Cutting the soap

I'm up early, its pouring rain, but before rising, claps of thunder could be heard in the distance. I think we are only going to get the rain today though. This water will do my fresh garden beds well....I have new seedlings coming along nicely, ready for the freshly dug garden beds...I have never been so organised in the garden, I'm all ready for winter gardening, bring it on I say.

This morning I have already cut yesterday's soap, I feel it was a bit crumbly towards the base, when cutting it...maybe I should have cut it last night before going to bed...maybe I was a few hours late and that's why it crumbled when the knife was half way through....

Anyway, overall, it is a good soap.....the animal fat was free..I think I will have to pass some onto the butcher and barter for some more fat.



Above is the Low Allergy Body Soap made from the Rendered Animal Fat


Above shows the bucket, I will even let the left over residue dry from the bucket. The crumbs from that will be added to make my Laundry Powder or dishwasing liquid. This way I don't have to scrape a caustic bucket to get every last bit, and I have no waste.


Here is an update on the first two soaps I made.....
The Lemon Verbena soap and the Olive Oil soap.

I made these two soaps on 7 Feb, I can't believe I still have 3 weeks to go, before trying out my new soaps.....Has it only been 3 weeks since I made this?



MAKING Low Allergy Body Soap

LOW ALLERGY BODY SOAP

Engredients

500 grams of caustic soda

1 ½ litres of rain water (or distilled water)

1.5 kg  rendered animal fat 
1.5 kg of olive oil. (Please measure by weight.)

Directions

With great care and wearing the rubber gloves and some eye protection, add the caustic soda to the water in a large plastic bucket....and stir until dissolved. Make sure you are in a well ventilated area and take extra care not to breath in the fumes. There will be a chemical reaction with will cause the water and caustic soda to heat up. This liquid will not only get hot it will now be capable of burning you like an acid so be very careful. Set aside to cool till lukewarm.

WARNING - Do not add water to caustic soda, you must add caustic soda to water - in that order.

In another pot heat the fat and olive oil until it is all liquid and add this to the bucket of caustic solution. Stir for 5 minutes. At this stage you may add a small amount of essential oil to give the soap a fragrance.  As I wanted a low allergy soap, I stayed pure to the recipe, not adding any essential oil to perfume the soap.   Using a stick mixer, mix until you reach trace, then pour into shallow containers that you have sprayed with the cooking spray or olive oil. (It took me 9 minutes to make trace, and this will vary according to the temperatures of your oils.)

After pouring both oils into the caustic solution.



You can see this has reached trace, see how it is doubling up on itself towards the left of the bucket.

Keep trays of soap in a warm place for a day.

The following day, turn your soap out onto a towel, wearing your rubber gloves, as the mix is still caustic. You will have to come back tomorrow, to see it cut.
Cut into bars. Let the soap rest and dry for 6 weeks before using.