Soap Makers Help!

[fosterchick]

Quote:
I found it at the local hardware store. It says 100% lye crystal. The brand name is "Rooto". The bottle doesn't say anything about soapmaking on it.

 

[TM Chickens]

Quote:
I found it at the local hardware store. It says 100% lye crystal. The brand name is "Rooto". The bottle doesn't say anything about soapmaking on it.

Rooto is what I use. Works just fine.

 

[fosterchick]

Quote:
I found it at the local hardware store. It says 100% lye crystal. The brand name is "Rooto". The bottle doesn't say anything about soapmaking on it.

Rooto is what I use. Works just fine.

Thanks

 

[dun chick]

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Corrie, he sees you doing so well and wants part of your success. In a way it's a compliment and shows how well you are doing.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Quote:
Corrie, he sees you doing so well and wants part of your success. In a way it's a compliment and shows how well you are doing.

Thanks. Also there is a flower vendor who is real talkative with all of the other vendors and said he was going to put ina good word for me.

I was suprised though because I really didn't think that the Bee guy would actually come over and talk to me about it

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Here some pictures from Saturday's FM.

 

[dun chick]

Your table is becoming nicer each week, like the display trays. Love the banner!!!!

 

[ametauss]

Here's a weird thing that happened to me this weekend while soaping....

I always use goat's milk and always make a slushie out of it before adding lye... well the bag of milk that I had was a few oz's shy of what I needed so I just added some cold water... there were a few large chunks of goat's milk that didn't get squashed prior to adding the lye... I wish I'd taken a picture of the result but it looked almost curddled on top and liquid on bottom... Does anyone else use frozen or semi-frozen milk and had this happen to them??

It took forever for the lye to cool which I thought unusual and when I added it to the oil it almost instantly went into a light trace...

I ended up with blobs to put in my molds.... I'm gonna unmold them tonight and see how it really turned out....

 

[Morgaine]

Corrie, your banner and booth look great! Way to go at the farmers market!
Can't wait to hear about your new mold, and see the new soapies I'm sure you'll be making with it!

Ametauss- Did you slowly add the lye to the milk/water? If you added it too fast it could have curdled it some. Or there was a lot of fat in your milk and the lye reacted and started to form soap with it. Just to make sure, but you are sure you measured the lye correctly right? Too much lye might make for a faster trace. Make sure to zap test your soap when you unmold.

I have actually had the lye react to the fat in the milk before, it was evaporated milk. I added 200 grams evaporated milk to 270 grams water mixed with 230 grams lye, cooled to below 90. It got so thick that was actually as thick as a light trace! Everything soaped fine though and I couldn't tell a difference in that soap and other milk soaps.

 

[3goodeggs]

I am too afraid of lye to try making soap, but after reading all of these posts-most all, I think buying it at the farmers' market is a deal. One post mentioned people's allergies, and that is the best reason to buy homemade soaps. I have a feeling that people are feeling a need to get back to a simpler less indulgent life style. Farmers markets are finally coming to my town. I would rather keep my money local anyway. Maybe a good taste of recession was what some people needed for a reality check. I am just glad to have them.
Best of fortune and safe soaping to you braver souls that keep the rest of us clean.