In need of some advice on hot process and cold process

[Mary M]

I have only done a basic cold process soap for laundry for a couple years. The past couple months I have made a few batches of a Tallowand mixed oil soap (cheap and very hard bath soap), high lather bars for shaving and gritty pumice bars for grimy hubby hands. All have been cold process and I am pleased with the results. However, I would like to add these to my line of bath and body products and am wondering if I should be considering hot process to ensure quick saponification. If the purpose of hot process soap is to saponify quicker, but still has to cure as long as cold process what is the advantage? Also could one do a batch of cold process, mold and then hold at 160 degrees in oven for a certain amount of time to saponify quicker and would this be the eqivalent of hot process?
Any input from experienced soap makers would greatly be appreciated as not a lot of experience here.
Thank you,

 

[zanzalawi]

i like using hot process for fragrance oils and additives that are finicky
a couple weekends ago i did a batch hot process specifically so i could use a FO that tends to make cold process batches seize up. its also nice for botanicals- lye is pretty hard on if you try to use them in CP- like pretty lavender buds will discolour and look like yucky little chunks.
even with cold process- the saponification process should be complete in a day or two (rather than an hour with HP).

 

[amd]

If the purpose of hot process soap is to saponify quicker, but still has to cure as long as cold process what is the advantage?

The only advantages I have ever seen from HP are 1) using finicky FO's that cause seizing in CP soap and 2) you know right away with HP if your soap is lye heavy, whereas CP you may have to wait several days to do zap test and check.

Also could one do a batch of cold process, mold and then hold at 160 degrees in oven for a certain amount of time to saponify quicker and would this be the eqivalent of hot process?,

There is a process called CPOP (cold process oven process) - although doing it correctly does not cook the soap so much as keeping it under a gentle heat longer. Typically for CPOP you will heat your oven to the lowest temp (my oven only goes as low as 170F so that is what I use), turning off the oven and then putting in the soap. In my opinion, if you are going to leave the oven on for CPOP, just do HP from the start. I also feel that leaving the oven on is inviting a dangerous situation - such as volcanoes.

Please do not mistake saponification for curing. (I know you didn't say as much in your post, I am just clarifying for the sake of everyone.) Saponification is the process of fats+lye=soap. Curing is the process of evaporation and molecular crystal formation. HP and/or CPOP will help decrease the saponification time, but it will not change the cure time.

Edited to correct "increase the saponification time" to "decrease the saponification time". My time and space continuum adapter is on the fritz...

 

[Dean]

I'm a novice who has switched to HP lately.

Advantages:

• No partial gel or over-heating.
• No ash.
• Ability to choose superfat oil.

Disadvantages:

• Muted color.
• Rough texture on top.
• More dishes to wash.

I cook it in a double boiler put a lid on it, don't stir and its done 20 minutes later. Cooking time can be used to prep mold and clean up.

 

[OldHippie]

could one do a batch of cold process, mold and then hold at 160 degrees in oven for a certain amount of time to saponify quicker and would this be the eqivalent of hot process?

This is what I do. To quote myself from a previous post:
Saponification is a time/temperature reaction, a short/hot - long/cold continuum. I want my CP soap to saponify, and I want it NOW! So, I use a modified CPOP technique, where I bake the soap for 2-4 hours after the soap temperature (using a probe) reaches 140F. I keep the soap temp below 160F riding the oven temp between 120-160F. When I pull it out of the oven, I insulate it with everything in sight, a couple of quilts, at least. When the soap temp falls to 80-90F (in 12-18 hours), I unwrap it and put it in the fridge. Once it's cold, I pull it out and let it warm long enough for the silicon to get flexible, which I stretch apart to relieve from the mold. I turn it over and the loaf falls out. I let it sit (upside-down) for a while to give the outside a chance to dry a bit and stabilize before I slice it up. It comes out rather hard. If I wait more than a couple of days to stamp the bars, they are too hard to stamp.

I have cute little oval "SOAP" molds that I use to hold whatever is left over, or I can scrape from the pitchers. I put these right on the oven rack.

 

[Mary M]

Thank you all for your input. Basically, I am already on track with my cold process and will probably leave well enough alone. Fortunately the essential oils I use do not cause seizing with my recipe calculations. I was unfamiliar with CPOP, though, and thank you for that info. I curretly put molded soap into a foam cooler and wrap with towel for 24 hr. which appears tobe my version of the CPOP. That volcanoe thing makes me nervous so I will stick with what I know.

 

[Lin19687]

@Dean just an FYI, HP Can have Ash and it Can overheat (over cook & volcano ).

Just so you know.