Step 1: Run your recipe through your
lye calculator, print out your recipe so you have
a copy handy to work with-you don't want to be running
back and forth between your pc and your work station.
Step 2: Assemble your equipment-safety
equipment and your crock, scale, containers you
will use to put your soap together.
Step 3: Put your recipe where it is
easy to see, assemble your oils you will be using.
Step 4: Mix your lye liquid, (remember
lye into liquid) . Use plastic container for the
lye/liquid mix. Now the way I do goats milk is a
bit different, but each of you have your own way
that works for you. What I will do on this recipe,
as I want a good percentage of goats milk, I will
pour out my water to measure the near 23 oz, I will
then cut it in take out 11 oz and put on the side.
I will pour my lye into the remaining water, this
I do in the kitchen sink, do not inhale the fumes
and if you are so inclined, wear your safety goggles,
etc.. Let me back track a bit, to the water portion
I add a pinch of tussah noil silk fiber, 2 to 3
tsp Borax, 1-2 tsp sugar and 1-2 tsp salt. There
are many different opinions on the adding of borax,
salt and sugar, but it is what I do and it works
for me, I think. You would add these before you
add the lye, and stir til it is dissolved, the silk
fiber won't dissolve yet, so don't worry about it,
the lye will take care of it. Now we are ready to
pour the lye into the water, stirring as we add,
remember don't breathe the fumes, they last only
a few seconds. If you are nervous about the fumes
in the house, take the containers outside and mix
there. It will heat up, so remember the container
will be hot to the touch. Put the lye/liquid, once
mixed, on the side, once the silk fiber has melted,
I usually stick the container in the refrigerator
til I am ready for it. You can mix the night before
and put on the side til you are ready to use, you
want it to be cool, it does not affect the viability
of the the process. However, remember it is still
active, so splashing will burn you. If this happens
rinse with cold running water, immediately, then
do a quick rinse with white vinegar, cold water
first then vinegar. It works, ;o).
While the lye/water is cooling, take
the 11 ozs of water you seperated out and warm some-in
the microwave or stove, once warmed add 6 tbsp of
powdered goatsmilk and whisk til well mixed and
set it aside. I always use the powdered goats milk,
powdered buttermilk, or milk powder, depending on
what you are looking for. Doing it this way I don't
get the burned milk, from the lye. If you wish you
use the canned goats milk, substract 1/3 to ½
of the
total liquid required for your batch and measure
out that amount in the goats milk, or whichever
other liquid you wish to use. Set that aside, then
proceed to mix the lye into the prepared water and
let cool.
Step 5: Once the oils have melted,
in your crock, you can use the low setting so as
not to over heat, remove the crock and set aside
to let them cool. If the majority of the more solid
oils have melted and there are still a few islands
floating around, they will finish melting even when
you remove the crock. Once the islands have melted
you can remove the lid and let it finish cooling.
Step 6: Once the oils are cool and
the lye water has cooled, take the crock of oils
and sit in your sink. Make sure your stick blender
is nearby, and the lye water and goats milk(or whatever
you are using. And you put on your safety garb,
a quick stir to the lye water and pour in the goats
milk, mix together then pour into the oils slowly
stirring to mix well. Once it is all incorporated,
bring on the stick blender, and start blending.
After about 5-10 minutes of
blending, if it hasn't come to a full trace, rest
the blender(I just let it sit in the crock) go do
something or other for O about 5 to 10 minutes,
go back and check it, give it a few stirs test for
trace, if it isn't yet, give the stick blender a
rest, take a break, just keep checking back and
see how it is coming. Don't worry if it all of sudden
is totally thick or a very hard trace, give it a
hand stir, and pop the crock back in its cradle.
You are on your way to making crock soap.
SIDEBAR: The key that works for me
here is to only use the WARM setting on my crock
pot. In the beginning my crock only had the two
settings HI and LOW, you don't want to use the HI
setting it will cause the mix to creep up the side
of the pot, and really dries out the soap mix, the
LOW setting really is still to hot. Once I invested
in a $24 Rival with all 3 settings, I was really
a happy crocker. ;o) It really opened up soaping
for me and the addiction goes on and on. Since then
I have purchased 3 - 1.5 qt crocks, my 6 qt. Crock,
plus a 3 qt. Crock, and 2 of the crocks that only
have the 2 settings, but those crocks will fit the
6 qt, but not as well as I would like, but they
are backups, just in case.it is workable in a pinch.
You can never have to many crock pots. I like to
use the small pots for splitting off part of the
main batch if I want to color or do several scents
off one batch. I also found out that you can get
replacement crocks from Rival and they are only
about $10 plus shipping. I do have a 3 qt crock
for food, but if I need to use one of my soap crocks,
those crock pot liners work wonderfully.
If you don't have a 3 temp crock
pot and don't want to purchase one til you try out
crock soaping, I would recommend that you use no
more then between ¼ and ½ crock of
oils, and depending on the size you would have to
determine how many oz of oils that would be. Then
keep a close eye on the soap while it is cooking.
It will process faster and will walk up the wall
of the crock some. If it starts to walk up, just
stir it down, it will be fine.
Back to our current batch. We have
mixed in the lye liquid, brought it to trace and
put it back into its' cradle. It was a nice creamy
kind of off white color when we placed it on to
cook. Now, we put on the lid and just let it do
its' thing. We will not stir until towards the end,
so just keep the cover on, if you have a glass cover
you can watch it go through its paces. You will
see a change starting around the edges, in time,
this part requires the patience word. NOTE: If you
notice that the oil seem to seperate, just carefully
blend with the stick blender til it is back to the
thick blended state. This happens occasionally with
some oil combos, not a big deal. Mix and put the
lid back on and let it do its' thing. The color
will darken some as it goes through, you won't see
dramatic changes, it kind of softly goes through
the changes. You will not get volcanoing, at least
I haven't yet.
SIDEBAR: The only volcanic action
I have ever had happen was when I added lye to some
strong coffee that I was going to use for my liquid.
I made a little mistake, the coffee was still a
little to warm. It started grumbling and rumbling
and made like Mt. St. Helens. Luckily I was doing
it in the sink, as usual, and as the rumbling began,
I moved back. All I can say is it was an experience.
From then on I make sure my liquid are pretty cool
before mixing in my lye. It was kind of neat though.
;o) So reader be warned.
It will be anywhere from 2 to 4 hours
before it is done doing its thing. This is only
approximate, after about 3 hrs take a look at it,
stir it a bit, test it, I tongue test it, you can
use whatever testing procedure you are familiar
with. Once there is no tingle, then we proceed on
to the next step.
Now if it still tingles, put the
cover back on and let it continue on for a half
hour, then retest. Now, I must tell you that I have
fallen asleep waiting for it to finish cooking,
or it was finished cooking and I was not able to
finish and pour, so I just let it sit, on the warm
setting, and there was no ill effect, whatsoever,
no volcanoing, no burnt soap, no ill effects at
all.
Sometimes it never seems to finish,
it almost acts as if it is lye heavy, but the other
day I discovered a little trick. I added some honey
to a batch after several hours of tingle, and within
about 20 minutes it was ready to scent and pour.
Maybe it was just timing, but it worked fine.
I have had a couple batches that
seemed to come out lye heavy, just wouldn't finish
saponify, no matter what, those I molded let set
up chopped up added some milk and maybe some oil
or water and rebatched it and it was fine, maybe
not pretty, so just chop, grind and dry and use
for laundry powder. Haven't purchased laundry detergent
in over a year, nor softener-white vinegar is great.
Anyway that is another story.
Step 7: Now that the batch has cooked,
this one is a caramel color, there is no tingle,
and you are ready to superfat, if you wish, color
if you are going to, if you want to do a swirl,
take out a portion and place in a small crock that
has been warming.
Now being as I am adding 4 oz of honey, which will
change the color to a dark chocolate color, if I
do a swirl it would be an off white, or in this
case, I might not add the honey to the small portion
I have put in the small crock. Which would give
the two tone effect.
SIDEBAR: If you want to swirl with
crock pot soap, there are a couple ways to do it,
but the way that I have found to work best for me,
is: Put a portion of your soap mix, when done, into
the small crock pot, color this portion to whatever
you plan on doing. Once you have your color, then
plop spoonfuls into the big pot give it a quick
stir just to start the swirls. It will swirl as
you pour. After you have poured you can swirl some
more. I most cases, because you have not discounted
the water/liquid and have not cooked it on a high
heat but on an even warm heat, the soap will be
nicely pourable.
Once you have gotten the color you want in the small
pot, and in the large pot if you wish to do so,
it is time to continue on. At this point I will
be adding my 4 oz of honey. Once that is well mixed
in, turn off the crocks and let it cool some before
adding fragrance, if you are doing so. I will be
adding a touch of honey FO, just to enhance the
honey aroma that is already there. UMMMM smells
so good, can almost hear the hive ahumming. If you
are a thermometer user, I try to have it at about
150 degrees or lower. But as it is cooling, you
can stir it to help it cool and if it seems to be
getting thick fast, add your scent, mixing it in
good, plop in your swirl colors, give it a swirly
stir and pour into your mold, give it a swirl action
and level it, and set it to cool and harden.
You don't need to add as much FO
or EO as it isn't given time to cook out, you would
add your scrubbies, botanicals at the point just
before you pour into the mold.
Once poured into the mold your have
chosen, you tap a few times to level, and set it
on the side to cool and harden. As soon as it feels
firm to the touch, there is very little give when
you push down. You want to check in the middle,
as it takes longer to settle and harden there. If
you are using a log mold, it will take a little
longer, if you are using a flat mold it sets up
pretty quickly. You want to unmold as soon as it
is set so that it finishes cooling all the way through.
Once it is cool and firm, you can mark and cut your
bars. Set them up to finish the cool and you are
set.
I usually can't wait so I will take
an end piece and wash my hands, what a joy it is.
I have all ready tested my lather and feel of the
soap when I put the crock in the sink and adding
water, I just happen to leave a dab in the pot to
try it, it is a must do.
Now that is what I am talking about.
;o)
