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7/26/16

Slow Cooker Soap



7/26/16 - More Slow Cooker Soap:

The recipe below is what I used for this soap.  I was well pleased with how easy it was to make.  I used my smaller 4 qt crock pot without any problems.  I did let the lye misture cool down to around 130, and also the cooled the melted oils to about 130.  When I added the lye solution it seemed like it immediately started to thicken and reached trace in around 5 minutes. this batch fit perfectly in the silicone loaf pan.  I did end up with a round bar because when it set up (that was very quick, too) I sliced off the crumbly top layer, added a little water, reheated in a saucepan then added it to a small mold.

Homemade Hot Process Soap Recipe in a Crock Pot
Author: The Prairie Homestead
Recipe type: DIY - Soap

Ingredients
·                            10 oz olive oil
·                            20 oz coconut oil
·                            9 oz distilled water
·                            4.78 oz 100% pure lye (135 g)
·                            Essential oils for scent (optional)
·                            Other Equipment:
·                            Digital scale
·                            Safety gear (safety glasses, long sleeves, gloves)
·                            Stick blender
·                            Crock pot
·                            Non-metal dishes and utensils
Instructions
1.                Measure out the olive and coconut oil.
2.                Place the coconut oil in the slow cooker, and turn it on so it begins to melt.
3.                Measure out the other ingredients, weighing each and every one on the digital scale first.
4.                Once the coconut oil has completely melted, add the olive oil to the crockpot and allow it to mingle and warm up.
5.                Add the lye to the water, stirring slowly. Do this in a place with ample ventilation, while wearing your safety equipment.
6.                Add the dissolved lye/water mixture to the melted oils in the crockpot. Stir gently.
7.                With the stick blender, continue to mix/stir for several minutes until you reach "trace."
8.                Place the lid on the crockpot, set the timer for 50 minutes, and allow the mixture to cook on LOW.
9.                If the soap tries to bubble out of the crockpot, give it a stir.
10.            Line the soap molds with parchment paper (if required)
11.            Once the 50 minutes has elapsed, perform the "zap test": I like to do this by grabbing a small amount of the soap mixture, allowing to cool for a second, and then touching it to my tongue. If it "zaps" me, I know there is still lye remaining in the mixture and it needs to cook longer. If it just tastes like soap, we're ready for the next step.
12.            Allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding any additives.
13.            Press/pour the soap mixture into the mold, making sure to press it into all the corners and smooth out the top as much as possible.
14.            Set it aside for 12-24 hours, or until it sets completely. (Usually, overnight is plenty of time).
15.            Remove the soap from the mold, cut it into bars.
16.            Allow it to dry for another day or so to allow it to harden up a bit.


7/25/16

Hot Process Soap

7/25/16 - My soap from Sunday 7/24 is finished and pictured here.   I am going to let it dry and hopefully  it will harden a little more.  Right now it is still a little soft for my liking.  I decided to get a bigger slow cooker because I didn't want to worry about runover while cooking and the lye was still caustic.  I think it was a good decision because at one point the foamy, cooking soap almost reached the top of my new 7 quart cooker.

For some of the olive oil in this batch I used the olive oil from my herbal salve making.  Blog entry here.

I already have my next recipe picked out.  It is available on the internet here.  I have posted the recipe on my blog 7/26/16.   I will use the remainder of my herbal olive oil for this batch.

NOTE:  I have been having all kinds of computer connection problems   I also couldn't get my blog entries to save, edit or update.  Some of the links have not been working because I couldn't get them to update.I am working on getting things fixed.  Hope this entry has been edited.


7/23/16

Crock Pot Soap Making - Hot Process

7/23/16 -  I have made soap a couple different times.  It has been some time ago and I am ready for more so I spent the day gathering up all the supplies I need to make a batch of hot process slow cooker soap.  I even purchased a Crock Pot to use from the Goodwill store for only $3.99.  The last time I made hot process soap I cooked it in the oven,  It is too hot here now to run the oven and I like the idea of using a crock pot.   I would have preferred a 5 qt cooker but I think this 4 qt (128 oz) cooker will work.  The ingredients I am using total 93 oz.  Total cost for this batch around $20.  Here are the ingredients:

32 oz lard ($3.58)
10 oz Canola ($1.99)
  4 oz Coconut Oil ($2.00)
10 oz Olive Oil (leftover from healing salve ???)
21 oz Distilled Water ($ . 89)
7.2 oz Lye (204 g on the scale) ($5.97)
Essential Oil ($???)

Using the .Lye Calculator at MMS Sage I came up wiith 21 ounces water and to stay in the 5% to 8% excess fat range for lye - 7.2 to 7.5 oz.  These figures are consistent with a recipe called Down Home & Broke Soap, pg 99 of Handcrafted Soap by Delores Boone.

Original Down Home & Broke Soap
32 ounces (909 g) lard or tallow
24 ounces (682 g) canola,  corn, sunflower, safflower or any combination of these four vegetable oils
21 ounces (596 g) distilled water
7.2 ounces (204 g) lye

Quote from the book: When using a slow cooker to make the recipes in this book, make sure it measures 5-6 quarts and has a low-heat setting.  Keep in mind that all slow cookers heat differently, and the length of time the soap cooks may differ. - I guess  I will be getting a different cooker tomorrow.  I don't want a batchful of lye active soap running over. :(