The next morning the soap was cut.
There were lots of pots and bowls to wash. I tried to put the mixture in one pot, but it was too small and I ended up using this large one.
When I noticed the separation and saw the oil leaking into the oven I quickly put two large bowls under the molds to catch the drops as I was emptying the soap molds.
The soap molds are wooden and when soap is the consistency it is supposed to be, it does not leak out. This is the second stick blender that I burned out in this batch.
I am not new to making soap. It is something I regard as I do cooking, a joy to create something in my kitchen. But whoa, this was a disaster. I had trouble getting the soap to the trace stage, which is the stage where the batter is visible on top of the surface when trailed onto it. But, finally, after an hour and several separations, the soap did trace, so I put three quarters of it into molds and then into a 170 degree oven to finish the process, called gelling, after which the soap is nearly transluscent and completely ready to use.
But the soap separated in the oven. I have a gas stove and the oil leaked onto the floor of the oven, which has holes in it to allow the hot air from the gas burners into the cavity. Oil on the flame would start a fire instantly. I quickly turned the oven off and removed the molds, dripping oil and dumped the contents into the soap pot with the other third of remaining. Then I had to clean the oil from the oven before trying to get the soap rescued.
This soap was a milk and lard soap with added castor and meadowfoam oil for conditioning. It can be used as a shampoo bar without stripping the hair and will be good for most hair types, but not oily scalps. It is also a great facial and body soap because of the extra conditioning oils and milk. Milk has lactose which acts as a exfoliator on the skin, leaving it soft, while the meadowfoam oil is a long chain fatty acid that is extremely kind to skin and hair.
It separated in the pot again and again. I tried to beat it into submission with a stick blender, but it burned out, so I used a second one and burned that one out too. So, I stirred by hand, for almost 2 hours! Finally it gelled. then turned into the mashed potato texture that is soap. I tested it by touching some cooled soap to my tongue and it had no more "zap" so I put the whole 10 pound batch into the huge container I had bought, lined with parchment paper for easy removal.
I cut the soap into manageable bars for grating and remilling. The grating will have to be done quickly or the soap will become very hard and difficult to grate. The grated soap will be melted with added ingredients and the resulting soap is a better, long lasting soap than the original product. This was my first near disaster making soap and I finally turned in to bed around 12:30 with two tired arms and terrible mess in the kitchen. The next few days, the milled soap will be in the making. Keep watch!
But the soap separated in the oven. I have a gas stove and the oil leaked onto the floor of the oven, which has holes in it to allow the hot air from the gas burners into the cavity. Oil on the flame would start a fire instantly. I quickly turned the oven off and removed the molds, dripping oil and dumped the contents into the soap pot with the other third of remaining. Then I had to clean the oil from the oven before trying to get the soap rescued.
This soap was a milk and lard soap with added castor and meadowfoam oil for conditioning. It can be used as a shampoo bar without stripping the hair and will be good for most hair types, but not oily scalps. It is also a great facial and body soap because of the extra conditioning oils and milk. Milk has lactose which acts as a exfoliator on the skin, leaving it soft, while the meadowfoam oil is a long chain fatty acid that is extremely kind to skin and hair.
It separated in the pot again and again. I tried to beat it into submission with a stick blender, but it burned out, so I used a second one and burned that one out too. So, I stirred by hand, for almost 2 hours! Finally it gelled. then turned into the mashed potato texture that is soap. I tested it by touching some cooled soap to my tongue and it had no more "zap" so I put the whole 10 pound batch into the huge container I had bought, lined with parchment paper for easy removal.
I cut the soap into manageable bars for grating and remilling. The grating will have to be done quickly or the soap will become very hard and difficult to grate. The grated soap will be melted with added ingredients and the resulting soap is a better, long lasting soap than the original product. This was my first near disaster making soap and I finally turned in to bed around 12:30 with two tired arms and terrible mess in the kitchen. The next few days, the milled soap will be in the making. Keep watch!
The soap is actually very mild and the lather is more like hand lotion due to the creaminess of the Meadowfoam oil. I think what happened is that I did not account for the butter fat when I added the whole milk and and there was more fat than the lard could react with. After it leaked out, the batch became more stable, thank goodness and turned into soap. Whew! I do not want to repeat this lesson!
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