Temps and gelling/not gelling

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MissBee

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So I've read a lot about gelling and temps, but I can't seem to locate information answering my specific questions. I apologize if these have been answered a million and one times before.

I'm following a specific soap recipe to get a feel for the process before doing experimentation with formulas. I'd like to try using this basic recipe to gel and to skip gelling. I have read that it's okay for your lye to be cool, that your lye and oil can be similar based on just touch approximations.

So the first questions I have are based on if I want to gel my soap:

- Is gelling more difficult to accomplish with room temperate lye and oil? Would it be beneficial in this case to use the CPOP?
- What temperatures would I decide to wrap the mold in towels vs place it into the oven to fully gel without overheating?

And to skip gelling, my questions are:

- How do I decide whether or not to pop my loaf in the freezer, fridge, or blow at fan over it? What temperatures would I use for the guideline?
- Do I leave the soaps in the fridge/freezer through the whole saponification process or when do i take them back out to room temperature?
-How much longer does it take for saponification to happen without gelling and how long does saponification take with gelling?

It doesn't sound like I'd prefer gelling unless I'm using imbeds. I've heard it helps to prevent soap balls and slivers from dislodging while you're cutting. Is this accurate?

Thank you very much in advance!
 
Oh thank you so much! I knew the information was discussed, just had trouble finding it. :mrgreen:
 
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