Opposite of water discount...

[Lori H.]

Hello! I'm sure this has probably been discussed but I'm apparently not typing in the correct search terms to find it.

The way I understand it, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is that a water discount is good for shortening the dry/cure time; maybe making a thicker batter to help with swirls and layers. Is there any other reason to want to work with a water discount?

And how about the opposite... Is there ever a good reason to use MORE water than a soap calculator specifies? Would that just increase the drying/curing time and/or how long before one can unmold? Maybe it would be useful to increase the water amount when using a fragrance oil that accelerates trace?

Thanks for helping me wrap my head around it!

 

[shunt2011]

A water discount does not shorten the cure time unfortunately. There’s more to curing soap then losing water. The soap structure changes and becomes milder and the PH can lose wear a bit.

Less water also helps with glycerin rivers, the more water used the quicker and hotter it seems to gel.

I generally soap at 30-33% depending on what I want to do and the recipe. The more water/liquid the less I need to insulate and it may require longer in the mold.