My soap is like a rock...

[galaxyMLP]

So, I'm used to making soap with 65-100% OO but I was looking for a recipe to make a harder bar w/o palm or coconut. Too sensitive to coconut and don't want to use palm. I used lard b/c I saw everyone saying it was so fantastic, 60% lard, 40% olive oil. Both soaps I made in 2 lb batches were so hard that they were hard to cut less than 12 hours later.

I *think* I gelled one and not the other. Its hard for me to tell if it gelled. I know for sure the first one didn't. I wanted to force gel in the second so I put it in the warm oven (170 F preheat, then off when the soap went in). I cant even tell if it actually gelled though. I'm so used to my hot process soaps too. I feel like its all new to me all over again.

I did a 5% lye discount and used a 33% lye solution (that is what I normally use for my oo soaps) I soaped at 110 F for both. Is this normal? I can't even stamp the soap its so hard. Its harder than soaps I've been curing for almost a year. What the heck?

 

[Chefmom]

Aahh, Lard. I have been using it more and more and yesterday I made a Lard heavy hot process. I normally cut my molds the next morning...about 12-18 hours after putting it into the molds. The batch yesterday I cut at 3 hours!!! They cut clean and were still a little warm, lovely!!

I think you are used to the extended softness of high olive oil soaps and so aren't used to the quicker firmness of the lard used. I've been pleased with my lard soaps so far....my next big decision is to try to determine which I really like better, tallow or lard. At this point in testing I haven't really had one or the other pull ahead...they both seem equal to me.

 

[Obsidian]

I usually cut my high lard soap within 6-8 hours, even then they sometimes crumble around the edge.

 

[galaxyMLP]

I think I'm going to go for hot process with the lard. CP isn't usually my thing but with the spin swirl challenge pictures and the "browsing soap pics" thread, I just couldn't resist the temptation. Not sure why, I just don't think CP is for me. I can never get bars I feel "proud of" with it. Even with all of the swirls and pretty colors. I usually unmold very fast with HP so we will see. Do you think 60% lard is a bad idea?

 

[Jstar]

My 70% tallow soaps get cut at 3-5 hrs...any longer than that and I'll have chunks lol

 

[galaxyMLP]

Dang! I had no idea. Me in my little olive oil soaps (and other mostly liquid soaps!). Ha! This is so cool.

Eta: I think my brother is going to love this soap. I don't see it disappearing in the tub any time soon. I think I could really hurt someone with it, its that hard. And so smooth too! Glad its normal!

 

[MorpheusPA]

I love lard. And yep, it hardens very, very fast and is very, very shiny. Plus it's an inexpensive sub for palm oil, but has such widely good characteristics that it can be a very high percentage of the bar. There's nothing there not to love.

I tend to balance lard and olive in the recipe, so I'm good to unmold and cut at 24 hours. Post that, it just gets more and more rock solid as time goes on.

Very high lard recipes will require unmolding/cut far faster than that.

You haven't lived until you've seen lard's copious, low, but extremely creamy lather. Add in about fifteen percent coconut oil for bubbles, and maybe a little castor to sustain lather, and the stuff is absolutely incredible.

 

[galaxyMLP]

Im excited. So you say 50/50 lard olive? Even at 15% coconut oil still feels very drying to me. I've mostly given it up for now but I might add that in later on. I know plenty of people that would love a bar like that. I just can't test it!

 

[MorpheusPA]

My personal current favorite (which is subject to change) is 55% lard, 25% olive, 15% coconut, 5% castor. I love the lather, which is silky but has some bubbles. The feel is very conditioning with no dryness.

If you can't use coconut, don't add it! My rule is never make a soap I can't enjoy myself, because what fun is that? Raise the olive and lard in tandem to compensate. Off the cuff, I might suggest: 65% lard, 30% olive, 5% castor. The lather will be flatter and more creamy, with few bubbles, but the soap will be conditioning beyond belief.