Making Soap
 

I'm in the process of making some soap for the first time.

I researched on the internet how to make soap from rendered fat and I'll post pictures once I'm done.

I got some beef fat trimming from the local market for 29 cents a pound. I ended up with 2.5 pounds total after I refined it twice (starting weight of ~5 pounds) and a lot of beef that would make dog food/bird food.

I'm now making the lye from ashes left over in the fireplace and rainwater I caught in the gutter.

I plan on making my first soap a "coffee" soap with some coffee and grinds I picked up in a hotel room.

The total spent on this first batch should cost $1.57 total (plus the energy costs of rendering the fat) and I'll hopefully get about 12 bars.

I'm making the mold from cardboard I had lying around.

Re: Making Soap
 

A true adventurer :)

Re: Making Soap
 

here's what i use. i just rub this on and go to work! i think i smell delicious too!


j/k.


keep us posted to see what the scent is like

Re: Making Soap
 

vinegar cleans as good or better than soap and easier to make.

Re: Making Soap
 

You are making some old time lye soap...

It will clean and polish you....

Just be careful..!!

Edit:

Find some coconut oil and throw it in the mix,
or any scent of your choice...

The raw soap has a smell that is less than
I personally care for....!

But you may like it...

Re: Making Soap
 

I triple rendered the fat so it doesn't really have a smell as of right now.

Also, coffee grounds are known for neutralizing smells so I was hoping it would take out all the residual smells. In other bars I'll probably use essential oils to add smell.

Thanks for the advice about the coconut oil. I'll have to throw in a little bit.

Re: Making Soap
 

Good luck and have fun. Making the lye yourself will be the trickiest part. Most people buy it from the store because getting to the correct strength can be difficult. Let us know how it goes.

Re: Making Soap
 

The lye is definitely the most tricky part. It's been steeping for 2 days and I'll filter it tomorrow to make see how it is. If I need to let it steep more I'll just pour it back into the ashes. I didn't buy lye because I wanted to do it the cheapest way possible.

Lye also makes a great pipe/drain cleaner so it will nice to have it around for that use as well.

I also just tried using the beef tallow as a leather conditioner on an old purse of my wifes and so far it seems to work really well.

Re: Making Soap
 

I just did some googling and apparently you can also boil off some of the water if it's not strong enough.

Re: Making Soap
 

This will give you potassium hydroxide (KOH).

To the best of my recollection you can't use KOH to make bar soap, you'll need sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for that.

Re: Making Soap
 

Buying decent quantities of lye from your local store might be difficult and/or result in you being questioned by certain "officials." Lye is one of the materials that can be used to make methamphetamine, along with lithium batteries, matches, certain solvents, ether, sudafed tabs,.....

For a "fun" time, buy as many of the following items listed above during a single shopping trip to your local store and see what happens.

Re: Making Soap
 

:36_1_30:

Please tell us you asked your wife before you rubbed beef tallow on her purse! Valentines in the dog house wouldn't be good.

Re: Making Soap
 

I've read that you make the soap harden by adding sodium (salt) to the mixture.

The soaps would have to cure over the course of at least a month. The longer you let them cure the harder they get.