What is the largest batch you HP in Crockpot

[jcatblum]

With my growing love of HP soap I was wondering what is the largest batches you make in your crockpot? I use a 6 quart crockpot, but I imagine others have crockpots of different size. So if you soap in the crockpot would you please post what size crockpot you are using & how many pounds of oils for your recipe.
In my 6quart I am using 2lbs of oil, but I think it will hold more that without an issue.

 

[Hazel]

I use a 6 qt and I use at most 54 oz oil - generally 48 oz. This is because I don't like to stand over it and stir it when the soap starts to try to climb out of the pot. I have to keep a closer watch on the 54 oz amount but I haven't had one overflow. Please don't trust my experience because your results may vary.

 

[jcatblum]

Thanks Hazel, I was pretty sure I could double my recipe, but haven't dared! I began doing the 2lb of oil HP since it usually is can be scented with a 1oz sampler FO. I was wanting to do a larger batch of a favorite oil the other day & hesitated since I didn't want to overflow the crockpot. There has been times my 2lb of oil batch has come close to the top. I do my larger batches in my roaster oven out of fear!

Everyone who needs a crockpot for their soaping Black Friday is only a few days away. $10 Crockpots at Walmart, around here they usually have them still sitting on pallets in the afternoons.

 

[Hazel]

You're welcome! I don't know if I'd trust 64 oz in a 6 qt without lots of stirring. But I suppose it would depend on your recipe and the heat of the crockpot. Also, I don't like to hang around the crockpot which is why I keep the oil amount on the low side. I remembered I once did a 60 oz batch which required a bit of stirring. I think this is why I ended up reducing the oil amount. Please let me know how your batch turns out.

 

[Bigmoose]

I just purchased an 18qt. electric roaster with a stainless steel liner and love it for doing HP. It is a giant crocpot at heart. I used 7.8 lbs. of oil in my first batch with it and I would guess 9 or maybe 10 can be done in it.

Bruce

 

[jcatblum]

I have a 3lb batch going in my 6 quart right now. I once did a 5lb batch in my 18 quart roaster & felt like it was too small of a batch for such a large container. Bruce I am certain you will enjoy that roaster oven for a LONG time!

Just found this really old HP post on thesage -- states that on a batch larger than 64oz of oil in a 6quart resulted in over flow.
http://blog.thesage.com/2009/05/25/hot-process-soap-by-jaspersgarden/

 

[alaskazimm]

I have a 3 quart crock pot and the usual batch is 2 lbs of soap (oils, water, lye) with room to spare. I recently rebatched 4 lbs of soap in it without any danger of running over the side. That said, I don't know if 4 lbs would overflow the crock on the initial cook.

 

[Hazel]

I just purchased an 18qt. electric roaster with a stainless steel liner and love it for doing HP. It is a giant crocpot at heart. I used 7.8 lbs. of oil in my first batch with it and I would guess 9 or maybe 10 can be done in it.

Bruce

Wow! I can't even imagine doing that large of a batch! It's awesome you're doing so well to need to make this large of a batch.

Just found this really old HP post on thesage -- states that on a batch larger than 64oz of oil in a 6quart resulted in over flow.
http://blog.thesage.com/2009/05/25/hot-process-soap-by-jaspersgarden/

That's a helpful post. Thanks for posting the link! :grin:

 

[VanessaP]

I have a 7 quart oval that I can do a 5lb batch in very easily - probably had room for another pound or so, and that is about 4lb of oil. I don't stand there and stir my HP, and in my 4qt crock pot, I can do 3lb batches (34-38oz oil) quite easily. I haven't yet had a bubble-over in any of my crock pot HP, just the one time I did it in my SS pot in the oven LOL

 

[jcatblum]

Twice this wk I have done a 2lb batch in my 4quart crockpot. Both times it has reached just shy of the lid. So I won't try to do 4lbs in my 6quart anytime soon!
2lbs in my 6quart makes me have to elevate one end of the crockpot to prevent splatter when using my stick blender. So that is why I pulled out an older 4quart crockpot.

 

[Hazel]

Yeah, 4 lbs might be a little scary. I haven't had problems with 48 oz (3 lbs) which at least would a pound more for the batch.

 

[NurseEmily]

I have a 6 qt, stoneware Crock Pot brand crock pot that I've only made 4 pound batches in- give or take a few ounces - I know it's around 38 ounces before I pour my lye/water in - which is usually 20oz... so 58-ish ounces? After it traces and it starts it slow-mo cook it's not even 1/2 full. Very manageable.

I've only made 5 batches of soap ever and they've all been in this crock pot and all this amount. Only my first batch got away from me but I cooked it way too high on the "Low" setting - now I cook only on "Warm" and keep a long thermometer in it poking out between the pot and lid with two towels covering it to keep steam in. <- Does that make any sense at all?? I also set a timer for every 5-7 min to check on it, stir it, etc.

also, I get a freakish satisfaction out of ZAP testing the cooled remnants on the frosting spatula it every time I stir it.

 

[Hazel]

Nurse Emily's post made me realize I should clarify the amount I actually put into the crockpot. For the batch in which I used 54 oz of oil, I added approximately 20 oz of liquid and 7.6 oz lye so the total amount was almost 82 oz. This batch went up the sides and into the curved area where the lid rests. This worried me a little so I dropped the amount to 48 oz of oil, 18 oz of liquid and 6.7 oz of lye for a total of almost 73 oz. This amount rose up the sides but stopped slightly below the curve. I decided this was a good amount for my 6 qt crockpot.

 

[NurseEmily]

...so I dropped the amount to 48 oz of oil, 18 oz of liquid and 6.7 oz of lye for a total of almost 73 oz...

I'm madly in love with this thread cuz I just learned a new bigger amount to work with. Hi ho, hi ho, off to soapcalc I go.

 

[Hazel]

Hi ho, hi ho, off to soapcalc I go.

This made me laugh.

You still want to keep an eye on it just to be sure. Your results may vary. My crockpot is very old and I'm not sure how hot it gets compared to a newer one.

 

[jcatblum]

Nurse Emily, I have only stirred my crockpot a few times. I bet that is where the big difference comes in. With my Fibromyalgia sometimes my hands wear out just using the stick blender.

Today using the same recipe with 2lbs of oil my batch overtook the 4 quart crockpot. It happened quickly because I don't remember it showing signs of growth. First sign of danger was DD screaming "Mom your soap is exploding!" A bit ended up on the counter, but no harm done.

 

[NurseEmily]

I hear you with the stick blender issue. My hands get fatigued from that and I have to switch hands every couple spurts but the stirring part feels much easier. Maybe because the blender is so much heavier than the spatula.

In my very VERY limited soaping experience I noticed that some oils cook hotter and faster than others. For instance, palm kernel flakes in my batch sped up trace to about 2 minutes of blender fun and was done cooking on "WARM" in about 45 minutes whereas the batch I made last night took almost 4 minutes of blender to trace and 2 hours on "WARM" to fully zap out.

So many variables!

 

[Hazel]

So many variables!

Absolutely! Which is why it's often difficult to receive a definite answer to some questions.