General Use Bar Soap

Below are directions for creating your own basic bar soap. Keep in mind that though you can change which oils are used and in what ratio, this will inevitably change the characteristics of the soap and may not produce an ideal outcome.

Tools you will need:
Large Slow Cooker or Double Boiler setup
2 SILICONE or WOOD spatulas
2 Glass bowls or containers (40oz or larger)
Stick Blender* or Silicone Whisk
Food Scale (not optional)
Small Strainer
Water Filter* if you don't have distilled water
PPE:
Long Sleeves
Gloves
Goggles
Mask
Pants
Closed Toe Shoes
Apron, to protect clothing if you have it
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Prep: Time 15 minutes
Begin by setting up your supplies in a quiet place with good ventilation. Make sure you can keep distractions to a minimum, as well as keep pets and children away.
Making Hop Processed Soap, or any soap for that matter, can be very dangerous with chemical and thermal burns being at the top.
WARNING: Once you touch that Lye container and begin using it, DO NOT touch your skin, your clothing, your face, your hair, etc. Make sure when you are finished that you not only sweep and mop after you wipe down, but I also suggest using a spray bottle of vinegar:water around the area and on yourself before you take your things off.
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Part 1: Combine Primary ingredients
1. Measure out your fats, oils, waxes, etc and have them on the side ready to go!
2. If using salt to harden your bars, add the salt to your distilled(or filtered) water and stir w/ Spatula A. Once fully dissolved, (caution) add measured lye to the water, slowly, keeping your face away and if possible do not breathe fumes (feels a lot like pepper spray).
Mix with Spatula A to prevent sticking to the bottom of the glass.
Set aside, stir occasionally until clear.
3. Add your oils and fats to the slow cooker or double boiler and turn on low heat - medium heat and cover. Your oils should not sizzle, we are not sauteing.

4. @ 20% melted, add waxes if using them. (prevents burning)

5. Lye should be cooled to <115; be within 10 degrees of fully melted oil/wax mixture, before you combine.
** If your fats are too hot (over 160), remove the lid.
** If removing the lid is not enough, take the insert completely out of the shell.
**Lye will generally be under 100, before the oil if leaving lid on.
**I have had no adverse reaction to combining lye to oils with >10 degree difference, when lye was under 100, and oil was under 140, yet.
**If you spill Lye mixture or powder on anything, clean immediately. Lye can damage surfaces, burn through wires, and destroy generally anything it touches for more than a few moments
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Part 2: Makin' Bacon.. er Soap
6. When both mixtures have cooled appropriately, begin slowly pouring the lye solution into the oil solution. Typically I do this in waves, pouring a % of the mixture each time and stirring. This will reduce the speed of reactions and reduce rapid temperature increase. As you pour, stir the mixture gently to incorporate the lye into all of the oils. The oils will take on a milky appearance as the process begins
7. Once all lye is added to the slow cooker, begin pulsing with stick blender a few moments at a time to agitate the mixture. Check the temperature every 30 seconds or so to watch for rapid increase in temperature. Continue to pulse and stir until Trace.
8. Turn Heat off cover with lid, 30 minutes. You MAY or may not need to remove from shell, depending on how hot, (170+, remove from heat). Do not open the lid unless you HAVE to.
**Trace - Looks like watery puddling or gravy. Leaving streaks and marks on the surface when dripped.
**Watch for mixture climbing walls, the outer portion tends to get hotter faster. A runaway temperature increase will result in a volcano.
**Check on mixture, do not leave it unattended!
**Temperatures of 160+ will start to creep into the danger zone for volcanoes, 180 + has always resulted in a volcano for me.
**If volcano is about to happen, move all items, wires, etc away and out of the path. Have paper towels or a bath towel near to create a barrier to keep the mixture from spreading out. This mixture will scald and stick to the skin. It is best to just get out of the way. Not all volcanoes result in an overflow, but large batches are more likely to do so. Removing the lid, removing the insert from the shell, creating pockets in the mixture, or even spraying the surface of the mixture with distilled water, or adding a small amount can help stop a volcano. This will all however effect the eventual outcome of the soap and make it harder to add to the mold.
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Part 3: Is It Done Yet?

9. inspect the goods. The mixture should be Vaseline in texture. if not completely done, mix and return to heat on low or warm setting. Give another 10 minutes and check again. Repeat until 90-95%

10. Remove insert from slow cooker to reduce temp until <170f
11. Add extras & Fragrance; mix
12. Pour into molds