People soaped on the stove long before they learned to cold process, so no problem with doing it that way, you just need to be careful. Always use a pot that is no more than 1/2 to 1/3 full of batter before you begin to cook it. That gives you room to beat it down and keep it in the pot. Keep the temp low and consistent and stir, stir, stir. I like to add my lye to oil that is about 125 F and I try to keep the lye within 5 degrees of the oil temp, however, I have soaped hot plenty of times without having this/any issue. That being said, yes, this was probably a bit too hot. Then, you used a very low amount of water as well. Again, this is something that you can do, that I regularly do, but when you do, you can run into issues and must be extra careful. Both soaping hot and using a high lye concentration encourage a fast trace and raise the odds of causing a volcano.
Also, you commented that you raised the temp. Did you mean that the temp raised on its own, or did you mean that you purposely attempted to rise it? Of course the scent can/usually does raise temps, that is normal. How you are making your soap will determine what should be the next step. IF you are doing hot process, then you would continue to cook the soap (without adding scent yet) until the lye is cooked out, then shut the heat off and add the colorant, additive and scent, then pour into the mold as soon as you have everything mixed in. This does not need to go into the oven, as it is finished cooking already. Using a crock pot is easier for some people, but using the stove top is easier for others. It is all in the way you learn and practice. This type is ready to use after it is made, as saponification is complete, however I still think it gets a bit better with a small cure time (days, not weeks). IF you are doing a modified cpop, then once you reach trace you should remove the pot from the heat as you continue to mix while you add the colorant(s), the additive(s), and the scent. Once they are completely mixed in, you then pour the batter into the mold, and either leave it sit in the mold or you can finish it in the oven, whichever way you prefer. When you use the oven to finish it off though, it is better to go with 170-175 F or your oven's warm setting in order to reduce the risk of super heating and a volcano. Watch it closely, and once you see it gel, turn the oven off and just leave it sit in there a bit more. Remember that this soap will need cure time, as it isn't completely saponified for a while.
As for the oil seepage, it may have not been completely emulsified to begin with, and what you got was just normal oil separation. But, sometimes when a batch overheats/superheats, since the stability of the emulsion is messed up, it separates. Either way, you have to watch these batches for lye pockets and for lye heaviness. Sometimes they will reabsorb and be fine, but sometimes the imbalance caused by the separation will cause you issues. If you have oil pockets or seeping oil after allowing it to set a few days, test it for lye issues throughout. You may need to rebatch it or even toss it.
_________________ Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.
Tammy
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