Do you know what happens when you boil beer? Foam. Lots of foam. But it’s important to boil beer before using it in soap making. It removes the alcohol and the carbonation. Apparently the reaction between lye and carbonated or alcoholic liquids is...eventful. But you can't make soap without lye (although there's none left in the finished product). Hence, boiling beer. See? Science.
But let's back up a little. Beer soap has become a popular trend. It's full of vitamins that are good for you skin, and it creates a nice creamy lather. Neat. And this is Milwaukee, after all. It's not like beer is hard to find. It also gives me another opportunity to use local ingredients. So I purchased some Amber Ale from City Lights Brewing Company (not just good for soap making...also very tasty), and set it on the stove to boil. Why Amber Ale? Because I like it. And I knew there would be a few cans left over.
Around this same time, a friend had asked if I'd consider making a shaving soap. Since beer soap has properties that are shave-friendly, I decided to tilt the focus in that direction, adding a few others ingredients to make it extra soothing. The recipe for the Amber Ale Shave and Body Bar was ready. But shaving soap should be round, right? So you can put it a mug and use an old-fashioned brush, right? Or not. But once I had the thought, I couldn't let it go. Problem was, I didn't have cylinder molds. What to do?
Ok. There are a lot of testimonials from soap-makers who use PVC pipes to make round soap. I don't know what voodoo magic they're using, but let me just say, getting it out of the pipe is impossible. After half an hour of strenuous attempts at removal I was exhausted, frustrated, and covered in bits of soap. Because that soap was NOT going to just “slide” out like so many people claim it will. No. And gently “tapping it” on the floor or counter? Ha. That just made the soap laugh at me and stick even tighter to the inside of the pipe. I finally just dug it out with a spoon. I'm annoyed just thinking about it. Stupid PVC pipes.
But you know what does work? Pringles cans (or you can use the healthier natural brand like I did). They're sturdy cardboard, with a water-proof liner. Empty them, wash them carefully, and pour in your soap. After the soap has hardened, just peel away the cardboard, and voila! Plus, you get to eat chips. It's a win/win. Of course, this isn't a long-term solution. For one thing, I really shouldn't eat that many chips (as much as I'd like to), and for another, I don't like using disposable molds. So I have now invested in some permanent cylinder molds that are easy to use.
And it turns out everyone was right. Beer soap is awesome! It smells great, and feels great, and round soap is fun even if you don't put it in a mug!
The Spiced Cider soap is also ready, so I guess we've officially transitioned to fall. And within the next week or so I'll introduce you to Hazel, and her amazing paw balm.
On an unrelated note, does anyone need a few PVC pipes? Going cheap.