Pour two pailfuls of boiling water upon twenty pounds of potash and
let it stand two hours. Have ready thirty pounds of clean grease, upon
which pour one pailful of the lye, adding another pail of water to the
potash; let it stand three or four hours, stir it well; then pour a
gallon of the lye upon the grease, stir it well; and in half an hour
another gallon of the lye, stir it thoroughly; in half an hour repeat
the process, and thus proceed until you have poured off all the lye;
then add two pails of boiling hot water to the remainder of the
potash, and let it stand ten hours; then stir the mixture, and if it
has become stiff and the grease has disappeared from the surface, take
out a little and see whether the weak lye will thicken it; if it does,
add the lye; if it does not, try water, and if that thickens it, let
it stand another day, stirring it well five or six times during the
day; if the lye does not separate from the grease you may fill up with
water.