Teach Soap

Hello:

I live in Huntington, West Virginia (which is near southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky). I have looked online and called local craft stores and cannot find anyone who gives hands-on soap making classes or workshops. I even contacted the Soap Makers Guild and they couldn't refer me to anyone in my area. Can anyone recommend a person or place who gives workshops on Cold Process soap making that is within 4 hours of me?

I have been reading books and looking at a lot of sites about soap making but I feel like I'm just getting more and more intimidated by it. All the calculations needed are making me wonder if I'll be smart enough to figure this stuff out, or if it might be beyond me. I am on a tight budget as well so I don't have tons of money to throw away if I keep messing up my first batches, so that is also a concern.

That I don't know. Have you looked at any soapmaking videos on utube?

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I have looked at some. I will probably go with those eventually if I don't find a real class. I would just feel better with a real person watching me stir real soap and biting my real fingernails

Follow the safety protocols for cold process soapmaking, respect the lye and get a stick blender. When you get your recipe figured out, run it by one of us here and we'll help you.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I am currently reading 'Smart Soapmaking' by Anne L. Watson so that I can learn the basics. I see that she has some beginner recipes in there so I'll be following one of those for my first attempt. I don't know which one yet. I do have a stick blender but I still have to find a double boiler.

One thing though, I have one of those new glass/ceramic top stoves so I'm wondering if lye will damage it. I guess I need to call the manufacturer to inquire. If they tell me that lye will damage it, I suppose I will need to use a slow cooker to make soap (?)

Does making soap by the cold process turn out to be cheaper than making it from pre-shredded rebatch that is purchased online?

Thanks again for all the help, everyone!

Linda

I'm curious what the double boiler is for? What I've learned in the last year is that you can make a very nice soap with basic ingredients. Lard, olive oil, and castor oil make a very nice soap. You can get those ingredients locally. I don't know too many people that calculate the lye on paper. You can use soapcalc.net to plug in your ingredients, change the superfat, percent of water, etc. You can use a plastic bucket to mix your lye (make sure it's heat safe) and then use one of your cooking pots to heat the oil or microwave it. I used to use my big measuring cup to microwave oils. You can also use a shoe box as a mold. Just line it with parchment paper. I've read people use the plastic drawer organizers from the $1 store as molds too. Once you get the first batch under your belt, you'll feel better! It's not as hard as some of the books make it seem.

Rena

I guess the double boiler is only for rebatching. I'm sitting here reading Smart Soapmaking by Anne L. Watson as we speak, and it seems I don't need a double boiler for cold process. I didn't realize that until this very minute. I told you I'm new!

I am still gathering supplies and ingredients so I can attempt the Anne's She Butter Supreme recipe in her book. Here's that recipe:

Sometimes soap shop owners give classes on soap making, But usually those who also sell soap making supplies.

When I was living in montreal, there was a shop that sold soap making products, and their own handmade soap. Kind of like BrambleBerry.

You could try to find a soap making supply store near you. And if you visit, it's good to ask them if they know places to take courses, or if they offer any. Sometimes if they don't, they might become aware that there is a market out there for soap making classes, and decide to start them.

You don't need a double boiler for cold process. I believe that book only does rebatching?
Cold process is mixed oils/butters and lye, then pour into your mold and cover with blankets so it gels.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I took a class offered by our local tech. collage. It was a very good base to build on my soapmaking skills. If you were close to me I would gladly have you over!

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

O took two classes at my local junior college. Neither was great. One was good and one was terrible. However, the good one was enough to get me started.
This summer I hope to take a class at a studio in San Fransisco called Nova Studio. I realize this is out of your area but they also sell their study materials on line. These might be worth adding to your library.