess there is sustainable Palm oil, but nobody kills a pig or cow to make soap from its fat. It's strictly a by product. I try to think of the orangutans and tigers.
Besides, I like to experiment and I want to see what I get.

 

[Steve85569]

I became interested in it because of the whole palm oil issue. I guess there is sustainable Palm oil, but nobody kills a pig or cow to make soap from its fat. It's strictly a by product. I try to think of the orangutans and tigers.
Besides, I like to experiment and I want to see what I get.

The soaping qualities of what was once animal are amazing. Mr. Lye does not leave much animal behind. Once started on lard it's difficult to find a good pure veggie recipe that does what lard does. IMHO

 

[Susie]

Truly, high lard soap has to be experienced to be believed. That creamy lather is just addicting.

 

[DeeAnna]

Manteca is not a brand name. It's the Spanish word for lard, so you'll often see that word on lard packages. Yes, that's the stuff. It will work fine.

 

[Arthur Dent]

I have noticed that Field brand lard has a powerful smell that lasts into my finished soaps, and Armour brand lard has very little smell.
For me anyway.

 

[Susie]

Armour and Morrell have about the same amount of odor, and both can be easily covered by a minimum of EO/FO.

 

[topofmurrayhill]

I have noticed that Field brand lard has a powerful smell that lasts into my finished soaps, and Armour brand lard has very little smell.
For me anyway.

Yeah I can't smell much of anything with the Armour brand. It seems to have been processed into submission.

I always assumed that manteca meant lard because of the way Armour and many other brands are labeled, but I just did some quick research and that turns out to be kinda true but not exactly. Manteca literally means butter. In many countries, the meaning leans towards fat or grease, so a package just labeled manteca would be understood as manteca de cerdo (pork) while mantequilla would refer to milk butter. Anything else like margarine or peanut butter you'd have to be specific about what kind of manteca/mantequilla it is. Argentina is one of the exceptions. If you google images of manteca you see various lards and Argentinian brands of butter.

There's your useless information of the day.