Talk to me about beer soap...

[Soapacetic]

Can someone suggest a "hoppier" type beer?

A popular "hoppy" beer would be considered an IPA or double IPA DIPA
These are normally more pricey due to using more hops and more malt.
considered "big" beers.

Just look for one that is an IPA

Hopefully you can find a "bomber" 22 oz bottle rather than buying a full 6 pack or case......haha not unlesss you need a case to make some big batches!
Normally any names of beers with "hop" in the name should be hoppy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Pale_Ale

 

[shunt2011]

Can someone suggest a "hoppier" type beer? I don't drink the stuff, and it has been way too long since I made any to recall. I have a male friend who sneers at the suggestion to try hand made soap, but would probably try beer soap, not to mention my son and his friends.

I've used Guinness but it's a dark beer and works well. I can get a darker beige with some TD. I'm not a beer drinker so not much help with what beers have more hoppiness to them.

 

[DeeAnna]

Hey, I've reduced a whole 12 pack of cheap beer -- Miller or something like that -- and used what I wanted for my current batch and froze the rest for future use. It doesn't have to be a fancy beer to make a nice soap, although Miller-Schlitz-Bud and the other lower cost brews don't have the name appeal that the microbrews do.

Anyways, preparing a large quantity saves a little time for future batches and, more importantly, keeps the Significant Other from snagging a bottle of your "soapin' brew" for internal consumption.

 

[AMyers]

I made one beer soap, but will make more. It has been very popular with my giftees!!

I learned that if you boil the beer for too long, it becomes a weird crystallized mess in your pan...

After the boiling debacle and resulting clean-up, I **simmered** to about 50% volume and froze the resulting liquid. Lucky for us, we have a double tap in the kitchen, so it's a relatively endless supply of beer (as long as Hubby keeps making it)

The soap smelled super ammonia-y for a couple weeks. Much worse than my milk soaps have. But eventually, that dissipated, and like I said, it has been well-liked.

 

[claryza]

I try my first beer soap. Using heineken. 100% beer. Let it sit & also boil them. Then freeze them. The soap smells so bad at first but now almost curinf for 4weeka the smell almost gone. I was wondering why my beer soap color is still beige. Maybe because heineken color not too dark?

 

[Dorymae]

Anyways, preparing a large quantity saves a little time for future batches and, more importantly, keeps the Significant Other from snagging a bottle of your "soapin' brew" for internal consumption.

You hit the nail on the head with that one!

 

[DeeAnna]

"...I was wondering why my beer soap color is still beige. Maybe because heineken color not too dark? ..."

Yes, that is probably correct, if I remember correctly, Heineken is a gold or amber color -- not too dark. Try a dark stout if you want darker soap.

 

[Dahila]

Oh I do not know what I want more; a glass of Heineken or a beer soap..........

 

[TRBeck]

Oh I do not know what I want more; a glass of Heineken or a beer soap..........

Why choose? I like to drink one of whatever's in the soap while I work. Leftover habit from homebrewing.

I will say that IME hot process beer soap takes on a very powerful nutty dimension - product of Maillard reactions or something? - that doesn't go away and doesn't really hide behind EOs or FOs. Patchouli EO? No match. Even some pretty powerful "masculine" FOs don't totally mask it, so if you hot process your beer soap, be sure you choose an FO that works in concert with that nuttiness - almond, vanilla, some sort of spice, etc.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, a beer-and-goat-milk soap not only overheats like there is no tomorrow, but smells just awful until the double-ammonia cocktail goes away.

 

[Dahila]

Well I did not chose, I made a sugar scrub and anti itch salve and cooked. There was not beer in the house (I drink it twice a year maybe) and not time to do the soap )
I was kidding )

 

[JimSteel]

Does anyone bother with scented beer soaps? There is a local soapmaker around my neck of the woods who makes a lemon/mint beer soap. The only scents are lemon grass oil and peppermint oil. Sounds strange, but the sample I got has this distinctly manly smell. Not like beer if you really analyze it, but still... husky.

I'm intending on making a beer soap soon, but not sure if i'm going to scent it or not. No one has mentioned it yet in the thread. Any thoughts? I only use EO's.

 

[Dahila]

I have the same question, what scent go nice with beer soap?

 

[AMyers]

I used Litsea Cubeba and Sweet Orange EOs.

 

[DeeAnna]

I have been using warm woodsy spicy scents -- they play well with any beery scent that might linger in the soap. One of my guy friends really likes Autumn Afternoon FO sold by Magestic Mountain Sage in his beer soap.

Mints (added lightly!) and/or citrus scents would also be good -- again any lingering beer scent will warm and soften the mint or citrus in a pleasing way.

IMO, just cuz a soap has a particular ingredient in it doesn't mean the soap needs to smell like that ingredient. It would be like using avocado oil as a signature ingredient ... and feeling compelled to make the soap look and smell like an avocado. Or using only sugary scents and colors in soaps with added sugars.

 

[snappyllama]

IMO, just cuz a soap has a particular ingredient in it doesn't mean the soap needs to smell like that ingredient. It would be like using avocado oil as a signature ingredient ... and feeling compelled to make the soap look and smell like an avocado. Or using only sugary scents and colors in soaps with added sugars.

There go my plans for making an "Ocean Guacamole Candy" soap...

 

[cmzaha]

I try to scent according to the particular beer. It is IPA beers that I use and they are the ones that can act extremely naughty. Just never get comfortable when dealing with beer or wines. I use a Cardamon Craft IPA beer and scent it with a mix of a Tequila and Cardamon FO's

 

[claryza]

I want to make guiness black beer and heineken beer in one soap. To produce two different colors. I was wondering how to make it. Have 2 different lye solutions and two batches of soap? :s

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, you could certainly do that. Another way would be to make a base soap using a concentrated lye solution made with water. Get the soap batter to the emulsion stage, split it into two portions, add each beer to a portion, then bring each to trace, etc.

 

[claryza]

That means counting the beer as half subsitution for water ?

 

[Luckyone80]

Does anyone bother with scented beer soaps? There is a local soapmaker around my neck of the woods who makes a lemon/mint beer soap. The only scents are lemon grass oil and peppermint oil. Sounds strange, but the sample I got has this distinctly manly smell. Not like beer if you really analyze it, but still... husky.

I'm intending on making a beer soap soon, but not sure if i'm going to scent it or not. No one has mentioned it yet in the thread. Any thoughts? I only use EO's.

Yes, I just made some on Sunday and I scented it with Bay Laurel and its awesome! I also have some Amber and Black Tea that I may use.