LYE Soap!

[jadiebugs1]

I see some of our "experts" are on now and I was hoping for a quick answer to this question, I was going to make some today but didn't get to it, so definetely tomorrow IF someone helps me out here.....

I have repeated requests for LYE soap....again that cracks me up when I hear it, but I'm about 95% sure what they are asking for is Lard soap....

Have tons of Lard but I hear it makes a very soft soap on its own and also heard of adding salt for a harder bar with more lather.

Could someone tell me, am I correct in my thinking and if so...how much salt would I add and would I add it to the oils or the lye water?

Can't wait to make some LYE SOAP!!

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Any and all soap made HP or CP method using sodium hydroxide (lye) as the base medium, is considered "lye soap." I have made 100% lard soap and it does take a while to harden up, but it will after a good cure, be brick hard. I soap a 100% lard recipe at a 40% lye solution concentration, a big water discount. :wink:

Personally, a great AF recipe is 30% coconut oil, 50% lard, 15% beef tallow, and 5% caster oil. I love this combination. I sometimes use only 30% lard and add 20% olive oil, an even better conditioning, bubbly bar of great AF soap! :wink:

"Pork fat rules!"

Paul

 

[jadiebugs1]

Yes Paul....I know the lye must be there to make soap....that's why it is so funny to me when people ask me if I make Lye Soap...didn't catch my sarcastic humor there??? I gave up trying to explain that without lye you don't have soap....when I have the energy I explain, but sometimes I get tired of hearing myself, lol!

Most of the time these people are asking for "LYE soap" because they want it for Laundry purposes, or poison ivy, etc. because "that's what grandma used to make".

So are you saying that I wouldn't need to add salt?

And this whole water discount thing....don't comprehend it....

Is lard a fat that traces quickly or slowly?

 

[jadiebugs1]

PS: What is "AF recipe" ??

 

[Soapmaker Man]

"AF recipe" stands for animal fats. I do add a salt brine solution to every batch I make and use soured goat's milk as the lactic acid levels raise naturally and produce a harder bar faster. Soap is a sodium based product, so adding about 1 t. ppo is a great start to naturally harden the soap faster and make a harder bar. I make salt bars where 80% of the total oils weight is salt added at very light trace. Like I said, I pre make a sugar/salt solution to add to every batch to make it bubble more AND get harder. I also use goat milk in every batch, aloe vera juice, and silk threads. My customers LOVE my soaps and they sell well. :wink:

Lard, by itself with full water, does take a bit longer to trace.

Paul

 

[jadiebugs1]

Ok....Thanks for explaining that. The only AF I have is lard, not much into the idea of rendering yet...

So, making a small batch of 100% Lard....16oz. of lard = 1tsp. of salt....do I add the salt to the lye/water or to the oils, before mixing them together, after I mix them together, or doesn't it matter??

I'd like to reduce the water amount so it cures faster but I'm not sure how to do that correctly....could you breifly explain (I know it's getting late but I'd appreciate it. I AM using 24oz. of lard if that helps.

I know there is so much that can be added or changed to make a better bar of soap (I read your posts often! lol!) but I just want to make this Plain Jane Lard Soap 'cause that's what the people want......

Thanks Paul!

 

[jadiebugs1]

Played with soapcalc a little, noticed the amount of lye didn't change when I changed the "Water as % of Oils" section, just the amount of water.....

Is this what you mean, just disolve the same amount of lye but in less water? (2.1 oz. lye)

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Played with soapcalc a little, noticed the amount of lye didn't change when I changed the "Water as % of Oils" section, just the amount of water.....

Is this what you mean, just disolve the same amount of lye but in less water? (2.1 oz. lye)

Yes, that is exactly what I mean. That is called a water discount. I really hate that term, as different soap makers use different amounts of water, so some one saying use a water discount is really a mute phrase. I always use lye strength or lye solution% as a reference term to everybody here, as that is a fixed amount of water to lye ratio.

Paul :wink:

 

[jadiebugs1]

Thanks Paul, think I'm ready to give it a go in the morning.....

(I just found a thread, still in the recent posts....asking this same question, someone even "quoted" a great big section discussing the water discount/ratio thingy, subject, yada yada--get this--no less.......ADDRESSED directly to me!!! ha ha ha! Sorry, but I didn't get it then, maybe that's why I forgot about it. Then again, it's 1am here, I'm not even sure how I'm still awake!)

Thanks for all your help!

 

[jadiebugs1]

Sorry, again. When do I add the salt?????

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Sorry, again. When do I add the salt?????

I add salt only to the lye solution. I add my sugar/salt slurry to the just emulsified, very light traced soap batter. If I add the sugar to the lye solution, it will burn the sugar and turn orange. :roll:

 

[jadiebugs1]

Thank you....again....you are so much help.....night night....off to dream about making soap! (weird, but I DO dream about making soap quite often)

 

[Tabitha]

Jadie, just because you know it takes lye to make soap it doesn't mean your customers/friends/family do. I am going to make a bet that less than 1% of the population knows lye is required to amke soap, esp since the detergent bars are all labelled soap as is M&P.

 

[Neil]

thank you Tab. even MandP took lye to make.

BTW I made several batches using lard. I find its best to use the soap calc and add coconut oil and some olive other wise even with sugar you wont get much lather. The lard by its self will make a bar thats medium hard after it cures out. Those people asking for lye soap, is it for a perticular reason? I know around here alot of people are looking for lye soap to use for poisin ivy.

 

[jadiebugs1]

Yes, like I mentioned above...people will come straight out and ask me "Do You Make Lye Soap?" Then they go on to explain that "so-n-so" made lye soap when they were a kid and used it for laundry or for poison ivy, or whatever (mostly just those two uses mentioned for the most part). I personally remember some nasty looking stuff my mom used to keep down in the basement laundry room, probaly lard soap, though I don't know for sure.

Tab, I realize most people don't know about the LYE=Soap thing, but hey, I try to edgeamacate the masses...it's just very tireing sometimes, especially when they give you that "horrified" look as you explain......

I haven't made it yet...soon here...going to use just 100% lard, salt and a water discount......

I'll let you know how it goes....
got some other pics to post now.....

 

[donald roller wilson]

lye soap

Actually, you can buy a soap labelled "lye soap" at Ace hardware. For the low cost of $4 you can get a bar that doesn't smell like anything. I think it's called "grandma's".
I don't know why anyone would go through all the work of actually making soap and then making it as plain as possible.
I view it as about the same as putting on an evening gown to go watch a tractor pull.
:shock:

 

[jadiebugs1]

Apparently you haven't been to any of the tractor pulls in my area!

Just kidding, I don't know WHY they want it....they just do. I did make it according to Pauls guidelines....found that the salt wouldn't completely dissolve in the lye water (?). But it turned out very nice I think. Very white, very hard...

It's only been a couple of days this pic was taken after being unmolded after about 24+hours. Not much to see really, but I was a little impressed....In my mind I pictured a yellowish, not so hard bar with icky spots and dirty cracks from where it dried after being used (the stuff in my childhood's basement!)

 

[Neil]

Sharon'

Did this soap Gel? when mine gells it gets translucent instead of white.
It looks very nice and white.

 

[jadiebugs1]

Gel????? No.....Sharon don't do gel......Sharon wait and wait and wait......

 

[Neil]

It was well worth the wait .. It sure looks Purdy!