# How to make soap?



## Tweezy (Nov 27, 2014)

We were looking for a step by step guide to making soap. We have never ever done it before, so please, if you could help us from start to finish it would be greatly appreciated!!!! Thnx


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## Jade1096 (Jan 2, 2008)

There are a ridiculous amount of step by step tutorials you can find on google.


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## Guest (Nov 30, 2014)

Jade1096 said:


> There are a ridiculous amount of step by step tutorials you can find on google.



That's a LOT of the issue - there are soooo many variations and techniques... And some of them make HUGE amounts of product, which is intimidating for beginners. What a waste of supplies, if we don't get it right. LOL!


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## Fourthistles (Feb 24, 2003)

Here's what I started with:
1 cup melted clean fat (lard, tallow, whatever you have)
half cup cold water
2 T lye (Roebic crystal drain opener) Be very careful with lye, it is extremely caustic. Good to have a bowl with vinegar handy in case of splashes.

1. stir lye crystals into cold water in a heat resistant container (I use a pint canning jar) It will stink, avert your face. Stir till it's clear, it will generate a lot of heat.

2. melt fat

3. allow the fat and the lye water to cool till both are luke warm (feel the outside of the containers)

4. use a non-metal bowl, pour in the fat, then slowly trickle in the lye water, stirring contantly. Continue stirring till mixture begins to thicken and "traces" (dribble a string onto the surface of the mix, if it stays in a raised line you are at trace)

5. now is the time to add any scent (stir in oil if desired, I started with plain unscented soap for simplicity)

6. pour into lined mold, cover with several layers of heavy cloth to hold in heat and allow to set for 24 hours

7. remove from mold, cut into bars (I get 3 from this amount) and put away to age a minimum of 6 weeks to dry out.

I know all the pros will scream that you MUST weigh the ingredients and take the temperature of the fat and the lye but our ancestors made plenty of soap by volume this way. I've made soap for about 10 years and never had a failed batch yet. Enjoy.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

And there is a reason that some will 'scream'.

I'm not screaming, but I do not recommend using volume measurements especially when dealing with such a small amount of soap. It doesn't take much to not have a failed batch but it wouldn't surprise me if you had more than a few lye heavy batches.

Not all tablespoons hold the same volume. I tested this a number of years ago with 4 different measuring tablespoons and they all weighed out differently.

When using 8 oz (weighed) of lard, the difference between a 0% superfat and a 5% superfat/lye heavy soap is only .06 oz!

5% superfat (excess oil) uses 1.07 oz lye
0% superfat (no excess oil) uses 1.13 oz lye
5% lye heavy (excess lye) uses 1.19 oz lye

My soapmaking web page has pictures, recipes & suppliers.

Kathy Miller's page has great resources.

SoapCalc is hands down the best lye calculator on the web to calculate how much lye to use for the particular oils you chose to be in your recipe.

Always, always, always run all soap recipes, regardless where you find them, through a lye calculator.


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

How much you making? I suggest small "blender" batches. Easy, quick and never fail. But as stated before, run the recipe through a soap calc and weigh ingredients. I've bulk measured and weighed and much prefer weighing especially at todays ingredient prices. If interested in blender soaps, you can do a search here. I posted a bunch on blender soaps.


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

Try Soap Queen she has tons of video's and tutorials. She's connected with bramble berry soap making supplies but you do not have to buy their products in order to make soap. http://www.soapqueen.com/


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