I’m no expert when it comes to soapmaking. I made four batches a year and a half ago. Only two turned out well. That gave us 30 bars of soap. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that we only had 5 bars left. So, this week brought on my annual soapmaking frenzy.
If you want to learn all I know about soapmaking, check out Soap Queen TV and Bramble Berry for supplies.
Four things I’ve learned are non-negotiable with making cold-process soap.
One- You must have a scale. Must. Measuring volume is way off. This is why I had 50% success last time.
Two- Patience. Lots of it. It took me an hour to stir each batch. Best done while listening to Pandora.
Three- Thermometers and Lye Calculators are your friend. Exact temp are imperative. So are Lye amounts. This can make or break it.
Four- Keep the kids away. Naptime, bedtime are great times to make soap. It can be dangerous. If you’re hollering at kids the whole time, the fun is lost for you.
I am so pleased with the success of these 3 batches I made this week. One didn’t turn out. That compelled me to finally get a scale. This is the third scale I’ve bought in four years. I’m hiding it from children’s reach this time.
All was not lost though. I grated it up. I’ll be using it for laundry soap.
Have you ever made soap? What are your favorite resources and recipes? I used the “Lots of Lather” recipe from Bramble Berry.
