Is it Soap Yet??

SO I think the last thing I posted was me rending Fat to make Lard for Soap.....


Well that was 3 errr 4 weeks ago now....  

I followed the recipe and directions given at Weed em and Reap - Homemade soap.

I used Peppermint Essential Oils and Sweet Almond Essential Oils.  Originally, without doing much research

I had purchased some Extracts hoping I would be able to use them, as I had found them really reasonably priced.  Come to find out they often cause the soap to go rancid and you don't want rotted soap... so I recommend you stick with the Essential Oils too!

I learned a few things when doing this....

• Pour *SLOWLY* in small quantities when it says to do so... not 1/3 or a 1/6th of the recipe  Use like maybe a 1c at a time.. for better mixed soap, with less gloppy look before drying.. and there by a smoother surface on the top (as the bottom gets smoothed by the surface of the container you use). 
• next time I will be setting out & Measuring/weighing all my items *BEFORE* I start the heating and the melting process -- 
• UMMM YES you do need your thermometer out and handy before you try to make this... YES you can make it cool down by putting it in the Freezer and waiting 5-10 min, but if you have it all ready to begin with you can skip this step I did... hehehe
• Yes Umm, You do need to put both measures of Lye in at the same time...when doubling the recipe.. and thinking you may have to toss a batch out because you couldn't remember if you added the 2nd measure of Lye is stressful. 
• A Dish Pan (to wash dishes in) (a whole $1.89 at my Wal-Mart) will work as a Mold BUT plan on lining it in Wax Paper like you would a wooden mold so it  can be un-molded easier  and only use if you are making a double batch.  Otherwise the soap likes to stick to the microscopic bumps of the plastic.  If you are going to make Soap Regularly, pay the $10-$20 bucks for the silicone molds for a Loaf of Bread, or cupcakes/muffins, or Brownies. Because this was my first time, and I was leery about how it would go, and if I would even "enjoy" making my soap I went cheap. 
• Remember to save all those broken off, and scraped off pieces for liquid hand soap... You mix it with water and put it in your bathroom dispenser. 
• Don't do it when your help has to be in bed with only 3 min to spare!!! (Dan was yelling at child (12 yr old) to go to bed, but child was helping me mix the lye and milk so I could slowly pour it in.... 
• YES my stand/ hand mixer's metal bowl fits a double batch of soap so I can use it to begin with, and not use a 3 gal soup pan to mix the milk and lye into -- Yes it says bowl... no I can't follow directions.
• Have a sense of Humor, and some test subjects lined up.... (Yes, including yourself!!)  
• Wait the long 3 weeks before you can use the Cold Press Soap... IT is worth it and really not that expensive.... I think I spent less than $20 on the double batch... including the "Concentrated Goats milk" and the Pork Fat I rendered into Lard. -- BTW The Crock Pot is SOOOO the easier way to go on Rendering Lard mine was nicely white color. 

I put mine on my racks and put my rack out in the Garage.. .where it gets quite warm, and the humidity is a bit more controlled than outdoors or in the house (where we shower, wash dishes etc).  Because of the Higher Temps, the Cold Press Soap is ready before the 3 week time point.  But even so... Enjoy it!!

I hope you learned a bit from my trial and errors..... 

Blessings and Love

aria