80% Lard recipe breaks up like chocolate when cutting after 2 days...

[srez]

Hi all,

So I assume waiting 2 days to cut an 80% lard, 15% CO, 5% castor oil recipe was too long. It reminded me of cutting into a block of chocolate that way it broke apart.

I made another batch at 60% lard, OO, CO, castor oil (same time as the 80% batch) and cut that one at the 2 day mark as well and it wasn't that bad. It was a little "chalky" but did not break apart in chunks like the 80%.

Both were at 3% superfat.

Would 24 hours be enough or would that be too long as well?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[KiwiMoose]

I usually cut mine in about 8 - 10 hours

 

[srez]

I usually cut mine in about 8 - 10 hours

Perfect! Thank you @KiwiMoose

 

[KiwiMoose]

High Lard and CO will be brittle.
My saturated fats total 50 - 60% of my recipes (depending on which one I use) and the longest I usually wait would be 20 hours - and that's pushing it.

 

[srez]

@KiwiMoose good to know. I've been making small 500 gram batches here and there without issue cutting. I was surprised how that broke like it did.

And on the flip side... I made a different batch with 45% lard that even after 4th day of it being cut, it feels like putty to the touch. Not super soft, but definitely not hard like the other non lard batches made. Weird.

 

[Catscankim]

Hi all,

So I assume waiting 2 days to cut an 80% lard, 15% CO, 5% castor oil recipe was too long. It reminded me of cutting into a block of chocolate that way it broke apart.

I made another batch at 60% lard, OO, CO, castor oil (same time as the 80% batch) and cut that one at the 2 day mark as well and it wasn't that bad. It was a little "chalky" but did not break apart in chunks like the 80%.

Both were at 3% superfat.

Would 24 hours be enough or would that be too long as well?

Thanks,

Steve

Did you happen to use titanium dioxide? Not sure 80% lard would make it brittle. My grandmother used 100 bacon fat. Not sure of the soap profile of that, but I don't remember it being brittle. It was just soap.

Can you post your full recipe including additives and lye/water?

 

[Becky1024]

I make 100% lard soap and have found that the temperature of the lard and lye solution have a dramatic impact on how brittle it is when I cut. The higher the temperatures, the faster it becomes brittle. Weird.

I like to soap when the lye and lard are in the 90’s Fahrenheit. Then I can cut the loaf a day later without it being too soft or too brittle.

 

[srez]

No titanium dioxide at all @Catscankim I only used sorbitol at 1% ppo... 5 grams. I also attached what the bars looked like when cut after 48 hours. Going to try another batch tonight.

I make 100% lard soap and have found that the temperature of the lard and lye solution have a dramatic impact on how brittle it is when I cut. The higher the temperatures, the faster it becomes brittle. Weird.

I like to soap when the lye and lard are in the 90’s Fahrenheit. Then I can cut the loaf a day later without it being too soft or too brittle.

Thanks @Becky1024 Good to know. I kept the temps of both lard and lye solution around the 90's from what I remember. I have been reading where not to heat up the lard too too much or else you'll get that "smell". Going to try another batch tonight and give it a cut tomorrow morning as opposed to 2 days to see the difference in the cutting.

 

[srez]

Ok. So... I made a batch of the 80% lard and cut at the 12 hour mark. No crumbling, cut easy etc. Thank you for all your advice!

 

[Kari Howie]

I'm trying to satisfy my curiosity about what 100% lard soap would be like since that's what our ancestors had to use. While I didn't make a 100% batch, because I felt compelled to use castor oil, I did make a tiny test batch of 95% Lard with 5% castor oil. In other concessions to modernity I added 0.2 ounces of FO and 1/4 tsp Na Lactate in place of the salt they used to throw into their batches. I poured them into shallow individual cavity molds shaped like sand dollars and am anxiously awaiting the results.

 

[AliOop]

I'm trying to satisfy my curiosity about what 100% lard soap would be like since that's what our ancestors had to use. While I didn't make a 100% batch, because I felt compelled to use castor oil, I did make a tiny test batch of 95% Lard with 5% castor oil. In other concessions to modernity I added 0.2 ounces of FO and 1/4 tsp Na Lactate in place of the salt they used to throw into their batches. I poured them into shallow individual cavity molds shaped like sand dollars and am anxiously awaiting the results.

Give them a longer-than-normal cure. The lather tends to be very, very thin for the first 6-8 weeks on my high-lard bars. It starts to get better after at least 8 weeks. For future, consider adding some form of sugar. It will really help the lather!

 

[Kari Howie]

Give them a longer-than-normal cure. The lather tends to be very, very thin for the first 6-8 weeks on my high-lard bars. It starts to get better after at least 8 weeks. For future, consider adding some form of sugar. It will really help the lather!

Thanks, Ali! I will definitely add sugar when I get my order of sorbitol. I forgot all about table sugar.

 

[DeeAnna]

I occasionally make a 80-85% lard 15-20% coconut soap with 3% superfat and 33% lye concentration. I've never had any of my lard soaps, including this recipe, get brittle, so I'm not sure what the reason is for the OP's soap being so hard. I've used grocery store lard, lard from Soaper's Choice, and home-rendered lard. OTOH, I have had soap high in tallow become very brittle.

Soap is ready to cut when it's ready to be cut. If it's a newish recipe to you, it's important to test the soap periodically to learn when it's ready to be removed from the mold and cut into bars. To quote myself --

The soap is ready to take out of the mold and cut when it feels like refrigerator-cold mild cheddar, Gouda, or colby cheese. The soap will be soft enough to yield slightly when you gently press it with a finger tip, but firm enough that it doesn't actually dent. Soap that's soft and easy to dent, like cream cheese, brie, or Havarti, is too soft yet. Give it more time to firm up in the mold.

When the soap has firmed up a bit more but isn't quite firm enough to cut, you can try to gently remove the soap out of the mold, then leave it on the counter until it is firm enough to cut cleanly.

Soap that is very hard and does not yield to a gentle press of the finger, similar to Parmesan or aged cheddar, is probably too hard and brittle to cut well. Obviously you can take it out of the mold without any problems, but you might need to warm it in the oven and use a wire cutter or a "bench scraper" (rather than a knife) to get a clean cut. A knife has a triangular shape, and that wedge shape can cause brittle soap to snap apart, rather than cut cleanly.

More: Tips 'n Tricks | Soapy Stuff

 

[Becky1024]

I'm trying to satisfy my curiosity about what 100% lard soap would be like since that's what our ancestors had to use. While I didn't make a 100% batch, because I felt compelled to use castor oil, I did make a tiny test batch of 95% Lard with 5% castor oil. In other concessions to modernity I added 0.2 ounces of FO and 1/4 tsp Na Lactate in place of the salt they used to throw into their batches. I poured them into shallow individual cavity molds shaped like sand dollars and am anxiously awaiting the results.

I add 2% citric acid to my formula to fight soap scum. It helps the bubbles. The soap lasts forever.