Читать книгу Natural Soap - Melinda Coss - Страница 16

Bar Soaps

THE BASICS

THE SIMPLEST AND MOST ENERGY efficient way to make soap is the cold process method. The equipment needed is very basic and you can make soap pretty much anywhere you have access to water. Previously I have used a method requiring access to a heat source but in this book nearly all the soaps have been made by chopping cold fats into very small pieces, adding any oils the recipe requires and then pouring the freshly made lye solution directly onto the cold fats and oils. No heat source or thermometers are required. This is a huge time and energy saver that does not in any way diminish the quality of the finished soap.

If you prefer to melt your fats and oils over a heat source before adding your lye solution, wait until both the oils and the lye reach a similar temperature. Pouring boiling hot lye over slightly warmed oils can cause overheating and in some instances this can result in the mixture boiling-up and overflowing (a bit like a volcano).

Traditional soap makers in France use a hot process method, boiling the oils and lye together for several weeks before salting off the soap from the solution. There are more kitchen-friendly methods of hot processing your soap and I have used these in two recipes on pages 60 and 63. One advantage of hot process soap is that the chemical reaction is complete once the soap is poured into moulds, so it is immediately safe to use. Whilst some curing time is still needed to allow the moisture in the soap to evaporate, this is not as lengthy as the curing time required in the cold process method.

Another soap making method is ‘melt and pour’. Whilst this method can produce colourful and very artistic clear bar soaps, you have no control over your base ingredients as you simply buy a readymade soap compound, melt it down, add colour and fragrance and pour into moulds. As this book is about making products from scratch I haven’t included any ‘melt and pour’ here.

EQUIPMENT

When I first set-up my business we somehow managed to make soap using plastic buckets, a hand-held electric drill and some large wooden boxes for moulds. This is what makes soap making an industry that can be created in any outreach in the world. Here is what you will need for cold processed soap making:

Plastic buckets x 2

These will be used to mix-up your lye solution and your soap. Domestic buckets are fine but if you are buying new ones buy rubbery rather than light-weight plastic as they will last longer.

Electric stick blender

This speeds up the stirring process enormously. For large batches use an electric drill with a stainless steel or stripped metal paint stirrer attachment.

Plastic, polythene or glass measuring jugs

Buy half a dozen of these as you will find a million uses for them.

Stainless steel spoon

Large with a long handle.

Moulds and greaseproof paper

Read more in the mould section on page 22.

Knife

Large, non-serrated and straight edged for cutting fats and finished soaps.

Rubber gloves

To protect your hands when handling sodium hydroxide and fresh soap.

Eye protection

Perspex glasses or plastic goggles available from DIY shops.

Sponges, kitchen roll and dishcloths

For cleaning-up during and afterwards.

Kitchen scales

Digital scales weighing in very small increments. You need specialist scales if you are making soap to sell.

Plastic beakers

For diluting colourants and weighing additives.

Droppers

Plastic or glass for adding colourants and essential oils.

Measuring spoons

For measuring out ingredients.

Kebab skewers, knitting needles or a fork

For making swirls in your soap.

Plastic spatulas

For scraping the soap out of the bucket.

Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda/lye/NaOH)

Available in the plumbing section of DIY shops. This needs to be at least 95 per cent pure.

Distilled or Spring water

For mixing the lye.

Vinegar

If you splash yourself with lye, this will neutralise it.

Plastic wrap

For covering your freshly made soap.

Sugar thermometers x 2

Most of the recipes in this book use the cold process method and do not require these but traditionally you should measure the temperature of your oils and diluted lye and mix them together only when they reach the same temperature.

For hot processed soap and for liquid soap making you will also need a stainless steel stock pot and a larger pot to stand this in to create a bain marie or double boiler. In addition you will need a heat source hot enough to keep your soap at a rolling boil.

NOTE All pots and utensils that will come in contact with your soap must be made from stainless steel or plastic. Aluminium can react with the lye and flake off into your soap. You can use enamel but only if there are no chips on it. Avoid pots with a non-stick finish.

MOULDS

In theory you can use any wooden, plastic, rubber or cardboard container as a mould for your cold or hot processed soap, as long as it will not leak. If it is inflexible you must line the mould with baking parchment or plastic wrap so you can release your soap easily when it is set.

In practise the speed of the saponification process and the quality of your finished soap can be influenced by the size of your mould – the larger the mould/soap batch the greater the heat generated by the process. Block, tray or loaf moulds will give a more even soap than individual moulds.

If you are making soap as a hobby, silicone baking moulds are brilliant as the soap does not stick to the surface so you do not have to line your mould. You can also use cylindrical crisp containers, flexible food storage containers and even lengths of drainpipe to create curved shaped soaps (these should be greased with coconut oil or cooking spray before use).

If you are planning to sell your soap there are a number of professional moulds available that are sold with cutting devices to make it easy for you to ensure that each soap you make is the same size and weight. These moulds are made either from wood or HDPE (high-density polyethylene) – a heat-resistant plastic that is easy to clean. You can also buy HDPE slab moulds which have plastic strips that divide the soap into equal-sized bars (as does the famous ‘Nizzy’ mould which Australian soap makers swear by).

You should ensure that any mould you use is flexible. Clear rigid plastic shapes are great for melt and pour soaps but cold process soap does tend to get stuck to the bottom and you may end up having to break the mould to get your soap out. Before resorting to this try putting your soap-filled mould into the freezer for half an hour, as this can help to release it.

NOTE The recipes in this book are all designed to fit a 1½ kg (3 lb) mould.

SAFE SOAP

Both bar and liquid soaps are made with sodium hydroxide (caustic soda, lye) which, without careful and sensible handling, can give you a nasty burn. If you take note of the following, all will be well: