# Scenting a beer soap - seeking recommendations



## Mobjack Bay (Aug 18, 2019)

I’m planning to make a chocolate stout beer soap for my son for Christmas.  So far, the best sounding beer FO is Oatmeal Stout, but I’ve read that the one from WSP accelerates.  Does the one from BB accelerate as well?  I don’t want the soap to smell like the night after a frat party, which sounds like a possibility for some of the other beers FOs.  I’m open to ideas for blends that draw on earth, roasted grain, wood/cedar(?) type scents in a way that would remind him of brewing beer, which is a hobby he really enjoys. Thanks for any suggestions!


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## lsg (Aug 19, 2019)

I have used the Oatmeal Stout with my beer soap and IMO, it accelerates only slightly.  It does discolor, but stout is a dark beer.  I think it smells wonderful in a beer soap.


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## Mobjack Bay (Aug 19, 2019)

lsg said:


> I have used the Oatmeal Stout with my beer soap and IMO, it accelerates only slightly.  It does discolor, but stout is a dark beer.  I think it smells wonderful in a beer soap.


Thank you @lsg.  Where do you get yours?


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## lsg (Aug 20, 2019)

I get mine from Wholesale Supplies Plus


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## Mobjack Bay (Aug 20, 2019)

lsg said:


> I get mine from Wholesale Supplies Plus


Great, thanks!  I’m trying to avoid ordering from dozens of places.  It gets so hard to keep track of (for me anyways...)


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## bohunk (Aug 21, 2019)

I've used the oatmeal stout from BB and used a stout to make the soap.  It smelled like toasted oatmeal to me.  The FO behaved well, but I HP so most FOs behave well.  My absolute favorite FO for beer soap, and my son's also, was BB Pumpkin Lager.  Sadly they don't carry pumpkin lager any longer and I'm hoarding what I have left.


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## soaplady30 (Aug 21, 2019)

When I made beer soap I also used BB' s oatmeal stout. Can't remember how I decided to try it but the scent was great. I also did some in dragons blood which of course covers any natural scent of the soap but the guys liked buying beer soap and it made good gifts as well.


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## amd (Aug 21, 2019)

Mobjack Bay said:


> So far, the best sounding beer FO is Oatmeal Stout, but I’ve read that the one from WSP accelerates.


@lsg and I have discussed our different experiences with WSP Oatmeal Stout several times, lol. It does not work for my recipe - it accelerates horribly (like plop and cry horribly) and then the FO separates out of the soap. I add FO to my oils before adding the lye so I know it isn't a mixing after trace issue. The last batch I made with it I had to HP, the FO still separated out, so then I had to rebatch it. (I poured the oil that had separated out directly into the crock, and dumped the hunk of soap in after. Didn't even bother with shredding it or making it into smaller chunks. It rebatched fine. I should mention that it was a 16oz oil batch though...) I had to give up on that FO.

I like to use rich fruit fragrances with stout soaps - NG's Cherry is fantastic (use at .5 - .75 oz PPO because it's strong, more than that and the fragrance holds the chemical smell you get OOB). Cherry with WSP Fudge Brownie is really good with stout too.


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## Zany_in_CO (Aug 21, 2019)

There is a "hops" fragrance oil. When I googled it, I came up with this from Nature's Garden. Sounds like a winner!
https://www.naturesgardencandles.com/beer-fragrance-oil


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## Arimara (Aug 21, 2019)

I used BB's Oatmeal Stout once. It wasn't really what I liked. I still have that scent so I can always make a batch to confirm if I like it. I should make a beer soap but I have to find my container for mixing that stuff (I've had lye volcanos occur, even after I cooked the beer down)


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## runnerchicki (Aug 21, 2019)

I used BB Oatmeal Stout and Almond Biscotti blended at 2:1 respectively. It smells really good even though I’m not usually a fan of sweet scents. There was a BB project that used this blend and that’s where I got the idea.

I did another one where I scented the bottom layer with Oatmeal Stout, and the “foam” with the almond biscotti. I like the blended version a lot better.

My batter accelerated a bit - but I figured that was from the beer. Not sure because I blended the FO into my base oils before I added the lye.


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## Arimara (Aug 21, 2019)

runnerchicki said:


> I used BB Oatmeal Stout and Almond Biscotti blended at 2:1 respectively. It smells really good even though I’m not usually a fan of sweet scents. There was a BB project that used this blend and that’s where I got the idea.
> 
> I did another one where I scented the bottom layer with Oatmeal Stout, and the “foam” with the almond biscotti. I like the blended version a lot better.
> 
> My batter accelerated a bit - but I figured that was from the beer. Not sure because I blended the FO into my base oils before I added the lye.



It seems that every time I use a BB scent, I like it better blended. That combo must smell amazing.


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## runnerchicki (Aug 21, 2019)

Arimara said:


> It seems that every time I use a BB scent, I like it better blended. That combo must smell amazing.



It’s pretty amazeballs. I’ll definitely use it again.


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## Zany_in_CO (Aug 21, 2019)

runnerchicki said:


> It’s pretty amazeballs. I’ll definitely use it again.


Uh oh... Cybilla's Almond Biscotti is no longer available. This came up on another thread, and when I went in to check on "Cybilla" fragrances they were gone, although the search showed about a dozen or so FOs (without the Cybilla name), sadly, Almond Biscotti wasn't one of them. I loved that FO. I used to make my cuticle balm. Nice.


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## Mobjack Bay (Aug 22, 2019)

I’ve placed orders with BB and WSP and now I’m filling a cart at NG... At least they have 1 oz trial bottles at a great price.
I stumbled across an older post about using NG’s Cracklin Birch in beer soap.  May have to order that one, too.


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## amd (Aug 22, 2019)

Mobjack Bay said:


> I stumbled across an older post about using NG’s Cracklin Birch in beer soap


That might have been me. I used in my one of my wholesale brewery accounts, with a Red Ale. Sold really fast for them - not sure if it was the soap itself or the cult following that particular beer has though  I've also used NG's werewolf in a lager that sold really well for them too.


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## shunt2011 (Aug 22, 2019)

Mobjack Bay said:


> I’ve placed orders with BB and WSP and now I’m filling a cart at NG... At least they have 1 oz trial bottles at a great price.
> I stumbled across an older post about using NG’s Cracklin Birch in beer soap.  May have to order that one, too.



Cracklin Birch is good in beer soap or any other soap.  It's a great seller for me.


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## Renpef (Aug 22, 2019)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Uh oh... Cybilla's Almond Biscotti is no longer available. This came up on another thread, and when I went in to check on "Cybilla" fragrances they were gone, although the search showed about a dozen or so FOs (without the Cybilla name), sadly, Almond Biscotti wasn't one of them. I loved that FO. I used to make my cuticle balm. Nice.


Hello Zany! Try the search again but don't add "cybilla" in the search. BB has Almond Biscotti and it smells divine!!!


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## Arimara (Aug 22, 2019)

If you order from BB today, you can get up to $20 off shipping, I think. It's a real good deal fro those of us on the other end of the country.


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## Renpef (Aug 22, 2019)

Ah yes, I just HAD to take advantage of the free shipping sale at BB


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## Zany_in_CO (Aug 22, 2019)

Renpef said:


> Hello Zany! Try the search again but don't add "cybilla" in the search. BB has Almond Biscotti and it smells divine!!!


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## Mobjack Bay (Sep 3, 2019)

I ended up using a blend of fragrances for the chocolate stout beer soap - WSP Oatmeal Stout, BB Pomegranate and Black Currant and BB Bergamot Black Tea. The Oatmeal Stout smelled a bit too much like oatmeal cookie relative to what I was imagining. The soap recipe I used is rich in unrefined Shea, which adds some earthiness, and I also sprinkled cocoa powder on the top.  The FO combo may sound strange, but I’m really liking it. With my very limited fragrance vocabulary, I would characterize it as reminiscent of brewing, baking, tea, dark fruit, dark chocolate and earth.

And, yes, I did experience some acceleration, but I had also added some ground up oatmeal, which I think could have been a contributing factor.


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## runnerchicki (Sep 3, 2019)

Mobjack Bay said:


> I ended up using a blend of fragrances for the chocolate stout beer soap - WSP Oatmeal Stout, BB Pomegranate and Black Currant and BB Bergamot Black Tea. The Oatmeal Stout smelled a bit too much like oatmeal cookie relative to what I was imagining. The soap recipe I used is rich in unrefined Shea, which adds some earthiness, and I also sprinkled cocoa powder on the top.  The FO combo may sound strange, but I’m really liking it. With my very limited fragrance vocabulary, I would characterize it as reminiscent of brewing, baking, tea, dark fruit, dark chocolate and earth.
> 
> And, yes, I did experience some acceleration, but I had also added some ground up oatmeal, which I think could have been a contributing factor.


Oh how I wish I could get a sniff of those soaps. The blend sounds interesting.


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