Soap Making with Baking Soda, Potash & Sal Soda

[230gr]

Soap Making with Baking Soda, Potash & Sal Soda

•   Soap Making with Potash [K2CO3] (extracted from wood ash) with no boiling
o   Potash must boil with the fat because is not as caustic as commercial lye (NaOH) so the saponification and soap ageing are much slower reactions requiring a much longer time to complete.
o   Ingredients: l2 pounds of fat, 9 pounds of potash and l2 gallons of water
o   Put the fat in a barrel and add the potash which has been dissolved in 3 gallons of water.
o   Once a day for the next 3 days add 3 gallons boiling water and stir vigorously for about 3 minutes.
o   The mixture is then stirred several times a day with a long stick or paddle.
o   In a month or so the soap will be free from lumps and will have a uniform jelly-like consistency.
o   When the soap is ready to use, it will exhibit a silky luster and will trail off in a slender threads from the stirring paddle.
o   It can be kept in a covered container as a thick liquid or boiled down until squeaking bubbles are heard and then poured into forms for bars.
•   Soap Making with Potash Boiling
o   The saponification and ageing are much slower reactions requiring a much longer time to complete unless heat is added.
o   Ingredients: 8 pounds of fat, l8 quarts of strong potash lye water (that will float a fresh egg) and l2 gallons of water.
o   In a kettle or wash boiler, mix 8 pounds of melted grease with l8 quarts of strong lye water and bring to a boil.
o   For liquid soap, pour boiled mixture into the soap barrel and thin with water. Place the barrel in doors in a warm place for aging. The soap should be ready to use in a few weeks. When the soap is ready to use, it will exhibit a silky luster and will trail off in a slender threads from the stirring paddle.
o   For bars soap, the saponification requires 5 to 8 hrs or more of boiling until it exhibits a silky luster and will trail off in slender threads from the stirring paddle. Then poured the thickened mixture into forms for bars and aging at room temperature for 1 to 2 months or using an oven at 275 to 300oF to speed curing up of the green soap bars.
Soap Making with Sal Soda or Sodium Carbonate [Na2CO³]
•   The saponification and ageing are slower reactions requiring a much longer time to complete but safer to handle and store.
o   Ingredients: 10 pounds of fat, 6 pounds of sal soda and 8 gallons of hot water.
o   In a kettle or wash boiler, mix 10 pounds of melted grease with 8 gallons of hot water and bring to a boil.
o   For liquid soap, pour the mixture into the soap barrel, stirring daily then let the mixture stand until completely saponified. The soap should be ready to use in a few weeks.
o   For bars soap, saponification is slower requiring 5 to 8 hrs or more of boiling or until it exhibits a silky luster and will trail off in slender threads from the stirring paddle. Then poured into forms for bars and aging at room temperature for 1 to 2 months or using an oven at 275 to 300oF to speed curing up of the green soap bars.
•   Soap Making with Baking Soda [NaHCO³] can be used to make soap.
o   Baking Soda solution must be boiled with the fat because is not caustic like commercial lye (NaOH) and the weakest of the above alkali.
o   Ingredients: 16 oz of fat, 4.4 oz (0.276x the fat weight) of baking soda, water 6 oz (0.38x of fat weight) or more to allow for boiling losses. 
o   The saponification is a much slower reaction requiring over 8 hrs of boiling but baking soda is also much safer to store and handle and work.
o   When the soap is ready to pour, it will exhibit a silky luster and will trail off in slender threads from the stirrer. Note: If it is too dilute, it may be boiled down until squeaking bubbles are heard.
o   Aging Time is very slow at room temperature at over 2 months but you can oven cure the green soap bars in the oven at 275 to 300oF to speed curing up. Over baking soda soap will not cause the soap to have a “bit” was with extra lye.