Comments on: I am making hot process soap in my crockpot. What temperature does the soap need to get to? http://www.soapmakingessentials.com/soap-making-process/i-am-making-hot-process-soap-in-my-crockpot-what-temperature-does-the-soap-need-to-get-to What Ya Need to Know about soap making Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:49:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mighty Mouse http://www.soapmakingessentials.com/soap-making-process/i-am-making-hot-process-soap-in-my-crockpot-what-temperature-does-the-soap-need-to-get-to/comment-page-1#comment-11 Mighty Mouse Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:57:59 +0000 http://www.soapmakingessentials.com/soap-making-process/i-am-making-hot-process-soap-in-my-crockpot-what-temperature-does-the-soap-need-to-get-to#comment-11 Hi, here is a direct excerpt from http://waltonfeed.com/old/soap/soapcook.html I think it will help... Turn the heat on moderately high until it gets to the boiling point, then turn it down so it maintains a slow but rolling boil - a low enough boil so it is not spattering all over the place. If it starts spattering out of the pot, pull it off the heat partially until it slows down. Then turn down the heat. Your goal is to keep it boiling, but not so vigorously that it becomes dangerous. Stir constantly and always be conscious of how it’s boiling and behaving. As it boils two things happen: * The chemical reaction necessary to make soap is greatly accelerated. * Some of the water in the soap is boiled off. The soap cooks somewhat like candy in that it starts boiling at a temperature of about 220 degrees F and as it continues to boil the water off, the temperature rises. It is very important to know when to quit. As it slowly gets thicker, the instant the bubbles start appearing in the same place, giving you a hint that it is acting just a bit more rigid than before, pull it off the heat. In my experience this happens at a temperature of between 300 and 330 degrees F. It would be handy to keep a candy thermometer around as an aid in checking on it’s progress. If you let it go too long and the soap separates, add a little more water to bring it back into suspension. * 300 - 310 degrees F for lard * 320 - 330 degrees for vegetable oil If you don't want to, it really isn't necessary to bring the soap up to these high temperatures. This is the way I do it however. To see if you've cooked it long enough, you can also dribble a bit of soap onto a plate then wait for it to cool. If it's setting up you have cooked it long enough. With the pot off the heat, place it in cool water. If you don't, the soap is so hot it will continue to bubble for a few minutes with the pot off the stove! Also, if you tried to pour hot soap at these temperatures, it would melt a hole right through your plastic mold! Continue to stir it until it has cooled off - down to at least 120 degrees. As it cools you may wish to add a piece of crayon. As it melts it will color your soap. This is also a good time to add fragrance oils (FO's). After it has cooled, it should have the consistency of thick pudding. Pour, or scoop the soap into your soap tray or mold, then smooth it out the best you can with a spatula. As it is very sticky, to get it nice and smooth on top, place a layer of plastic wrap on it and continue to smooth it out. I like to place something flat on top of it and press down lightly. This makes it as flat on top as it is on the bottom. A couple of hours later as the soap has continued to cool and harden, you can remove this top layer of plastic wrap. Smooth any imperfections out with your finger that were created by wrinkles in the plastic wrap. OK? Good luck..<br><b>References : </b><br> Hi, here is a direct excerpt from

http://waltonfeed.com/old/soap/soapcook.html

I think it will help…

Turn the heat on moderately high until it gets to the boiling point, then turn it down so it maintains a slow but rolling boil – a low enough boil so it is not spattering all over the place. If it starts spattering out of the pot, pull it off the heat partially until it slows down. Then turn down the heat. Your goal is to keep it boiling, but not so vigorously that it becomes dangerous. Stir constantly and always be conscious of how it’s boiling and behaving. As it boils two things happen:

* The chemical reaction necessary to make soap is greatly accelerated.
* Some of the water in the soap is boiled off.

The soap cooks somewhat like candy in that it starts boiling at a temperature of about 220 degrees F and as it continues to boil the water off, the temperature rises. It is very important to know when to quit. As it slowly gets thicker, the instant the bubbles start appearing in the same place, giving you a hint that it is acting just a bit more rigid than before, pull it off the heat. In my experience this happens at a temperature of between 300 and 330 degrees F. It would be handy to keep a candy thermometer around as an aid in checking on it’s progress. If you let it go too long and the soap separates, add a little more water to bring it back into suspension.

* 300 – 310 degrees F for lard
* 320 – 330 degrees for vegetable oil

If you don’t want to, it really isn’t necessary to bring the soap up to these high temperatures. This is the way I do it however. To see if you’ve cooked it long enough, you can also dribble a bit of soap onto a plate then wait for it to cool. If it’s setting up you have cooked it long enough.

With the pot off the heat, place it in cool water. If you don’t, the soap is so hot it will continue to bubble for a few minutes with the pot off the stove! Also, if you tried to pour hot soap at these temperatures, it would melt a hole right through your plastic mold! Continue to stir it until it has cooled off – down to at least 120 degrees. As it cools you may wish to add a piece of crayon. As it melts it will color your soap. This is also a good time to add fragrance oils (FO’s). After it has cooled, it should have the consistency of thick pudding. Pour, or scoop the soap into your soap tray or mold, then smooth it out the best you can with a spatula. As it is very sticky, to get it nice and smooth on top, place a layer of plastic wrap on it and continue to smooth it out. I like to place something flat on top of it and press down lightly. This makes it as flat on top as it is on the bottom. A couple of hours later as the soap has continued to cool and harden, you can remove this top layer of plastic wrap. Smooth any imperfections out with your finger that were created by wrinkles in the plastic wrap.

OK? Good luck..
References :

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