Cure Times / Water discount

[PhillipJ]

I have a few questions on cure time please.

Is hot processed supposed to cure faster than cold processed? By cure, I mean dry out to a hard bar.

I figure the amount of water left in the soap is related to cure time. So if one used less water, the cure time should shorten? But would less water affect the finished soap? Brittle, or want to fall apart or something like that. Maybe make it not fill the mold without air gaps & stuff.

Thanks to this forum, I have made a bunch of different soaps this last week. Had some problems, and don't have it figured all out real good yet. But I ain't lost any, or had to toss it so far.

Been letting it dry on my utensils and scraping it off to save. Saved one lb. allready and remelted it all together into a Heinz 57 bar.

Do all you pros save the soap too?

On one batch, when I added the fragrance, it curdled. I poured it that way and it seperated in the mold. Should I have kept mixing it? Maybe it would have got smooth again. I melted it back down on the stove, and was able to save it the next day. I am doing my soap in a blender.

Also. Are any of you folks making a living at soaping? Or just sell for extra money.

 

[dpowell]

We save our shavings and odds and ends. If big enough they are great for by a sink as a small bar. The smaller scraps we put in a bag until we have enough to do something with.

We have been making candles for about 6 years, and soap for about 3. We started our business about a year ago and it has been going good for us so far.

Hopefully it will keep going the way it has been.

 

[soapbuddy]

If you want to cure your bars faster, do a water discount. They will be usable in a shorter length of time. Hot process vs CP....if you use the same amount of water for both, there will be negligible difference.

There are finicky FO's out there that are really better to do as a hot process. You can add them at the end of the cook.

I make a living selling soaps. But I also do skin care and candles.

I do not advocate making soap in a blender. I have seen over the years things that can go seriously wrong. If you need to make a small batch, use a deep enough plastic bowl and a stick blender. Please make sure you follow safety procedures, including goggles and gloves. You don't have to be scared of lye, just give it some respect.

Irena

 

[PhillipJ]

Thanks Irena, Finicky oils! One would never know, unless he finds the ones that will work in cold process

 

[soapbuddy]

Thanks Irena, Finicky oils! One would never know, unless he finds the ones that will work in cold process

You're welcome!
Some vendor's sites do list whether their FO's are CP safe or not.

Irena