Is this a good LYE soap recipe? : phpMyAnswers

Is this a good LYE soap recipe?

demo 20 Dec 2008 07:48pm
I want to learn how to make soap. I already know how to melt bars of soap and add ajax and fat, etc. to them as they are hot. But, I want to make from scratch. I found this online.

*This is the recipe I used for my first time. It was very easy and the product was nice enough that we haven't had any store bought soap in 10 years! You can change the product by adding scents or honey and oatmeal to get variety.

Tony's No fail Soap
6lbs lard
12oz. lye
2 cups water (or half of this with milk for a more family use soap)
Take the lard and place ot into an enamel ware pan and place on stove to melt and heat. Low temp, slowly. Take the 2 cups of liquid (very cold) and place ito glass bowl and SLOWLY add lye while stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir until liquid is clear if you can due to fumes from the lye ,do this outside.
When the lard and lye are warm to the touch feel outside of pan and glass. Pour lye into lard while stirring. Keep sturring until you get trace. Trace is when it thickens to a sort of cake frosting look or until you can drop some of lthe mix back in to itself and it leaves a trail at this point use any herbs or coloring(shave a crayon(the old kind made of wax) to give it color and harden the soap.Stir and pour into any plastic molds you have around can even use Pringles chip cans or rubbermade plastic be sure the grease the mods with lard. Let set 24 hours, turn out and cut to size you want(2x3 are good family sizes) Place on newspaper and let cure (dry) for 2-3 weeks. Makes about 24 bars depending on size you cut.

Answers

demo 20 Dec 2008 08:40pm
All I know is that Lye is a very strong chemical and you need to wear gloves when working with it in very small amounts.

Be careful. You want to be sure of what you are doing when mixing the ingredients together, even the vapors can harm you.

Good Luck. I hope it turn out for you.

demo 20 Dec 2008 09:33pm
I have a friend that makes lye soap from scratch for our re-enactor's group, we have a group that dresses up in Civil War era outfits and performs for the public including churning butter (I have 2 churns) and making lye soap.

I'll print this out and ask her when I see her Tuesday but, from what little I know, sounds pretty good.

demo 20 Dec 2008 09:39pm
I've never made soap before, but I love using handmade goatmilk soap from Alabu. Their website has a consulting service. Check out www.alabu.com

demo 21 Dec 2008 08:00am
When I was a teen we raised pigs ( and other animals ) FFA member.
Anyway, we always had lard from the pigs and made soap. Your recipe is fine. Do wear the gloves. We also made Naptha soap by adding Zippo lighter fluid.

demo 22 Dec 2008 11:40am
Yes this recipe would work, I ran it through a lye calculator and your amounts to add up not too lye heavy.

You need a good scale, mask, eye protection and rubber gloves, enamel pot, pyrex measuring cup for sure

Check out this recipe instead -
*Rachael's "Tried and True" Recipe (Thanks! to Rachael Levitan)
48 ounces Crisco (a 3-pound can)
21 ounces Soybean Oil (or Olive, Canola, or a blend of these)
18 ounces Coconut Oil
28 ounces of cold water
12 ounces lye crystals
Temperatures: 100 degrees

Trace by hand should be in about 20 minutes. Cure about 24-48 hours before cutting.

I always let my bars cure 4 or more weeks, for a harder bar

for step-by step instructions : http://www.millersoap.com/soapproc.html

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