Soap Making Equipment

To make beautiful hand made soap, you need to have the right soap making equipment and supplies. In many cases there are several choices you can make, but here's a general overview of the soap making equipment you'll need.

The good news is that soap making equipment is quite inexpensive and easy to obtain. And there's not really all that much to buy.

The soap making process uses caustic ingredients so the equipment used must be strong enough to withstand the process. Lye in particular is hard on equipment since it can erode some equipment immediately and others over time. Cold-process soaps are free of caustic properties just weeks after curing. Therefore, in this situation, equipment must be particularly durable.

Additionally, you will want your equipment to be designated only to soap making. While the chances of caustic lye residue getting into your food from a pot or stirring implement are small, the possibility does exist so keeping the equipment separate is your safest option.

SOAP MAKING SCALES

An accurate scale is the most important investment you will need to make and probably the most expensive too. Ideally, the scale will measure in one-ounce increments and have a minimum capacity of 10 pounds. It is important to note that a scale measuring ingredients up to five pounds is also adequate but will require more work when measuring larger amounts.

You may find that some ingredients are measured most precisely on a gram scale, while others are too heavy and weighed more accurately on a scale measured in ounces. A small postal scale may come in handy for weighing small amounts.

Fats and oils can be measured accurately enough with some degree of estimation, but lye, essential oils, and natural preservatives require precision.

It is important to be accurate with measurements in the cold-process soap making because this process does not allow for adjustments or corrections after the lye is added to the oils. Soaps produced with inaccurate measurements may be over-fatted or over-alkali.

A stainless steel scale is easy to clean and will not be damaged by lye.

SOAP MAKING THERMOMETER

An accurate thermometer capable of measuring a minimum of 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 71 degrees Celsius is necessary for making soap. You can simply use a candy or deep fry thermometer with a stainless steel stem, if you like. The probe end that is inserted into the soap must be glass or stainless steel to avoid being corroded by the lye.

For convenience, you might consider one with a hood that attaches to the side of the pot. This feature will allow you to reach the see the temperature easier and safer. Before you use your new thermometer for the first time, take a minute to look at it so you understand how it works. While this might sound elementary, this precaution will lessen any mishaps caused by misreading the temperature.

In fact, you should keep at least two thermometers on hand, which will eliminate the need to constantly wash them between measurements. Stainless steel is always the best choice for soap making thermometers.

SOAP MAKING POTS

You will need to have an 8 to 12-quart enamel or stainless steel cooking pot with a lid to serve as your soap pot. Enamel or stainless steel is essential because alkalis corrode other metals, including aluminum, tin, iron, and Teflon. Keep in mind that cast iron is also a poor choice as seasoned iron pots deteriorate and can discolor the soap.

A large stainless steel pot is perfect for soap making.

You can use a smaller pot to hold the soap, but typically, they do not leave enough room for stirring. Now if you plant to make smaller batches of hand-milled soap, then a smaller pot would be very convenient since they are less cumbersome than the larger soap pot. Additionally, in this situation a smaller pot will reduce the possibility of scorching the soap.

A deeper pot is preferable to a shallow, wide pot in that it reduces the amount of stirring necessary. Then for melting or rendering the solid fats that are going to be added to the liquid oils, a 3-quart saucepan would be a great choice.

Hot processing and making liquid soaps should be done in a double boiler. You can purchase a double boiler or simple create one of your own by placing the 8 to 12-quart pot into a larger kettle that is partially filled with boiling water. This will keep the temperature constant, thus ensuring the soap is not scorched.

A 5-gallon canning pot is ideal, but any pot that your soap pot fits completely into will work just fine. Since the larger pot will not have any contact with the soap itself, it does not need to be enamel or stainless steel, as the actual soap pot.

A stainless steel double boiler will stand up well to caustic lye solutions.

SOAP MAKING CONTAINERS

A 2-quart pitcher or bowl is required to mix and pour the lye solution. You may find a pitcher easier to use because of the pouring spouts. Just remember that if there is a lid, it needs to be removable and be designed to snap or screw on tightly. Because the lye solution can reach temperatures of up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the containers should be dishwasher safe, heat resistant glass, or plastic.

If your containers do not meet these criteria, the plastic is likely to melt and glass is likely to crack when subjected to the high temperatures of the lye solution. An important not is that you do not want use metal containers because they may react with the lye in the soap.

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