Teach Soap

Does anyone know what happens if you mix your lye solution with your oils and they aren't with in 5 degrees of each other?

Also I just attempted my second batch of CP and I notice that my lye solution drops temp quickly. Like so quickly that the first time I had to mix a new lye water solution because I had no clue how to re heat it. It had dropped to like 87 degrees while i was heating up my oils. The second time I just mixed the lye water solution after the oils had been heated.

5 degrees won't make much difference. If you are making a small batch, heat your oils first, then mix your lye water. You can gently reheat the oils, but you can't the lye water.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

What if the oils were 10-15 degrees hotter? Will it make the soap bad?

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Squamy, one of my first soaping books recommended soaping temperatures at 50-60oC (122-140oF) for lye and 75-85oC (167-185oF) for oils. Another book recommended combining oils and lye at 55oC (131oF).

After receiving some good advice on this forum I now soap a lot cooler at around 40oC (104oF). I always used to get a lot of ash on top of my soaps when I soaped at higher temperatures and since reducing the temperatures I no longer have this problem.

I have a follow-up ? If you mix oils and lye water at say 104°F and then keep to a thin trace to allow blending of colors, scents, etc., then, after pouring into mold and putting in the freezer for 12 hours to prevent a gel; when and where does the saponification take place? I've been trying different temps, but I've been wary of minimum temps/agitation just b/c of what I've read elesewhere. I have to admit, I'm getting closer to taking the plunge, but just double checking to see if I have the approach right.

Saponification still takes place when the soap is cold, it just takes longer. For the soaps that I don't gel, they still might zap after a day or two. For me that's normal. These soaps cure for 4 to 6 weeks.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks, Soapbuddy. Sorry if I'm running a repeat ? here. I did later find some threads on gelling and am relieved to know that I'm not the only one with little experimental batches of soap everywhere. My list of things to try is growing, but my time to try them in stays the same. Work today, and hopefully some "cool" soap tonight.

You're welcome.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.