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>> I STARTED MAKING SOAP ABOUT
TEN YEARS AGO AS HOBBY.
I'M A NUCLEAR ENGINEER BY
TRAINING.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I
LIKE THE CHEMISTRY, I LIKE
MAKING THINGS.
BUT THERE'S A LITTLE CALL FOR MY
PROFESSION IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA
AND I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
TO DO.
AND THIS IS THE THING I WAS
CONVINCED I SHOULD TRY.
MY NAME IS BILL SMITH AND I MAKE
SMALL BATCHES OF HAND CRAFTED
SOAP, MUCH LIKE YOUR GRANDMOTHER
WOULD HAVE MADE.
AND I MAKE MY SOAP RIGHT HERE IN
MY KITCHEN.
TODAY I'M GOING TO MAKE CEDAR
MINT SOAP, WHICH IS MY
BEST-SELLING SOAP.
I'M GOING TO MIX MY LYE AND
WATER, TO DO THAT PROCESS I'LL
WEAR RUBBER GLOVES AND SAFETY
GLASSES AND MASK.
IT IS THE ONLY DANGEROUS STEP IN
MAKING SOAP.
IT'S ONE I RECOMMEND YOU BE
CAREFUL WITH.
SO I NEED MEASURE MY WATER.
I'VE MADE SO MUCH BATCHES OF
SOAP, I HAVE IT MEMORIZED.
I USE DISTILLED WATER.
SOME PEOPLE USE GOAT'S MILK, YOU
CAN USE BEER, YOU CAN USE WINE.
THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS YOU CAN
USE FOR THE LIQUID.
THIS IS PURE LYE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE GRANULATED
SUGAR.
AND EVERYTHING IN SOAP MAKING IS
DONE BY WEIGHT, BECAUSE VOLUME
CAN VARY WITH TEMPERATURE.
THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS
ALWAYS USE STAINLESS STEEL
TOOLS, YOU DON'T WANT TO USE
WOOD BECAUSE ORGANIC AND LYE
ATTACKS ORGANIC.
YOU DON'T WANT TO USE ALUMINUM
BECAUSE IT REACTS.
SO NOW I HAVE MY MEASURED LYE.
AND MY MEASURED WATER.
WE'RE GOING OUT IN THE GARAGE IF
YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ME.
SOAP IS TECHNICALLY A SALT.
AND IT'S A MIXTURE OF A FATTY
ACID AND A STRONG BASE.
AND THIS TEMPERATURE WILL SHOOT
UP TO ABOUT 190 DEGREES, ALMOST
TO BOILING.
AND THEN COOL DOWN.
IF YOU DO SPLASH OR SPILL A
LITTLE BIT, YOU CAN NEUTRALIZE
IT WITH VINEGAR, ANY HOUSEHOLD
ACID.
SO THAT IS -- THAT'S STEP NUMBER
ONE.
WE JUST PREPARED THE STRONG
PACE.
IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY, I
PREPARED A LYE AND WATER
SOLUTION THAT IS ALREADY COOLED
DOWN, BECAUSE I DON'T --
CHEMICAL REACTIONS PROCEED
FASTER AT THE ELEVATED
TEMPERATURES.
THIS IS WAY TOO HOT.
IT WOULD PROCEED TOO FAST.
I CAN'T WORK WITH IT.
WE'LL NOW PREPARE THE OILS TO
MIX WITH OUR BASE, SO THE FIRST
OIL I'M GOING TO WORK WITH IS
PALM KERNEL OIL, WHICH IS THE
HARDEST OIL I HAVE.
THIS IS FROM THE NUT OF AN OIL
PALM TREE AND THEY SQUISH THEM,
EXPRESS THE OILS AND IT MAKES
FOR A GOOD, HARD BAR.
IT HAS A GOOD CONDITIONING OIL.
ALL THE OILS HAVE DIFFERENT
PROPERTIES.
SOME ARE SOFT.
BUT THEY MAKE GOOD LATHER.
SOME ARE HARD, BUT THEY TRY YOUR
SKIN SO IT'S MAKING A GOOD BAR
OF SOAP IS A BALANCE OF THE
DIFFERENT OILS.
THERE'S AN INFINITE RIGHT.
NOW WE'LL GO TO MY COCONUT OIL.
NOW IT'S NOT QUITE AS HARD.
IT IS SOLID AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.
BUT IT'S A LITTLE SOFTER.
OKAY.
AND THAT'S CORRECT.
THIS IS SUNFLOWER OIL AND IT
MAKES FOR A GOOD CONDITIONING
BAR.
NEXT ONE I'LL DO IS OLIVE OIL.
THAT IS THE MAJOR COMPONENT OF
MY SOAP.
IT MAKES A GREAT SOAP.
MAKES A NICE, HARD BAR.
BUT THEY DON'T LATHER VERY WELL
AND PEOPLE LIKE LATHER.
THE OTHER COMPONENTS ARE USED TO
MAKE A HARDER, LONGER LASTING
BAR TO MAKE A BETTER LATHER,
MAKE A LONGER LASTING LATHER,
MORE CREAMY LATHER.
IT'S GOOD CONDITIONING BUT IT'S
FAIRLY SOFT.
NEVER REALLY SETS UP AS WELL AS
I WOULD LIKE PERSONALLY.
I JUST HAVE TO BALANCE ITS
DOWNSIDES WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
THEN THERE'S ONE MORE COMPONENT
AND THAT IS CASTIR OIL.
IT'S AN ACID THAT COMES OUT OF
CASTOR BEAN, BY ITSELF IT WOULD
MAKE A TERRIBLE BAR OF SOAP.
SO THAT'S ALL THE OIL.
SO NOW I JUST HAVE TO BLEND
THIS.
IT WILL TURN COMPLETELY
TRANSPARENT AS ALL OF MY OILS
MELT.
AND NOW THAT I HAVE FULL PRODUCT
AND CRANK THE HEAT UP, AND STIR
THIS AWAY FOR ABOUT FIVE
MINUTES, UNTIL I'VE -- YOU CAN
STILL SEE I'VE GOT PALM KERNEL
OIL HERE.
SO I WANT THOSE TO DISSOLVE.
WE'LL PROBABLY GO TO ABOUT
130 DEGREES.
I TEND TO MIX MY SOAP AT ABOUT
125.
SO I'LL LET IT COOL FOR A FEW
MINUTES.
AND THEN I'LL MIX MY LYE AND I
HAVE SOAP.
WHEN I MIX MY LYE AND WATER
SOLUTION WITH MY OILS, THE SOAP
MAKING PROCESS STARTS
IMMEDIATELY.
I NEED TO HAVE MY SCENT AND MY
COLOR ALREADY PREPARED.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH
THAT ONCE I'M MAKING SOAP.
I'LL MEASURE OUT MY CENT AND
MEASURE OUT MY COLORANT.
SO THIS RECIPE CALLS FOR A HALF
A TEASPOON OF GREEN CHROME,
IDENTIFY, WHICH IS A MINERAL OIL
OXIDE.
SO I WANT TO DILUTE THAT WITH
SOME DISTILLED WATER.
NOW WATER SOLUBLE DYES I'LL ADD
TO MY LYE MIXTURE BEFORE IT PUT
IT THE SOAP, WITH THE OIL.
I TRIED MAKING A TIE-DYED SOAP
ONCE, BUT IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.
YOU HAVE FIVE COLORS IN FIVE
MINUTES.
IT'S VERY HARD TO DO.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH
SCENT.
YOU CAN AUGUST FRAGRANCE OILS,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY SCENT
AT ALL.
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE
PARTS OF MAKING SOAP, ESPECIALLY
IF YOU'RE USING STRAIGHT
ESSENTIAL OILS.
BECAUSE THEY'RE PRICEY. SO THIS
I NEED FOUR OUNCES.
SO NOW WE HAVE CEDAR MINT SCENT
AND WE HAVE CEDAR MINT NOW.
I HAVE MY WATER SOLUBLE COLOR,
WHICH I'LL ADD TO MY WATER AND
LYE SOLUTION.
AND THEN I'M GOING TO ADD THIS
TO MY MELTED OIL, WHICH IS NOW
AT THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE.
AND THE PROCESS OF SOAP MAKING
WILL START.
MODERN SCIENCE HAS COME UP WITH
THE STICK BLENDER.
THIS MAKES SHORT WORK OF IT.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SOAP,
YOU NEED ONE OF THESE.
NOW THIS GETS NOISY.
START BLENDING THROUGH TOGETHER.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S VERY THIN AT
THIS POINT.
IN A FEW MINUTES WHAT YOU END UP
WITH IS A THICK PASTE, IT'S LIKE
PUDDING.
BUT THIS IS BECOMING SOAP RIGHT
NOW.
SO IT'S COLORED SOAP, BUT I
HAVEN'T ADDED ANY SCENT YET.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S BECOMING A
LITTLE THICKER.
AT THIS POINT I'M GOING TO ADD
MY CEDAR MINT SCENT AND MIX IT
THROUGH AND PUT IT OVER IN THE
MOLD.
YOU'LL SEE RIGHT AWAY THE CEDAR
MINT TENDS TO SET THIS UP FAIRLY
QUICKLY.
IT WILL START TURNING INTO
CHUNKS SO I HAVE TO BLEND THIS
THROUGH.
YOU CAN SEE THE TEXTURE CHANGE
IMMEDIATELY.
SO I HAVE TO GET THAT SCENT ALL
THE WAY THROUGH.
IT'S THICKENING UP.
QUITE FAST.
OKAY.
THIS IS PRETTY CLOSE TO READY TO
GO.
SO AT THIS STAGE WE TAKE OUR
PUDDINGISH CONSISTENCY AND POOR
IT INTO THE PREPARED MOLD.
THE HAND CRAFTED SOAP MAKING
BUSINESS IS VERY BUSY FROM JUNE
THROUGH DECEMBER.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE LAG TIME IN
MAKING SOAP, TERRIFY START IN
JANUARY.
I'VE MADE 3,000 BARS SINCE
JANUARY 1st OF THIS YEAR
ALREADY.
GETTING READY FOR THAT, BECAUSE
I CAN'T MAKE IT AT THE
LAST-MINUTE.
IT TAKES A LONG TIME.
I ACTUALLY MADE MYSELF A TOOL
FOR LEVELING THE SURFACE.
THIS IS LIKE WORKING CONCRETE.
I JUST GET THE SURFACE SMOOTH,
BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO MAKE
CONSISTENT BARS FOR THE PUBLIC.
WHEN I SELL THEM, I WANT
CONSTANT WEIGHTS.
AND THIS MOLD WILL MAKE
48 4-OUNCE PARS OF SOAP.
SO WE'LL SET THIS HERE.
I ALWAYS COVER THEM, BECAUSE IF
YOU DON'T COVER THEM, YOU CAN
END UP WITH A WHITE -- IT'S A
HARMLESS POWDER ON THE TOP.
THEY CALL IT ASH.
THIS IS A REACTION GOING ON.
IT MAKES SOAP.
AND IT'S BECOMING HOT.
AND ALL OF THE OILS ARE REACTING
WITH THE LYE.
AND IT WILL HEAT UP FROM THE
CENTER TO THE OUTSIDE EDGE AND
BECOME CLEAR.
AS IT TURNS INTO SOAP, AND THEN
AS IT COOLS BACK, THE REACTION
COMPLETES, IT WILL TURN SOLID
AND OPAQUE AGAIN.
TWO DAYS AGO, I MADE THE SAME
SOAP CEDAR MINT.
SO THAT I'D HAVE SOME THAT'S
GONG THROUGH THE GEL PHASE,
HEATED UP, COOLED DOWN AND SOLID
AND READY TO BE DEMOLDED AND CUT
INTO BARS.
THIS IS 48 BARS OF TWO-DAY-OLD
CEDAR MINT SOAP.
OKAY.
AND THIS WEIGHS ABOUT 16 POUNDS.
SOME OF THAT IS WATER WEIGHT,
WHICH WILL DRY OVER THE NEXT SIX
WEEKS AS I LET THE SOAP CURE.
BUT IT IS USEABLE SOAP TODAY.
I CUT THIS -- I PUT THIS PLASTIC
ON TO KEEP IT CLEAN AND AWAY
FROM THE ATMOSPHERE WHILE IT'S
SETTING FOR THOSE TWO DAYS.
SO NOW I HAVE A BLOCK OF SOAP
LINED WITH FREEZER PAPER.
THE FIRST THING TO DO IS TO TAKE
ALL THE PAPER OFF.
BUT TWO DAYS AGO THIS WAS THE
SAME PUDDING YOU JUST WATCHED
COMING OUT OF THE POT.
AND IT IS NOW ONE BIG BLOCK OF
SOAP, READY FOR CUTTING INTO
BARS.
NOW I USED TO CUT ALL MY BARS OF
SOAP BY HAND.
BUT WHEN YOU MAKE AS MUCH SOAP
AS I DO, THAT GETS VERY
DIFFICULT.
I HAD HUGE CALLOUSES AND SORE
HANDS.
SO WHAT I DID -- RATHER THAN CUT
THEM ALL BY HAND, I WENT OUT AND
BOUGHT A WIRE FRAME CUTTER,
WHICH IS JUST PIANO WIRE,
STEPPED FOR HEIGHT.
I'VE GOTTEN PRETTY FAST AT THIS.
BECAUSE I'VE MADE HUNDREDS OF
BATCHES OF SOAP AT THIS POINT.
BUT AS I WAS SAYING FOR A SMALL
HOME SOAP MAKER, YOU CAN DO THIS
WITH A KITCHEN KNIFE AND IT
WORKS PERFECTLY, PERFECTLY WELL.
THIS JUST MAKES A NICE
CONSISTENT PRODUCT, SINCE I'M
TRYING TO SELL THEM.
OKAY.
SO THAT'S ONE LOG.
TWO LOGS.
THREE AND FOUR.
SO NOW I'M GOING TO CHANGE THE
HEIGHT ON MY CUTTER, SO THAT I
CAN CUT THESE SMOOTH ON THE TOP.
BECAUSE I LIKE A NICE CONSISTENT
LOOKING BAR OF SOAP.
IT MAKES IT EASIER TO WRAP AND
IT'S A CONSISTENT PRODUCT.
EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE
GETTING AND TIGHTEN UP MY WIRE.
I DO IT ALL BY EAR.
OKAY.
AND THEN IN IT GOES.
AND WE RUN THE LOG THROUGH.
AND WE GET A CONSISTENT
RECTANGULAR LOG OF SOAP.
AND I'VE WORKED IT OUT PRETTY
DARN CLOSE WHERE I DON'T HAVE
MUCH WASTE AT THIS POINT.
AND ACTUALLY NONE OF IT GOES TO
WASTE BECAUSE THESE ARE WHAT MY
FAMILY USES FOR SOAP.
WE JUST ROLL THEM UP.
THAT'S HOW SOFT THEY ARE.
THEY'RE ROLLABLE.
AND THAT IS A BAR OF SOAP THAT
WE GET TO USE.
SO NOW I'M READY TO CUT BARS OF
SOAP.
AND THE PROCESS OF CUTTING BARS
USES ANOTHER WIRE FRAME CUTTER
THAT I PURCHASED, WHICH HAS ONE
INCH CENTERS FOR THE WIRE.
YOU CAN BUY HE'S AT ONE AND A
QUARTER, AROUND AND AN EIGHTH.
SO WHAT I DO IS I TAKE MY LONG,
LINE IT UP WITH THE TWO ENDS.
IT OCCURRENCE OUT THESE ARE ONE
INCH.
IT'S 12-INCH LONG.
ONE INCH CENTER IS ON THE WIRE
AND I'VE JUST MADE 12 INDIVIDUAL
BARS OF SOAP.
JUST LIKE SO.
THEY'RE QUITE SOFT AT THIS
POINT.
THEY'RE USEABLE.
THEY LATHER JUST FINE.
THEY HAVE ALL OF THAT -- YOU
KNOW, THE GOOD PROPERTIES.
SO AT THIS POINT EVEN THOUGH
IT'S USEABLE SOAP, I PUT THEM
DOWNSTAIRS FOR 4 TO 6 WEEKS AND
LET THE WATER EVAPORATE OUT, SO
THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERED A
FINISHED BAR, READY FOR SALE.
THAT MAKES A NICE, LUSCIOUS BAR.
YOU DON'T KNOW COMMERCIAL BAR
DOES THAT, BECAUSE THEY GRIND
THEIR SOAPS.
COMMERCIAL SOAPS ARE BOILED BY
THE TON.
THEY'RE MADE FAST IN ABOUT FOUR
HOURS.
THEN THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, COOLED
AND GROUND AND THAT'S WHEN YOU
SEE SOMETHING SAYS TRIPLE
MILLED, MEANS IT WAS GROUND
THREE TIMES TO MAKE IT WHO
KNOWLEDGE .
THEN THEY RUN IT THROUGH A HUGE
PRESS.
IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY A
COMMERCIAL BAR OF SOAP, THEY
TEND TO CRACK WHEN YOU GET DOWN
TO THE LAST LITTLE BITS, BECAUSE
THEY'VE ALL BEEN GROUND AND
FRACTURED AND JUST SQUISHED
TOGETHER.
THESE ACTUALLY ARE ORGANICALLY
ALL INTERTWINED MOLECULES.
THESE YOU CAN GET DOWN JUST THE
THIN LITTLE SLIVER AND THEY TOLD
TOGETHER.
IT'S MUCH MORE LABOR INTENSIVE
TO DO IT THIS WAY AND NOBODY --
COMMERCIALLY NOBODY DOES.
THIS THIS IS AN UNSCENTED AND
UNCOLORED BAR OF SOAP RIGHT
HERE.
SO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN PRETTY
MUCH WHAT YOUR GRANDMOTHER WOULD
HAVE MADE 100 YEARS AGO.
WE GOT AWAY FROM THAT FROM THE
1920s THROUGH THE 1960s,
MASS PRODUCTION WAS WHAT
EVERYTHING WAS ALL.
ABOUT SOMETIME IN THE LATE
60s, MAYBE WITH THE WHOLE
TARTE CATALOG, THE BACK TO
NATURE, BACK TO THE LAND
MOVEMENTS, PEOPLE STARTED MAKING
THEIR OWN SOAPS AND FURNITURE
AND BEER AND WINE AND WE HAVE
THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT NOW.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING AWAY FROM TV
DINNERS.
ALL THAT KINDS OF STUFF.
THERE'S AN APPRECIATION FOR THE
CRAFT THAT GOES INTO IT AND THE
QUALITY.
AND THAT'S IN ALL FACETS OF OUR
LIFE.