ALWAYS read the instructions before you attempt to make your soap. Thats the golden rule.
11.2 oz of lye (100% lye only. Make sure the container says 100% LYE)
Get your 32 ounces of COLD water in one container and measure your lye out in another. If you have close quarters or children/pets, its best to take this outside. Get a stainless steel spoon, also. Very slowly add THE LYE TO THE WATER. NEVER THE WATER TO THE LYE. Stir carefully and never use hot or moderately warm water with lye. It will volcano, spraying caustic liquid all over the place. You'll notice that the lye reacts with the water and gets very hot. It also emits gas, and its important not to breathe these fumes. This will cause coughing, headache, and possibly dizziness. I guess if enough was inhaled it could be deadly.
Let your lye sit in a safe place away from everyone until it cools to room temperature. This takes two or three hours. But I am impatient and would rather do this the night before the day I want to make my soap. Just lock it up or put it out of reach of all your kids and animals. It will cause death if ingested.
The next day, or whenever your lye reaches room temperature, start weighing out your fats. Then put your fats into a pot and melt/heat them. Do this slowly, as lard tends to burn quite easily. After its melted, set it aside and hook your candy theromometer to the side of the pot to where its about two inches submerged in it. Wait until it cools off to 120 to 130 degree farenheit. Then take your theromometer out.
I like to mix my fat and lye in a seperate pot and then pour them into a plastic bucket. You don't have to do this, but I just like it. It makes it easier for me.
Put your pot or the bucket that you poured your fats into in the sink. Then put your gloves on. Very slowly and carefully pour your lye solution into the fats. Be careful not to splash any on yourself. Use a large (slotted, preferably) spoon to sort of stir it in. It should still have the consistency of oil.
After you're sure the lye is mixed in good, take your stick blender (if you have one, if not skip to the next paragraph) and turn it on high. Don't use it continuously. It will blow it up. Blend for two minutes and stir for two minutes. You should reach trace fairly quick with this. And it should be quite thick. If you weighed accurately, then your bowl will stay warm to the touch.
No stick blender? Thats alright, you can still make your soap. But I doubt that it will be much fun for you. It will take your probably an hour and a half to two hours of stirring on and off to get trace with a spoon. Do the smart thing and get a stick blender at wal-mart for ten bucks. But if you want to do it the old fashioned way, I understand completely. Just do it until you get trace.
When you first get trace, this is the time to measure your essential oils or fragrance and color. Do it in a small bowl and pour it into the soap. Stir with a SPOON until the fragrance is mixed well. Don't use your stick blender now as it might seize your soap and mess up all your work. Don't add fragrance or color if your going to craft your soap.
You should have the molds ready. Always have your mold ready! If you have a fairly large mold, then this recipe will only fill one mold and will yeild about 27 to 30 bars if you cut them medium sized. I use a cardboard box lined with a(clean, duh) kittie litter box liner. This is perfect. Pour the soap into the mold and smooth it out. Then let it set overnight.
A way you can test if your saponification is gettin' it on is to put your hand on the surface of firm soap. If its warm to the touch, then you're in business. Wait about eight to twelve hours (like if you made it at seven in the morning, then do this at seven in the evening) and slice your soap into bars in the mold. But dont take it out. Then let it set for another twelve or so hours and take it out. You're twenty four hours are up. Then let it cure for a couple of weeks. You can use it right now, but cured soap last longer and lathers better as well. This is also the time to shred and craft it, if you want. Congratulations, you've had a sucessful soap making experience.
How much can you mess up if you have no clue what you're doing? A WHOLE DARN LOT! I have messed up numerous batches because I didn't read the instructions well enough or didn't read them at all until I got started. And of course realize that your first time might not turn out right. Don't give up. Sometimes your soap turns out good and some times it just doesn't. Soap is like that.
32 ounces of water (4 cups)
1 pound of olive oil (the cheaper the better)
3 pounds of lard
1 pound of Coconut Oil, 76 degree (I have used olive oil for this instead. In my opinion, its better anyway.)
1.4 ounces fragrance of your choice