What temperatures does everyone soap with?

[jcandleattic]

Do you know which one? Oh I spose I can look it up in my history. I thought it was this one. My bad. Sorry everyone.

No, but there were like 4 or 5 different threads on the subject all posted within the same time frame. I know I saw it in one of them and then again in this one.
No big deal. With so many threads about the same thing, stuff is bound to get repeated.

 

[Rich23s]

I soap at 87.65 degrees.


just kidding :smile: I keep it between 80-90 degrees. I'd like to go RT, however I haven't tried it yet with my palm oil.

 

[lizflowers42]

I've been soaping at a different range each batch I make. I think it goes along with my ADHD My first batch I did 120 degrees, now I'm soaping between room temp and nothing above 120.Genny, I'm curious about your method-do you just add your solids straight into your lye bath to melt them, then add your liquid oils?

 

[CaliChan]

I'm a room temperature soaper. Its just so much easier not checking the thermometer every 5.minutes
Now as soon as I mix my lye water I put it in an ice bath and melt my hard oils only. Then mix everything together and stir it all up with my stick blender. I can understand why its not for beginners. Gotta watch out for those false traces

 

[Genny]

.Genny, I'm curious about your method-do you just add your solids straight into your lye bath to melt them, then add your liquid oils?

I put all my solid & liquid oils together and then add the lye water to that. I never add oils/butters into the lye water because it can splash.


But, it won't work for all recipes. My hardest oils/butters that I use in my soap are CO 76 & shea butter. So, that's why it works for me.

 

[Lindy]

Room temp unless doing HP then I work with hot oils and lye.

 

[100%Natural]

I soap at 87.65 degrees.


just kidding :smile: I keep it between 80-90 degrees. I'd like to go RT, however I haven't tried it yet with my palm oil.

LOL @ 87.65 degrees!

 

[melstan775]

I put all my solid & liquid oils together and then add the lye water to that. I never add oils/butters into the lye water because it can splash.


But, it won't work for all recipes. My hardest oils/butters that I use in my soap are CO 76 & shea butter. So, that's why it works for me.

DO you think it would get hot enough to melt cocoa butter? Cocoa butter is really hard.

 

[whitetulips]

I started to use EO in some of my soap. If I soap at room temp, will it still gel? I had a problem with soda ash once and since I've CPOP at 170 degrees for about 30 minutes and then turned the oven off and let it cool for hours, it seems to do better.

 

[Genny]

I started to use EO in some of my soap. If I soap at room temp, will it still gel? I had a problem with soda ash once and since I've CPOP at 170 degrees for about 30 minutes and then turned the oven off and let it cool for hours, it seems to do better.

If you insulate your molds, it'll still gel. Or if the ingredients you're using tend to overheat, it'll gel.

 

[Genny]

DO you think it would get hot enough to melt cocoa butter? Cocoa butter is really hard.

Well, cocoa butter melts at body temperature. When you first mix your lye into water, it gets up to around 200 degrees, so I don't see why it wouldn't melt cocoa butter. You could always test it by making up a very small bit of lye water & try to melt an oz of cocoa butter with it.

 

[whitetulips]

If you insulate your molds, it'll still gel. Or if the ingredients you're using tend to overheat, it'll gel.

Will that make the EO dissipate?

 

[Genny]

Will that make the EO dissipate?

Do you mean gelling? Or overheating?

If the Eo's are flighty to begin with, gelling can make them disappear.