Deer Soap

So... My first attempt at using deer tallow for soap. I found a recipe online and altered it ever do slightly:

24.5 oz wt of deer tallow (1 lbs 8.5 oz)
7.5 oz wt of coconut oil
12 oz fluid water
4.5 oz wt lye
1 tsp rosemary essential oil



Coconut oil (in a double boiler)



...addition of deer tallow.


...measuring lye.

So I melted to oils and prepped the lye and water. I meant to do the mixing with a drill with a paint mixer attachment, but the drill was dead as a door nail and I didn't want to wait for it to charge. So, I mixed by hand.

Then shenanigans ensued. I had a nice wide funnel to get the soap into my new PVC pipe molds, but in my ultimate wisdom I waited too long to pour it. There is a point called Trace when you can see drippings leave patterns on the surface of the soap, this is the time to pour. Well I got there, but being a bit paranoid I really did not want to risk my soap separating so I stirred the soap just. A. Tish. More. Yikes, do not do that! Within a couple of whips with the spoon it went from pudding to custard... I grabbed the bowl, popped up as fast as my gimpy ankle would let me, and ran to put in the mold. It was a whole ten feet, but by the time I poured it into the funnel it was like mashed potatoes... So I ditched the funnel and started spooning the glop into the mold by hand. Even this had to be done at a furious pace... The last part was practically set by the time I was pressing it in the mold. There was soap everywhere... Sigh, but I got it in. I am hoping I got all the air out and they still make nice bars. What a mess. On the up side, so far it seems like the soap is going to have a really pretty smell. Can't wait to cut the bars!

Below is the PVC tube of soap wrapped in towel. This is to keep the soap from cooling too fast which can cause the soap and lye to separate... Ruining the soap completely.

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Location:5th St NE,Rochester,United States