Hot process v. cold process

[theresehirko]

With school over for 15 days, I'm into my summer experiments stage. I've always made soap via the cold process method and having always planned with the curing in mind. Since we make a year's worth at a time, with two months left of soap, it was time again. I decided to try crock pot hot process this time because you supposedly cut the aging time down to 2 weeks. Using the same recipe that I've always used, it traced very quickly in the crock pot and was the consistency of thick mashed potatoes in about 15 minutes. Too thick to pour into my mold.

So far the waste factor is much higher than the cold process method because it hardened so quickly. I'm going to let it sit out all night and then unmold tomorrow. So far I am not inclined to switch from the cold process method.

[theresehirko]

Having made batches of hot process and cold process within 24 hours of each other, I prefer the texture of the cold process bars to the hot process bars. The hot process have a marbled look to the bars.

[FloridaWyld]

I always use the oven for hot process soap. If you don't like the thick consistency when you are ready to pour, there are a few things you can add to the soap to make it more 'smooth'.

The simplest additive is hot water. Added after the cook, it can be stirred in in small amounts until you have a pourable consistency, but be careful- not only are you adding the very thing you were trying to cook out, but your bars can shrink quite a bit as time passes and they dry.

My preferred method is to add 3-5% sugar to the lye solution. I mix it into the water before the lye is added. You have to make sure that all the sugar is dissolved though, before you add the lye.

Sodium lactate is another additive that you can use to keep hot process soap fluid. I recommend adding 3% at trace. You can use up to 5%, but anything over that turns your soap dry and brittle.

Hope that helps!

[lsg]

My hot process stays softer longer after unmolding than my cold process.

[kldickinson1]

Could someone please explain to me the differences between hot and cold processes (besides the obvious)? Would anyone care to share their favorite recipes for both?

Thanks!

[theresehirko]

In cold process soap, you stir the mixture with the stove turned off (oils were heated to correct temp as lye water and then the stove is turned off). After trace is reached, the mixture is poured into molds. In hot process, the heat is left on and the soap mixture is cooked on low heat for longer. My soap making equipment has not arrived at my new station yet so I haven't made soap in a while. But I do remember not being pleased with the result of the hot process and went back to cold process. I cannot wait to make a new batch of soap.