It may be stated here that in using this indicator or any other to test the alkalinity of soap, the soap should always be cooled and firm, as whenever water is present, the dissociation of the soap thereby will always react alkaline. When this state is reached the mass is ready for graining, which is accomplished by distributing salt brine or pickle or spreading dry salt over the surface of the soap. The kettle is then thoroughly boiled until the mass shows a soft curd and the lye drops clearly from a sample taken out with a trowel or paddle. The steam is then shut off and the soap allowed to settle over night. The lyes are then run off to the spent lye tank for glycerine recovery. In saponifying a freshly stocked kettle it is apt to bunch. To prevent this salt is added at various times to approximately one per cent. of the fat used.
If, by any possibility the soap has bunched, this condition may be remedied by the addition of more strong lye and boiling until it is taken up. To work a kettle to its full capacity it is advisable to make two "killing" changes. First add about 75 per cent. of the fat and grain as directed. Run off the spent lyes and then add the remainder of the stock and repeat the process. When the spent lye has been run to storage, the open steam is again turned on and 18° B. lye gradually allowed to run in. The rosin is now broken up and put into the kettle, or a previously made rosin soap is pumped in.
Lye is then added until the soap has a sharp taste after about three hours of continuous boiling, or when the soap is in the closed state. More lye should then be run into the kettle to grain the soap well, the grain not being too small. Then allow the soap to settle over night and draw off the strengthening lye. The next day again boil up the kettle and add water until the soap thins out and rises or swells high in the kettle. A sample taken out at this stage upon a hot trowel should run off in large flakes. The surface of the soap should be bright and shiny.
If the sample clings to the trowel, a slight addition of lye will remedy this defect. The kettle is then allowed to rest, to drop the nigre and to cool for some time, depending upon the size of the kettle. The proper temperature is such that after having been pumped to the crutcher and the filling materials having been added, a thermometer placed into the mass should indicate 128°-135° F. after the crutcher has run from ten to fifteen minutes. The filling material may consist of from 7-9 per cent. of sal soda solution, 36°-37° B. warm or just enough to close up the soap and make it rise high in the center of a screw crutcher and make it cling close to a warm trowel. Other fillers such as outlined below are added at this point.