Saponification Sunday

I call this composition "The Beauty of Pale Ale"
You might call it " Beer on the Kitchen Floor"

First of all, The Midlife Farmwife Academy would like to thank those of you who made recommendations for a new camera. I took the advice of several who steered me towards the Nikon Coolpix, specifically the S9100 series with "Backside Illumination." It's been decades since having my backside illuminated has given me so much pleasure and harmed so few.

Today's soap was a aromatic blend of clove powder, cedar wood oil and a mild ale from  the artistic folk over at Three Floyd's Brewing Company in Munster Indiana. I love beer soap as it makes an amazing lather and the guys who shop at our farm store always "clean" me out in the first few days. I swear I could make the soap out of road kill but as long as I put "BEER" on the label, they'd buy it!

Don't let the Jester Face scare ya.
We met the folks at 3Floyds last year
and they are nice as pie.

I let the beer sit in a bowl for 24 hrs before using, and then add the lye in a tardy fashion. Too fast and you'll get a volcano effect. Not only is that unsafe, it is also a waste of excellent brew. I make this soap in the hot process manner, via the pot of crock, since the beer mixed with lye always starts things off with a great amount of bubbles anyway so might as well finish with lots of bubbling .

Lye plus Beer equals many fumes.
STAND BACK!

After mixing in just 1/2 teaspoon of Clove powder and 3 Tablespoons (45 cc's) of Cedarwood Essential oil to the oil/lard confabulation, I add the beer/lye solution.  I mix with my hand mixer just to light trace and then I let the pot of crock do the rest of the work.

After approximately 10 minutes on high, my soap starts to lighten up in a cafe o'lait manner.

You want to dip your finger in there, don't you?
Well don't.

I let it cook for another 30 minutes while I continue reading Anne Enright's The Wig My Father Wore. A fabulously funny book, if you like novels about noose wearing angels who stalk young women. I know I do. Stay close though. HP soap is known to lose its top at times and bubble over on your counter...onto the floor...through the gap under the cabinet...into your basement...into your septic...and into the Celtic Sea.

Soon enough it will begin to look like this:

Like caramel from caramel heaven.

At this point you can stir it down, or not. Beer soap is laid back and doesn't really care what you do to it. Just don't get your illuminated backside between it and the TV on a Sunday afternoon. When the whole thing looks all gellular like this:

Who needs artificial lighting when you have
natural sunshine and a brand new camera?!?

You can commence with the soap plopping, cause no way is this stuff pourable. Just grab a big glob with your spoon and plop it in the mold. (No, I will not tell you the maker of my soap mold. It's one of a kind and a secret I will take to my death bed, because when I am on my death bed you know I'll be needing some diaper wipes.) Be careful when you "plop" as soap can jump up into your eyes. Wear the safety glasses whether they come in your color or not)

Soon, your mold will be filled. Now SLAM it down on the counter to get it all settled and drive out any air holes or bad mojo. Slam it again and again because it is fun. I let mine sit on the counter to cool a couple hours and then cut it. Hot process soap can be used right away but I still like to let it cure a week or two.

Here is the final product, freshly cut and still warm ! No trimming done yet, just pure soap. Now, I need a catchy name. Got one? If I pick your suggestion you'll get a free bar of this brew. Sure, I'll ship overseas, now send me those name suggestions.