New to cold process, please help!

[penelopejane]

I think this is what I'm going to do. How do you put your soap in the oven? Do you spray it with alcohol or cover it with anything? Does it get soda ash often?

When I was using the oven to CPOP (before I got larger molds that don't fit in the oven) I used to preheat the oven to 110*F. If your oven temp doesn't go this low turn it on for 10 mins and test with a thermometer until you know how long it takes to get to 110*F. I used to slide the soap mold into a cardboard box and wrap it in a piece of a blanket and put it in the oven and turn the oven off as soon as I put it in. Don't open the oven door for 12 hours because this is a slow method and checking it all the time takes out heat. Put a not on the oven nob so you (or someone else) doesn't turn the oven on while the soap is in there.

The idea is to keep the soap in a warm micro-environment and let it do its own thing. You are not cooking the soap. This will avoid partial gel.

Now I use silicone molds in timber boxes with a lid and I soap at 110*C and put them in a polystyrene box with a lid and cover them with a doona and leave undisturbed for 12 hours. It works the same way.

 

[Zing]

I found my plastic lye pitcher at a thrift store (along with most of my soaping supplies). I soap in the low 100s and have never done CPOP yet. I pour into loaf molds, spray with alcohol, cover with plastic wrap, cover with a piece of cardboard, and cover with several towels. My soap gels -- my simple pleasure is to reach under the towels to feel the heat -- and I don't get soda ash.

Have fun, keep us posted, and take notes.

 

[Noreen Moore]

Love watching the addiction hit others!!! Hee hee hee! You are going to love CP! After a crumbly soap from not gelling I gel all the time. However that crumbly soap? Probably one of my most conditioning lovely soaps! Surprise!!! Happy accident?
My math is horrible too! I use both of the calc's everyone mentions.
And I truly tip my hat to those who crunch the numbers themselves! Math guru's are out there!
These forum members are the best too! Always willing to help!
Have fun LunaLe!

 

[LunaLe]

Thanks everyone! The place where I can leave my soap to gel, the temp won't be very stable. I'll have to turn the fan off and there's an air vent close by. Plus we leave the air higher during the day when nobody is home and then we turn it down at night. If I put it in the oven to gel then I know it will have a stable environment. I'm so excited to try my first batch out. It's just taking forever for everything to get here. Shipping is so slow right now =(

 

[Susie]

I strongly suggest putting something on the rack below or setting your mold on something to catch any spills in case your soap overheats and volcanos. It can happen and the raw batter will ruin the finish of your oven. Caution is better than replacing an oven, especially a built-in oven, which many times cannot be replaced easily. Even an aluminum sheet pan can catch spills and it cheap to replace. It would be ruined but who cares, I would not.

The same advice goes for setting molds on tables, counters etc. If it has a surface you do not want destroyed put something under the mold to catch spills, volcanos etc.

There are these aluminum foil oven liners that do a beautiful job of catching everything. I use one of those every time I CPOP. I have a Teflon one I use every day, so I just lay that aluminum foil one right on top. It stores easily, and if it gets messed up, it is recyclable (as long as there are no chunks of food or soap) and easily replaceable.

 

[IdahoSoapMaker]

Great resource for understanding the chemistry of soap making: Kevin Dunn's Scientific Soapmaking: The Chemistry of Cold Process

 

[KiwiMoose]

Something like this @LunaLe : Sam's Club

 

[Jersey Girl]

Something like this @LunaLe : Sam's Club

Oh, those are nice and what a great price!

Wish I had a Sams Club membership! I’ve been using paint buckets from Home Depot, but recently upgraded to a batter bowl from the dollar store lol. It’s actually pretty nice considering and it doesn’t drip when pouring which is great! I have to say that the paint bucket served me well for almost 3 months!