# Castile Soap



## Iluvboers (Feb 26, 2009)

So I tried to make some Castile Soap by stirring with a spoon....bad bad bad.:nono:

The last time I made soap was 10 yrs ago. 

The first attempt separated a lot. So I brought it back up to temp and stirred for an hour.:teehee:

I only have a teeny tiny bit of separation now. It has been sitting for about 2 days and is still soft. But seems to be hardening?

Anyone know what to expect? Can you impart some wisdom? Does Castile soap take longer to cure? etc etc etc


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

Castile does take forever to trace. Try a stick blender. Once it reaches trace, it is usually ready to cut in 18-24 hours. If you wait much past 24, it will be so hard it will be almost impossible to cut.


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## Iluvboers (Feb 26, 2009)

I guess its garbage then... 
because its already been 2 days


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## Iluvboers (Feb 26, 2009)

Oh I think it's working!

It might just take 5 days until I can cut it into bars


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

Nooooooo! Don't throw it out! Just give it a few days and you will end up with some usable soap. If it still doesn't set up after another day or two, you might have gotten a hold of some adulterated olive oil.

I will still wait on it though to see if it hardens up enough to cut.

Get ye down to your favorite big box store and get a stick blender. Or, better yet, look in a Thrift store to see if you can find one for super cheap.

The first batch of soap I made was almost totally olive oil. I hand stirred for over 2 1/2 hours...uggggghhhhh then I discovered the stick blender and haven't looked back! LOL


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

With using 100% olive oil, you can drastically cut the amount of water you use for your lye solution. That will help you out with the long stir time and the longer mold time.

Even when soap separates in the mold, it is still salvageable. Just put it in a crock pot or double boiler and hot process it!


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## Iluvboers (Feb 26, 2009)

So I'm ready to cut bars today. Yay!!!! After 4 days.

And mullerslanefarm, I'm not sure what hot process is


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Here you go! My adventures in to Crock Pot Hot Processing, aka CPHP


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Does anyone have a recipe for blender Castile?


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## cmharris6002 (Jan 27, 2006)

16 oz Olive Oil
4 oz water
2 oz lye

Water as percent of oil weight 25 %
Super Fat/Discount 5 %


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

CM, any thing to watch for while blending? I usually just blend for 30 seconds and pour into molds. Cure time? Have you ever added fragrance? I know it's not real Castille then.


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## cmharris6002 (Jan 27, 2006)

Check every 30 seconds for trace, when the soap is thick enough that when you drizzle a spoonful of soap over the surface it sets on top briefly before sinking into the rest of the soap mixture. This would be the time to add color or fragrance then pour into prepared molds. .5 to .7 ounces for fragrance should be plenty, less is you use an essential oil.

I assume you know all about soaping safely. Be especially cautious when using the blender! Make sure the lid is not going to fly off and splash raw soap into your face or anything horrible like that!!!


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Safety! What are you talking about? What makes you think my face is horrible?:gaptooth:


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## cmharris6002 (Jan 27, 2006)

Lol!! For some reason I had a scene from I Love Lucy flash through my mind when I thought about the blender!! eep:


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

LOL! I'll be trying that recipe. I've read the longer Castille cures the better it suds.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I use a blender to make small batches of soap. Just make sure the bottom of the jar is on tight and that the lid is securely in place. I put a dish towel over the top of my blender lid, just in case. Turn the blender on low, especially at first. Make sure to wear protective eye gear. Most of the blender soap recipes I have found call for pouring the soap at thin trace.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

It takes forever for pure olive oil soap to trace. But the lather is thin and silky, very nice. After a few batches of olive oil soap, I added coconut oil. It traces faster and makes a bigger lather. Also much cheaper. Don't use a stick blender!


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

I've posted my standard blender soap recipe here in the past, it had olive in it but only an oz. I do like a little castor oil also as it toughens the bubbles. But I've always liked Kirk's Castille, always thought it would be nice with a big dash of Lavendar. I'll try a batch in the blender and let you all know how it went.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

LOL! Kirk's 'Castile' is 100% Coconut Oil ... no Olive Oil at all!


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> LOL! Kirk's 'Castile' is 100% Coconut Oil ... no Olive Oil at all!


I should read labels, LMAO. It's getting very hard to find along with Fel's Naptha. My Grandma and Mom used it as a rub to get off tough stains, but mostly we used it to prevent poison ivy. I was always full of ivy regardless, so I'm not sure it worked! Is there a type of olive oil that's better for Castille than others? I believe I read that somewhere?


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