To all the ash producers and fat trimmers

[Holly2015]

Please delete

 

[radio]

Please do not use drain cleaner to make soap! buy pure sodium hydroxide instead. Drain cleaner has not been refined well enough for soap making, although some people use it. Be sure to let the soap cure for 4 to 6 weeks before using it so the PH levels will come down as it cures.
We make in excess of 5,000 bars per year, so have learned a thing or three in the 20+ years we have made soap

 

[bregent]

I render and jar my tallow for cooking - it's great for frying.
Keep us posted - curious how it turns out. I was planning on making some but my wife reminded me that our dog will go bananas if we wash ourselves in beef fat :)

 

[pc farmer]

Watching this one. Not sure I want to go through all the trouble but ..........

 

[pc farmer]

To the moderators. I just realized there is a "throw down" section. Can you move this from "general" to "throw down" so all us ash user and fat trimmers can throw down?

Throw down section is not for this.

 

[pc farmer]

Curing meats, low and slow cooks..... going through the trouble that's what we do. We can all go to the store and buy a bar of soap for a $1 or so same as we can buy a rotisserie chicken at the Walmart for $6. But we choose to buy a same sized chicken for $7 and then spend 4 hours cooking on a $800 grill a with a $175 rotisserie attachment. Not because it makes sense but because we can.

Really it doesn't matter if you want to buy lye instead of making it or buy a complete soap making kit. This is about experiencing something new.

Well said. You put me in my place.

 

[bbqbrett]

It sounds interesting but when granny makes soap it upsets Mrs Drysdale next door. :)

Old school reference for those of you out there who remember it.

 

[bbqbrett]

Milburn will handle her

You are too cool Holly!

 

[actech]

used to make a lot of soap. got at least couple years worth if I dont try to sell again.Just got to be a pain. First soap I made was all the oil saved in a coffee can. Everything and oh man was it rancid when i made soap. Washed it a few times (boiling water then cool and strain) Then made soap. It was good enough I started buying good ingredients and making an awesome soap. made too many fragrance/color choices just wore me out trying to keep up with patchouli alone. I only used lye drain cleaner, it was 100% lye. Im just not sure about making own lye. It wont be pure so how do you use on which type of oil? I would get at minimum ph papers to start testing at the 4 week mark. If your lye is strong let sit or your skin wont like it and if weak it wont last before it spoils.

 

[actech]

I also have been reading on the hot process that is supposed to eliminate the cure time.

NO It will still have to cure . Crock pot soap will be shorter but its harder to work with if you want to make cool looking soap. The only way to eliminate cure time is do melt and pour which is not making soap. Be sure to use a soap calculator. soapcalc.org i think. Just use care with the lye and have fun. It can be addictive. Got to where I could make some really cool designs in the soap.

 

[bdskelly]

Soap.... Rarely use the stuff. However... watching this tread closely. ;) b

 

[gmc2003]

Soap.... Rarely use the stuff. However... watching this tread closely. ;) b

That explains the odor coming from the west, and here I was blaming the farmers getting their fields prep'd.:)

Chris

 

[Northshore Smoke]

Fat? What fat? I don't trim it, I eat it!:D