Interesting

[Relle]

 

[Catscankim]

Lovely soap...truly a natural soap.

Please don't make this a challenge LOL

 

[AliOop]

Wow, amazing. Wondering how she figured out how much lye solution to use?

 

[Catscankim]

Wow, amazing. Wondering how she figured out how much lye solution to use?

I often wonder that about how our predecessors made soap before soap calculators. My grandmom made soap. I am sure it was just drain lye and bacon fat. I never watched her make it, nor is she still alive for me to ask her. Everything she did was rustic...like all of the whole chicken parts in a bowl of chicken soup, LOL. So I am sure there was no science behind her soap making. However, we did not die LOL.

Whereas I'm like eeep! One gram too much, and painfully try to remove one gram of lye...I am sure they didn't zap test either.

I wonder if there is a you tube video on saving bacon fat in a can, reaching under the counter and grabbing some draino from the old metal can with the round pry-off lid, and whipping up a batch of soap just by "feel" lol. "Hmmm...Needs a little more lye".

Kidding, I'm sure it was a little more deep than that. It was probably a recipe that was passed on down the line somewhere. Somehow it was perfected.

Probably might be able to find answers on a preppers video.

edit: looking up preppers videos on soap making

 

[AliOop]

I've seen some YT videos about making lye from wood ash. Also on the agenda for the upcoming Soap Guild conference, someone will be teaching how to make soap with baking soda instead of lye. I would have loved to have registered for that conference, but when I sent them some questions, they didn't respond until after the early bird registration was closed. And then it was too much money. Maybe someone here on SMF will attend and come back to teach the rest of us how to make soap with baking soda.

 

[Catscankim]

Ok, I just watched this video.

In short, he ground up some charcoal to make a rough powder, added it to water to make an alkaline solution "but if you don't add too much to the water, you can drink it" or purify your water with it. I suppose, if its charcoal. I mean we filter fish tanks with charcoal....

He added the fat that he melted over the fire, then boiled it until the water evaporated. ...mentioned that if it needed it, you could add a little more fat. Pour it into a seashell and wait 15 minutes, and viola. RTU soap.

I would like a scientist to dissect this process (ehem, @DeeAnna )

 

[Zing]

Wait, y'all don't make soap like that? I thought everybody did. She practically copied me step for step, altho' I prefer to work indoors.

 

[lsg]

The pioneers used to pour rain water over hardwood ashes and drain that into a container.
How to Make Lye from Ashes – Mother Earth News.
Learn How to Make Lye Using Water and Wood Ashes

 

[BWt]

Loved this start to finish making soap video. Thank you for sharing.