# Beginner Soap Making Recipe?



## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

I have been wanting to make soap for a while now, but when I look at the calculator and some of the recipes it does nothing but confuse and scare me. Is there a basic recipe that I could use to help build my understanding and confidence? Currently I am buying soap from the local historical fort, and it is just a basic soap without any added scents or dyes. This is what I looking to make. 

TIA


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Yeah - what she said! :clap:


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

I did some investigating and found this method/recipe for basic lye soap. It seemed to me like a few things were left out or the author had taken it for granted that we knew what to do, so I added a couple minor things for clarity sake. My comments are in *BOLD ITALICS*. I hope the soap making veterans on here will have a look at this to make sure we Kentucky gals aren't going to blow up our beloved Bluegrass state.

1. Drill many holes in the bottom of the small barrel. Be sure that the barrel is waterproof. 

2. Stand the barrel on blocks.

3. Put a glass or plastic container under the barrel.

*(You can use two 5 ga plastic buckets for steps 1-3. The top bucket with holes in its bottom will nest into the bottom bucket. Just be sure to leave space for the lye water to collect in the bottom bucket.)*

4. Put a layer of pebbles/small rocks in the bottom of the barrel. Cover this with 4-5" of straw or hay. Next add a layer of cloth to provide additional straining and then add hardwood ashes. 

*(The directions didn't say how much ash, but I would have enough on hand to fill the top bucket within 3" of the top.)*

5. Pour distilled or rain water through the ashes and collect the water in the container beneath the barrel. This is lye water.

*(How much rain/distilled water do we pour into the ash??? I have seen/heard the amount of water to use should be enough to thoroughly wet the ash with only minor puddling on top of the ash)*

6. Pour the lye water through the ashes several more times or boil the lye to concentrate it.

7. Test the concentration of the lye by seeing if a fresh egg in its shell will float to the top.



Making Lye Soap

1. Pour 3 cups of cold distilled or rain water into the saucepan.

2. Slowly add 12 oz. (1.5 cups) of lye, stirring with a wood or plastic spoon. Be careful to not splash, and never add the water to the lye, but add the lye to the water. The mixture will start getting hot quickly, so stir fast and don't inhale the fumes. Put the saucepan someplace well-ventilated and let the mixture cool.

*(Magically, rendered lard has appeared out of nowhere in step 3! How much lard??)*

3. Allow the lard to come to room temperature in the pot.

4. Pour the cooled lye into the pot with the lard and stir thoroughly. It should become thick, opaque and pudding-like.

5. Pour the mixture into molds. A shallow pan will also work if you do not have molds. Let the mixture set for one to two days.

6. Heat a knife and cut your soap into bars. Let the soap cure for a month before use.

Read more: How to Make Homemade Soap From Leach Lye Ash | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7812388_make-soap-leach-lye-ash.html#ixzz1WSHCbxHk

*THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AS I DISCOVER MORE DETAILS. I WILL POST AN UPDATED VERSION SOON.*


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Yeah, those directions leave a lot out don't they. Love the magic lard!


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

:goodjob: KyMama.

I've gone & done it now. I've started totally re-writing the step x step for making lye & basic lye soap. I'm taking a little from each "how-to" recipe and trying to put them in order so we can do this correctly and safely. I still want the pros here to give it a look over before you or I try it though. I'm a pretty good one ain't I? NEVER made lye soap in my life, yet I'm writing a book about it! :hysterical:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

From your url under the "Things you'll need", 3 lb of lard is listed.

See Rendering for a pictorial on how I render small amounts of tallow & lard. When I have large amounts, I use large electric roasters.

When using commercial lye and 3 lb of lard, you would be using only 6 oz of lye. This recipe calls for 12 oz of potash and an additional 18 oz of water.

The color of the soap on your url is about the color of how my soap made with potash looked.

The white part of the soap in that picture looks like lye ash. I'm betting if you would touch your tongue to it, you would get a zap of active lye.


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> From your url under the "Things you'll need", 3 lb of lard is listed.


Thanks MLF - I finally saw that after 3 hours of paroozing the www. :smack



MullersLaneFarm said:


> The color of the soap on your url is about the color of how my soap made with potash looked.
> 
> The white part of the soap in that picture looks like lye ash. I'm betting if you would touch your tongue to it, you would get a zap of active lye.


OMG - does the white lye ash go away with proving? 

Which leads me to my next question: Without burning my flesh to the bone, how do I know if the soap is safe?


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Ok you soap making pros - I need your help proofing a set of instructions I've put together from many, many different sets of instructions I've found throughout the www. I guess I should call it "Making Lye Soap For Dummies" There are a couple items that I couldn't confirm and are denoted in RED type; please pay special attention to those for me if you would. Here we go:

*How To Make Potassium-Hydroxide (Lye from Ash)*
Caution must be used when working with lye, as it is very caustic and will burn your skin and blind you if it gets into your eyes. Use rubber gloves, safety goggles, long sleeve garments and even an apron when using lye. If you accidentally get any on your skin, do not use water! This will increase the burning and damage. You must use vinegar to neutralize the effects of the lye. For more safety issues about handling lye visit www.poison.org. In case of an emergency from coming in contact with lye, call 911 or your local poison control center. Let them know immediately that you have been working with lye so they can give you the proper advice.

1. Drill several small holes in the bottom of a sturdy plastic 5 ga bucket. This will be your âTop/Ashâ bucket that will nest inside an identically shaped âBottom/Lyeâ bucket to catch the lye water. (No holes in the Bottom/Lye bucket, of course.) NOTE: When the Top bucket is nested in the Bottom bucket, make sure there is enough room for the lye water to collect without obstructing the drainage holes of the Top bucket. If you prefer, you can always devise a way to securely hang the top bucket from a sturdy support. 

2. In the Top bucket, put a layer of gravel/small rocks. Next add a layer of 4-5" of straw or hay. Lastly, add a layer of cloth to provide additional filtering.

3. Fill the Top bucket with hardwood ashes, (oak or apple wood are great for this) but only to within 3-4â from the top. 

4. Carefully pour boiling hot, distilled water âor- rainwater (about 2.5 gallons) through the ashes until water just starts to puddle on top of the ashes. 

5. After the Top bucket stops draining/dripping, (which may take quite some time..possibly a few hours?) add more dry ash as you did in step 3 above. 

6. Remove the Bottom bucket and pour the lye water back into the Top bucket again. QUICKLY replace the Bottom bucket to catch the next delivery of lye water. You will need to add more hot water each time you add more ash to the Top bucket. NOTE: You may want to have a non-metal pan handy to catch any stray drips while you are switching your buckets. 

7. You will want to repeat steps 3 - 6 three or four times in order to get as much of the lye out of the ash as possible.

8. Test the concentration of the lye by putting a fresh egg (in the shell) in the lye water. It should float to the top with approximately a nickel-size portion of the egg above the water. If this is not the case, you can boil the lye water in a NON-aluminum, NON-Teflon-coated pan to concentrate it; then re-try the egg test. NOTE: Be sure to dispose of the egg properly so neither human nor pets try to eat it-EEK!

9. Always clearly mark âDANGER â LYEâ on any container in which you are storing your lye water.



*Grannyâs Lye Soap Recipe*
1. Pour 3 cups of cold distilled or rainwater into a pot.

2. Slowly add 12 oz. (by weight, NOT volume?) of lye water, stirring with a wooden or plastic spoon. Be careful to not splash, and never add the water to the lye, but add the lye to the water. The mixture will start getting hot right away, so stir quickly and don't inhale the fumes. Put the saucepan someplace safe and well-ventilated until the mixture cools.

3. In a separate pot, you will need 3 lbs. of rendered lard cooled to room temperature. If you can get it, leaf lard makes a very white, pure-looking soap. (Is this true if using leached lye?)

4. Pour the cooled lye solution into the pot with the lard and stir thoroughly. It should become thick, opaque and pudding-like.

5. As your soap thickens, check for tracing to occur by pouring some of the mixture out of the spoon and back into the pot. If the poured soap sits on top of the mixture leaving a trail or "trace" it has reached the trace stage.  This could take as few as 15 minutes to occur, but keep stirring for however long it takes!

6. Pour the mixture into molds. A shallow pan will also work if you do not have molds. Let the mixture set for one to two days. If you donât mind round bars of soap, you can use PVC pipe with end caps covered with plastic wrap as a mold. Do NOT use metal molds!

7. When the soap has hardened in a day or two, remove from mold and slice with a hot knife. You can even use a mitre box and precisely slice bars with a wide putty knife.

8. Put your bars of soap somewhere where they can cure for a month before use.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Haven't read through your whole tutorial, but this false statement stopped me cold and I had to respond asap.



Pam in KY said:


> If you accidentally get any on your skin, do not use water! This will increase the burning and damage. You must use vinegar to neutralize the effects of the lye.


*ARGGHH!* I wish this dangerous myth never found its way on to the internet.

This is totally BACKWARDS!!! I do not want to start another heated discussion about how to safely deal with a lye spill but will give you some things to think about.

If you spill lye or a lye solution, USE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF *WATER*.

After you have diluted the lye (making it weaker and less harmful), wiping with vinegar won't hurt.

Lye is a base; vinegar, an acid. 
Here is a simple example that demonstrate what happens when you combine a base & an acid that you can try out yourself.

Put a tablespoon of Baking Soda (weak base) in a cup (in the sink or outside!), add Vinegar (weak acid). It will immediately react and start to froth, foam and expand.
Now, put a tablespoon of Baking Soda (weak base) in a cup, add water (neutral). It will only dilute the baking soda.

In saponification; combining the lye solution (base) with oils (acid) to make soap, there is a natural exothermic (produces heat) reaction. This is known in the soaping community as 'gelling'.

In other words, if you combine and acid and a base, you WILL get a chemical reaction that produces heat. This WILL make your lye burn worse!

By diluting the lye with water, you will weaken the lye without having a chemical reaction.

You don't have to take my word on this. There is a sticky thread at the top of this forum with a few websites that show the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for lye. Read through those and you will see that vinegar (or other acid) is not specified, although flushing with water is the first line of defense.



> bucket stops draining/dripping, (which may take quite some time..possibly a few hours?)


I've had it take a few days!! 



> OMG - does the white lye ash go away with proving?


There are various types of ash on a soap. When I was making soap using potash, I would sometimes get a small crystal-like ash that would burn you. Sometimes I would get a powder-like ash that would not. I'm only familiar with the 'proving' portion through reading Journey to Forever website and never did it myself, so I could not answer first hand. I don't like making definitive statements about something I have not experienced myself.



> Which leads me to my next question: Without burning my flesh to the bone, how do I know if the soap is safe?


I think WisconsinDeb is the person to ask about this since she makes soap using potash. I believe she recommended using pH strips.



> Slowly add 12 oz. (by weight, NOT volume?) of lye water


I've been doing some thinking about this and will give you my thoughts. They may be incorrect because it is based upon an assumption. On the Journey to Forever site, they mentioned fully saturating distilled water with salt and taking a measurement using a stick and rock. Then diluting or condensing the lye solution until the solution hits this same mark on the stick.

I do know that water is fully saturated with lye at a 50/50 solution. I do not know when water is fully saturated when dissolving salt, although this is something you can safely try in your home by keeping track of the amount of water and salt used until the water will no longer dissolve the salt. You'll want to do this with a covered pot so there is no evaporation.

Assuming that water is fully saturated with Salt at a 50/50 solution, we can assume that the lye solution made using the directions on 'Journey' is a 50/50 solution. 12 oz of lye solution by WEIGHT since you are not measuring just water but water that has lye added to it which is heavier than water. I would then add an additional 12 oz of water to this to help distribute the lye better in the oil. I think 24 oz of additional water is overkill and based upon lye calculators that will give the amount of water to use if you are using a dry lye and not a 50/50 solution.



> stirring with a *wooden *or plastic spoon.


I do not recommend a wooden spoon. I used a dedicated wooden spoon when I started soaping. The lye eats away at the wood after a few uses and can add bits of wood in your soap. If you use a plastic spoon, make sure it can handle high temperatures!



> never add the water to the lye, but add the lye to the water.


This is true if you are using a dry lye, but since your potash is part water anyway, it doesn't matter!



> The mixture will start getting hot right away


Again this is true if you are using a dry lye but the temperature of the potash will not change by just adding water.



> someplace safe and well-ventilated until the mixture cools.


There are various methods of soaping. One uses hot lye solution that will melt solid oils like lard. Other methods have you melting all solid oils and adding cooled lye solution. What is true is that you should store any lye solution in a very safe place with a lid and in a container that is boldly marked as dangerous.


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## krische1012 (May 3, 2009)

I can't help with making the lye because I buy mine, but if either of you (or anyone!) is near Harrodsburg or want to come by this way I'd be happy to have you come over and we can make soap together! I need to make a few batches soon to start getting ready for Christmas  

Feel free to PM me!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

krische1012 said:


> want to come by this way I'd be happy to have you come over and we can make soap together!


LIKE(+1)

This would be the best way to learn basic soapmaking using commercial lye.

Then when you proceed to making soap using potash, you have something to compare with!


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

krische1012 said:


> I can't help with making the lye because I buy mine, but if either of you (or anyone!) is near Harrodsburg or want to come by this way I'd be happy to have you come over and we can make soap together! I need to make a few batches soon to start getting ready for Christmas
> 
> Feel free to PM me!


It looks like Pam is in Falmouth and I am just east of Lexington. I would love to have someone to walk me through it, I wish I lived a little closer. Actually it is not the distance, it is having someone to watch the homeschooled kiddos. I was thinking this morning that I should run down to Fort Boonesborough when they are making soap. Granted she does it in a large pot over a fire, but I could see the basics this way. My mom works there so she could let me know what day they would be mixing. I could even call it a field trip for the kiddos.


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## krische1012 (May 3, 2009)

Hmmmm... kids are welcome to come  If they are old enough to mostly self supervise! I am exactly 35 minutes from the start of the Bluegrass Parkway to give you an idea. Anyway, just a thought! You can see all my contact information on my website www.rockhillfarm.net


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

MullersLaneFarm (Cyndi? or is this Paul?) A HUGE THANK YOU for going over my attempt at "Making Lye Soap For Dummies" I'll make the corrections you've pointed out and keep collecting more information. The internet is a great thing, but like you said, there's so much misinformation out there too.

Loving the idea of visiting Harrodsburg to meet other members and learning 1st hand how to do this. I learn so much better when it's happening right in front of me.


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Beautiful horses you have there krische1012! I have a few 'hosses' myself, but nothing as fancy.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

KyMama said:


> Fort Boonesborough when they are making soap. Granted she does it in a large pot over a fire, but I could see the basics this way.


This would be great for you! It is just HP (Hot Process) over a fire instead of a stove or in a crockpot. 

See if you can talk with the soap maker to find out if she is using commercial lye or potash.



Pam in KY said:


> MullersLaneFarm (Cyndi? or is this Paul?)


LOL! It's always Cyndi with very few exceptions when the post is signed, "plm"


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## krische1012 (May 3, 2009)

Pam in KY said:


> Beautiful horses you have there krische1012! I have a few 'hosses' myself, but nothing as fancy.


Thanks  I am rather pleased with them!!


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Ok, I am so exasperated! I want to make hard bars of lye soap and from the tons of information I've been wading through I think I've finally figured out that I CAN'T make hard bars of lye soap if I'm using potash (leached lye). How in the heck did Granny make BARS of lye soap if she didn't have access to commercial lye?????

I think I'm ready to cry. :Bawling:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

> How in the heck did Granny make BARS of lye soap if she didn't have access to commercial lye?????


Who says Granny didn't have access to commercial lye? It's been available for 200 years & commonly used 100 years ago. As I said before, most homemade soap used during the westward expansion of the mid to late 1800's utilized potash, rendered lard and salt. This mixture yielded what we would consider today as a 'cream' soap.

You *can *make hard soap using potash. It requires using a lot of salt, then the soap will rise to the top. 

You then have to 'rebatch' that soap into bars. At least that is what the Journey to Forever says. I never did this 2nd step.

I wish Wisconsin Ann would check in and tell us how she does it.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

So, I was googling this morning, and I came across this site. I actually understand the directions and wanted to run it by the experts here and make sure it is complete. The only question I have is about measuring the lye. The recipe calls for 12oz., do I measure it in a measuring cup or is it by weight? I just copied and pasted so you wouldn't have to load another page. HTH & TIA


*Handmade Soap Recipe For Beginners*
If you've never made handmade soap before, you will want to start with a simple recipe. The ingredients in the following recipe couldn't be any simpler: Lye , water and lard. This is a basic soap good for both bathing and laundry. If you wish to add essential oils to your handmade soap, you can later mill this soap and add the oils then.

Try this simple recipe first, and then when you get the hang of this handmade soap recipe, try one of the trickier vegetable oil recipes.

*About the Lard...*
Don't use leftover grease from your bacon or try to recycle other used fats for this handmade soap recipe. It will make soap, but will stink. Instead, buy your lard from the supermarket, buy your lard online or render your own fat. 

*Where to Find Lye*
For each batch of soap, you will need 12 ounces of pure sodium hydroxide. This is no longer available in grocery stores. But you can buy it online. Read the label to make sure you have nothing but pure sodium hydroxide.

*Some Words of Caution About Lye*
Sodium hydroxide - or lye - is a caustic agent that can burn you and be harmful or fatal if swallowed. That means that if you have small children around, you shouldn't be making this handmade soap recipe.

Always wear rubber gloves and safety glasses when working with lye. The last thing you want is for the lye to splash onto your skin or into your eyes when making this handmade soap recipe. The fumes are toxic, so be careful not to breathe them in. Work in a well-ventilated area, preferably near an open window.

Buy a stainless steel pot and utensils specifically for soapmaking and never use them for food preparation. Lye mixed with fat does not turn completely into soap for 48 hours, so once you have made your handmade soap recipe be sure and clean all your utensils and countertops thoroughly to remove all traces of the mixture.

*Handmade Soap Recipe*
*What You Will Need*
Here are the items you will need:

A glass measuring cup 16 - ounce or greater
2 spoons, either plastic or stainless steel
1 2-quart stainless steel saucepan - use this to mix the lye
1 large stainless steel pot - use this to melt the fat
1 plastic spatula
1 plastic ladle
1 paring knife
1 scale
Plastic wrap and newspaper - to cover your working area
glass candy thermometer - crucial for accurate temperature control
A mold - this can be as simple as a cardboard box lined with plastic
Spray-on corn oil, mineral oil or petroleum jelly


Never make this handmade soap recipe in aluminum containers. If you do, both the container and the soap will be ruined. Also, don't use a wooden spoon; as eventually the lye will eat away at the fibers in it.

*If You Have Hard Water*
If you use hard water in your handmade soap recipe, your soap will not lather as well. If you don't have access to soft water, add one ounce of borax to your soap recipe, or save rainwater for your soap recipes.

*Easy, Basic Handmade Soap Recipe*
This recipe comes from the book, Milk-based soaps by Casey Makela, an excellent resource if you want to find a unique handmade soap recipe.

6 pounds of rendered animal fat or lard
4 Â½ cups of cold, soft water - either rainwater or from a water softener
12 ounces pure lye

Use soap dyes to make your soaps pretty.

*Heat the Fat*
Heat the fat in an 8-quart stainless steel pot on low heat until it has melted and has reached the temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit or 43 degree Celsius, using a glass thermometer to measure the temperature.

*Prepare the Lye*
While melting the fats, pour four and a half cups of soft water into the stainless steel saucepan. Carefully add the lye to the water, stirring gently with a plastic spoon. Be careful not to inhale the fumes. Set the mixture aside to cool to 85 degrees.

*Mix 'Em Together*
Make sure the fat is 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and the lye-water mixture is 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Then slowly pour the lye and water into the fat, stirring constantly. You want to pour the lye and water slowly into the fat. That keeps it from splashing and also helps it to mix better.

Continue stirring for at least 30 minutes to one hour. The mixture will begin to thicken and resemble a thin pudding. When your spoon feels like it can stand on its own and a few drops leave a pattern on the surface of the soap, pour the mixture into the mold. Set it aside in a draft-free area for 24 to 48 hours. It will take up to two days for the entire mixture to convert into soap. After 24 hours, check your soap. When you can easily make a dent in the soap by pressing firmly with your finger, the soap is ready to cut. Don't wait until your soap is too hard or it will be impossible to cut.

When your cut bars are hard enough, remove them from the mold and allow them to cure for six weeks.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Callie,
Have you been to my soap making page or my rendering page? It has pictures and recipes and supplier links.

Make sure you WEIGH everything! Use an accurate electronic scale (or a beam scale!) Tip: place your scale in a ziploc bag. This protects your scale from accidental spills.

I do not recommend using a Glass thermometer ... just in case it breaks in the soap mixture! Actually, I don't use a thermometer at all.

I recommend using only stainless steel or plastic. Lye will etch the glass, making it weaker. Get yourself a 'stick blender' (aka immersion blender). This speeds up the stirring of the soap greatly!!

The recipe given is HUGE and has about a 9-10% superfat. (All safety cautions from your post apply) Try this one:

3 lb lard
6.3 oz lye
15.5 oz water

Carefully pour lye into water stirring until lye is dissolved. Set aside in a safe place.
Heat lard over low heat until melted. (note: your lye solution will still be hot, you can even remove the lard from the heat when all but a little of it has melted. The lye solution will melt the rest!)

Slowly pour lye solution into melted lard stirring as you go with a spoon, whisk or spatula.

Using the stick blender (SB) and making sure the head is fully immersed, blend the soap mixture. Run the SB about a minute, then hand stir using the SB. This extends the life of your SB!! Continue in this manner until the mixture looks like a THIN pudding, pour into lined mold. A box lined with plastic trash bag works great!

Here is where things get subjective so I will tell you how I deal with the soap once it is molded.

I cover with plastic (not touching the soap) and wrap the entire mold in a wool blanket and forget about it for 16-24 hours. What I am doing is protecting the top of the soap with the plastic and insulating the soap from drafts (also encourages full gel).

With a plain lard/lye soap, you'll want to check on it about 4-6 hours in. I've known lard/lye soap to go rock hard in as little as 8 hours or as much as 12 hours. You will want to unmold & cut this soap (wearing gloves) when it is still 'dent-able'. It may still be warm (not hot!)

The soap is safe to use once it completely cools, but will get better with age as the excess moisture evaporates out. It will last longer and lather better (but don't expect a lot of lather from a soap made from just lard!)


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

I guess I'm going to have to resign myself to using commercial lye since I want bar soap. :awh:

Hmmm, maybe I could make potash to make some hominy? :umno:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Hominy is very easy to make using potash!! You'll want to use the Flint corn variety (not the sweet corn) that has been dried.

Soak the flint corn in the potash. Every once in a while give it a swish or the corn a rub between your gloved hands to see if the skins come off. Depending on the strength of your potash, this could take a few hours to a few days.

When the skins of the corn start coming off, keep rubbing the kernels through your hands until the skins come off all the kernels, which will be swollen!

Now, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse and rinse some more to remove all the potash from the hominy. Once you think all the lye is removed, rinse a couple more times!!

Cook until tender.

Yum!!!


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

Um, where does one find Flint corn - & does it come already off the cob? I'm so naive aren't I? LOL

Can you tell I really want to make some potash? hehehe


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

Since you are a beginner, I would suggest you start by using ready made lye. Once you learn the process, and what is suppose to happen, then you could try making your own.

Cyndi has given great info, and has a lot of helpful stuff on her homepage.

Another wonderful beginners soaping site is:http

://millersoap.com/


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Pam, you could spend all day reading the information on Kathy Miller's site. You will find it very, very helpful!

One variety of flint corn is commonly known as "Indian corn" or "calico corn". It is often used these days for autumn decorations. It is usually already dry on the cob and you have to remove it from the cob to lye it.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> Callie,
> Have you been to my soap making page or my rendering page? It has pictures and recipes and supplier links.


Thanks. I went to your site earlier, but I got distracted by all the pretty pictures. lol Thanks for telling about the recipe I had copied. That's the problem with being a beginner, you don't know how much you are making. I'm gonna start gathering supplies and hope to brave my first attempt within a month. I'll let y'all know how it ends up.

Thanks again,
Callie


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

I think I need to back off researching lye soap for a day or two. I'm already getting burnout or information overload or something. Could be I'm just tired. I think a nap is in order. 

Be back in a little while.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

I did it, at least I hope I did. I couldn't find any stainless pots for cheap so I decided to try the crock pot hot process. I seem to collect crock pots so I had one I could sacrifice. It is cooling right now so I don't know if I succeeded or not, but at least I have tried it. And I actually understand the calculators now. :happy: 

I'm gonna keep an eye out for some pots at yard sales and flea markets. Hopefully I will be able to find some soon so I can try the directions that were given here in this thread.

Thank you!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

:dance: :nanner: Happy Soap Dance! :nanner: :dance:

You can also use plastic or glass bowls (pitchers, buckets) for mixing the soap if you can't find SS pots.


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## Pam in KY (Jul 26, 2011)

:thumb: Woooohoooooo - go Callie!!!! :thumb::clap:


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