Following on from a comment in another thread, here's a quick guide to making soap using Lard - I've included a recipe, but there are loads of tried and tested ones on-line if you don't like this. If you want to make your own blend or are adjusting quantities always use a soap calculator to recalculate the amount of caustic soda needed. There's a really good one on the Brambleberry website.
First thing to do is make your lard. Put your minced fat into a big pan in the oven and melt it, as it melts strain it (I use a cheesecloth) and weigh it out. You can either use it while it's still liquid or let it all set then melt it down at another time. I usually do a day of lard making, follwed by a few days of soap making
So, soap........
Before you start gather all your ingredients, you'll also need a pan for melting the fat and 1, if not 2 heatproof jugs, 2 thermometers (I got jam ones from ebay for 99p each - they're great !) You'll need a whisk or a stick blender to mix it, rubber gloves, safety spex and a facemark isn't a bad idea to save you inhaling any fumes.
So first I mix my lye solution - measure out the caustic soda (everything in soap making goes on weight - not volume) and add it slowly to the distilled or mineral water, stirring all the time - DO NOT stop mixing til it's all dissolved. Keep your nose away from it and try not to let it splash on you (white vinegar is the best thing to neutralise any spills - keep a bottle close by) Once it's mixed pop a thermometer in it and watch - it'll go up to around 200F, that's fine just set it aside safely and let it cool down. Keep kids and pets well away from it !!!
While it's cooling melt your fats in a big pot, then add any liquid ones. Remember to weigh the oils/fats - even liquid ones, it all goes on weight. Pop a thermometer in and see what it's reading.
For this recipe you're aiming to have both lots of liquid at a temperature of between 110F and 115F before combining them - different recipes call for different temps. Sometimes you need to put the pots/jugs into iced water/hot water to adjust the temperatures, it can be a bit of jiggery pokery to get them the same, at the same time - but they have to be for it to work properly.
I tend to have all my oils in a plastic bucket (old mayo bucket) but as long as you're using something big enough to cope with both lots of liquid it's fine. Watch if you're using aluminium pots - the lye can cause a reaction, best with glass, plastic or stainless steel.
When the oils and lye solution are at temperature, slowly start to mix the lye into the oils, ALWAYS add the lye to the oils and not the other way round. This is when you have to start mixing, either with a hand whisk (which could take an hour or more - I did it this way the first time !) or using a stick blender. But only use a stick blender that you're not going to use for food !
Now you want to mix til you reach 'trace' this is when the soap sits on the surface for a second before dissapearing back in, or your whisk leaves a trail on the surface. The consistancy thickens as cream does, and it can happen pretty quick with a blender - 5 minutes, so be careful it doesn't go to firm or you'll have bother pouring it ;o)
If you want to add colour or fragrence now is the time to do it - make sure you're using soap safe colours and smells - some stuff can alter the soap's structure and cause it to seize and go lumpy (you can fix it, but that's another story for another time !) But with this recipe one small bottle (1oz) of essential oil should be okay and not cause problems. Lavendar flowers are great to use to, but I would say it's best to put a layer on top of the soap once you've got it in the mold - it can look a bit weird through the soap.
Once you've got any colour or scent blended in (I always do this with a hand whisk) you can pour it into the mould.
You can use silicone trays, loaf pans, even old pringle tubes or juice cartons - or you can buy soap loaf moulds. The choice is endless !
Once in the mould cover it and insulate it well. You can either wrap it in old towels, or I have a polystyrene box kept specially for this purpose, it works a treat !
Leave it completely alone - don't even look at it, for 18-36 hours. After this time it should have cured enough that you can turn it out the mould and slice it. If it sticks you can pop it in the freezer for 30 mins to help turn it out.
After it's sliced it needs to cure further for anything between 3 and 8 weeks, this recipe when I did it, was fine after 3 weeks.
The longer it cures before use the harder it becomes and the longer it lasts. You can still use it before it's cured, but it just won't last as long.
And that's about it ! Apart from the recipe (ooops nearly forgot that !)
64oz lard
20oz olive oil
4oz castor oil
12oz lye crystals
32oz distilled, spring or mineral water (I use Tesco stuff !)
Combine oils and lye at 110-115F.
Happy soaping folks
Topic: Making soap from pig fat (Read 7845 times)
