Help!? Stove top hot process soap

Hi.

I have been trying to make hot process on the stove but it it's been a mess. The soap never gets to a gel phase. Or to the phase where it "volcanoes" out of the pot. Just turns into a goopy lumpy porridge that's very brittle with many air pockets when it dries.

I have been using soybean and tallow as my fat.

Please help me. I f not know what I'm doing wrong.

Share your recipe, please. It will help folks here figure out what's going wrong for you.

Also what you do - stir or not, how hot do you cook and so on how one person does stovetop is not the same as the next

Are you open to cold process? It's as easy as blending oils and lye. Mold. Insulate, or not, whatev. Cut, cure, same as hot process without the drama.

I used 500g of Soybean oil. (i do not use tallow anymore because i cant seem to find a butcher who stocks it.)
190g of water
64 grams of caustic soda.

The first method I started by blending until trace and then putting on the stove at a low heat. I have tried on heat level 1, 2, 3, (our stove goes up to 6), with the same result. I stirred continuously the first time, then i read online about letting it cook itself and you check in after every 15 minutes. so i tried that too.

The second method I put the oil on the stove and then added the lye while continuously stirring. it never reached trace. the mixture went straight to separation. The next time i tried it i left it to cook itself without stirring.

for now i am leaning toward hot process because it takes less time to cure and i can have my product out to market much quicker.

Are you covering it? I am wondering if too much water is evaporating and leaving it too dry?

What type of pot are you using? is it a thin, cheap pot or a pot with a good bottom? If it has a thin bottom (my soap pot does, that's why it's a soap pot and not a food pot), then possibly the bottom of the soap is getting too hot and the heat isn't traveling to the rest of the soap. try putting your soap pot inside a pot with some water in it (double boiler method).

My suggestion would be:
Cover
Double boiler method
Lift cover and gift a brief stir every 5 minutes (set timer)

rue said:

for now i am leaning toward hot process because it takes less time to cure and i can have my product out to market much quicker.

Click to expand...

That is a absolute myth, HP needs to cure just as long as CP does. The only thing HP makes faster is the actual saponification.

Obsidian said:

That is a absolute myth, HP needs to cure just as long as CP does. The only thing HP makes faster is the actual saponification.

Click to expand...

Oh Thanks. I was not aware.

dixiedragon said:

Are you covering it? I am wondering if too much water is evaporating and leaving it too dry?

What type of pot are you using? is it a thin, cheap pot or a pot with a good bottom? If it has a thin bottom (my soap pot does, that's why it's a soap pot and not a food pot), then possibly the bottom of the soap is getting too hot and the heat isn't traveling to the rest of the soap. try putting your soap pot inside a pot with some water in it (double boiler method).

My suggestion would be:
Cover
Double boiler method
Lift cover and gift a brief stir every 5 minutes (set timer)

Click to expand...

Thanks. I will try that and see if helps. I think I will also try get a pot with a thicker base and see if that will help. The one I have was just a cheap one I bought for soap making.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest getting a good-quality pot for soaping. You could spend that money on other (more fun) stuff. I would try the double-boiler method first, and then if you do that a few times and you are really enjoying HP, then maybe get a nicer pot.

In my experience, HP soap is milder right out of the gate than CP, but you still need to wait 6-8 weeks for it to be at its best.

It's strange, because when you've been comparing the two methods over time, didn't you notice that the young hp bars don't last as long as cp bars?

If you are not keeping the pot closely covered, the "standard" amount of water will result in very dry soap, and you won't see it gel (it does, but it never looks like vaseline).

I have been using a very warm method -- heat the oils to around 200F, dissolve the lye, and add it as soon as it's completely dissolved in the water. Stick blend a bit, it should emulsify very quickly, then stir and stick blend a few seconds at a time. With a little added heat it will "volcano" if you don't keep stirring.

You will have finished soap in 15 or 20 minutes, but you cannot leave it, it will surely volcano on you if you do!

If you add a little sugar to the lye water it will heat more and go faster, but be prepared to stir it down when it boils.

I've been using extra water for the lye and adding some boiling water after the cook to make the soap easier to get into a mold. A little glycerine won't hurt either, but don't go overboard with it, it can make the soap sticky.

The mixture usually separates or rices at some point, usually after it gets so thick you can't use the stick blender. I just use a spatula at that point and stir it well. Often don't see the "vaseline" stage until I add water after it's zap free.

rue said:

I used 500g of Soybean oil. (i do not use tallow anymore because i cant seem to find a butcher who stocks it.)
190g of water
64 grams of caustic soda.



for now i am leaning toward hot process because it takes less time to cure and i can have my product out to market much quicker.

Click to expand...

Hmm...100% soybean oil is NOT a good idea. It will be soft for a long time, melts down the drain faster, and DOS-inviting. ( dreaded orange spot )

And as been said before, Hot Process will NOT cure faster, it will cure longer because of extra water.

I used the double boiler method and the soap came out pretty alright. Thanks y'all.
Although the texture of the soap when I use it is very slimy. What could be the reason for that?

Because Oct. 23 till now is NOT a good long cure. 100% soybean oil soap needs a long cure because it's soft oil.

http://www.lovinsoap.com/single-oil-soaps/
see soybean oil, DOS ( dreaded orange spot ) within 2 months.



http://www.zensoaps.com/singleoil.htm
see #24 soybean oil soap

Do you have access to other oils? Palm, lard, or tallow? Ah, tallow is out, it seems. You said you can't get tallow anymore or something.
Or other oils like High oleic sunflower, high oleic safflower, Olive, or sweet almond oil ?

Hi Rue.

I have been making Hot Process soap for about a year and a half but I cook it in the crockpot. I really dont know anything about cooking on the stove but here's a mini version of how I do it.

I put my oils in the crockpot and melt them then I add my lye water. I use a stick blender to bring the oils to trace and then cover with plastic wrap. As it cooks it will volcano. I just stir it back down and recover. When my soap is done and ready to pour into the molds, it is completely saponified (no active lye) and can be used right then. I put it in the mold and let it set for about 12-24 hours before I cut it. After I cut my bars, I usually let them air dry on a rack for a few days up to a week. I let them air dry because I make my soaps very fluid so I make swirls and designs. I have attached a few photos of some of my soaps.

***I have all my soaps labeled so if Im not allowed to post with my logo on it, please delete and I apologize in advance