Soaper

The soap maker is a craftsman who produces soap from fats, oils, and soda. The well-known since the Sumerians technology had been introduced during the Crusades to Europe and replaced the previously common washing with wood ash or their liquor. First guilds are detected in central Europe in the 14th century Augsburg, Vienna and Ulm.

With the onset of the industrial production of soap in the 19th century, the craft lost its importance and only led a niche existence.

In the Catholic faith, St. applies. Florian as the patron saint of soap makers.

For some time, the craft seems, however, again to experience an upswing. Since the turn of the millennium emerged in both Europe and the U.S. small soap factories that manufacture soap using traditional methods, and their products can be found in many cities also increasingly by mail order.

Boiling process

For the manufacture of soap is usually of vegetable or animal fats are used. Mainly be coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil and animal fats such as tallow, lard and fat from bones collected in animal exploitation, is used. The fats are melted and heated by introducing steam and treated with solid sodium hydroxide pellets or potassium hydroxide solution ( the exothermic dissolving the hydroxide in water, heat is also released ). Previously used one also potash or soda.

The saponification with sodium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide solution yields solid soap, saponification with potassium hydroxide soft soaps. Pure vegetable fat sodium soap are brittle brittle, the addition of beef tallow lessens this effect. For the manufacture of soaps usually waste fats are used, usually vegetable oils from hot pressings or from the extraction with solvents, used frying oils are processed (in addition to the work-up to biofuel ) only soft soap.

The fats are decomposed by heating at Seifensieden with the abovementioned alkali metal hydroxides in glycerol and the alkali metal salts of fatty acids ( the actual soap). The heating to boiling took place earlier in open brick boilers. The so-called " soap costs " or " soap food" a soap-maker, the soap was not eaten, but it was a test of alkalinity on the tongue. Was the alkali content is too high ( because too much was added to it or had the added hydroxide is not completely reacted), then felt the soap maker a burning sensation at the tip of the tongue.

The viscous emulsion during boiling is called neat soap and treated with saline. Here, the emulsion ( salting out ) is separated into the floating soap core mainly comprising the sodium salts of fatty acids and lower liquor, mainly containing excess alkali, glycerol and the dissolved salt. The soap core is separated by the deposition of the lower lye and boiled with plenty of water and some liquor to extract the remaining impurities. Re- salting then leads to the soap. The product is dried in blocks. The blocks are cut either blocks or coarsely ground into a paste, the ground material with dyes and fragrances and fillers, to rolling chairs calendered ( to air trap and generate beautiful shine ) and rolled the tapes then extruded in a hot press or extruded and from the strand forms stamped and pressed simultaneously toilet soap bars.