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To me the better way is to omit the water entirely. I grind the tallow up in my meat grinder, and then I render in an enameled cast iron stock pot over low heat, as it melts I ladle it into a big pouring bowl through regular cheesecloth, then I pour it into the freezer containers through a...

I dry render in an enameled cast iron pot after grinding it fine with my meat grinder. I send it through two grades of cheesecloth, the finest one is as it is poured into the freezer containers I am going to store it in. No water. Just low and slow. Ladle out as it melts.

All that was said above plus a reassurance - I have never, in over 45 years of gardening, been stung by a honeybee while working in my garden. I've kept bees for eleven years now, so trust me, my garden is *full* of honeybees. They are not aggressive, they just want to go about their business...

Awesome, thank you so much! I have sharred this info with my supplier.

I know I'm necro posting, however, that docstock link doesn't work anymore. Does anyone have the SAP value for Pistacia Terebinthus Seed Oil? I would like to make Bittim soap. I have the oil. I don't have the SAP value.

You really need to know the IFRA recommendations on usage rates for various essential oils. There is no one rule regarding how much ppo for all essential oils. And I never, ever measure fragrances by teaspoons or tablespoons, always by weight, usually weighed in grams when mixing essential...

I have never adjusted the lye - but I usually use a 5% lye discount when I'm soaping with goat's milk and honey, so I think it's fine. If you normally superfat at a higher level you might rethink things.

I use my own raw honey and would never add it to the lye. Always at trace. But I'm a bit confused as to why you need a preservative - honey will not make your soap rancid. If anything its antifungal and antimicrobial properties will keep anything like that from happening.

Very interesting thread, gotta digest it a bit :)

Never, EVER melt beeswax over direct heat. Use a double boiler or a small dedicated crockpot. Beeswax is extremely flammable, handle it carefully. I actually use a small crockpot called a Little Dipper and it is dedicated to melting beeswax. It is never cleaned out.

Well, I'll argue that being 'man made' doesn't make it 'unnatural'. We are, after all, part of nature. Seriously. But as for the term 'natural' it's a buzzword, a marketing term, something to attract someone to your product. I wouldn't use it. I might use hand crafted, hand made, pure...

Your title asks for INCI name, which you have. I don't believe there is a 'saponified' name, as it's not advised to be used by humans (not judging, just stating a fact). I don't believe there's an answer to your second question.

I'll take pics and post later.

HP is definitely more rustic looking, and yes, it's 'ripply', but warping and caving in isn't what I'd call normal for my HP soaps. I've got bars that are over a year old that look pretty much like they did after a four week cure. Not misshapen at all.

There are denizens on The Dish who explained the science behind it. No one says you *have* to put it in the freezer. It's a suggestion. The slower alignment of the crystals helps to consolidate and firm the soap up. Using the higher moisture method to swirl the soap can lead to the warping...

I put it right in the freezer after I put it in the mold. I leave it in there overnight, take it out in the morning, let it warm up and then cut.

I don't see huge shrinking/warping, I do put the soaps right into the freezer after molding, that supposedly helps align the soap crystals (it is a salt) and helps to prevent that shrinking. I've had pretty good luck with it.

I don't like adding a lot of excess water, I'm probably at 38-40% total *water*, everything else counts towards raising that level. I consider all fluids when making HP - and the SF is calculated in with everything else. I don't use yogurt specifically or even always. Just about any warmed...

No, I'm not upset, it was Susie's post that made me think it was upsetting people. Don't know, but it does seem to add nicely to fluidity.

Trust me, these people have only been at it for a year or less. They don't research (the minions). They form fan clubs around whoever attracts them and only make soap their way. I don't mean that others aren't attracted to these methods, but they've been making soap, they're just looking...