Room temp method - does it work well?
- Thread starter rebekahp
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
if by room temp you mean adding fresh hot lye solution to room temp, unmelted oils then.... kinda sorta for some...
you will still need to pre-melt very hard oils (cocoa butter), and even if you do that you can still end up with inconsistent results.
but some find it works - I don't know if it's dependent on equipment (soaping containers that hold heat better, or less well), on recipe, on technique.
for me - not a good choice even with 100% coconut oil
you will still need to pre-melt very hard oils (cocoa butter), and even if you do that you can still end up with inconsistent results.
but some find it works - I don't know if it's dependent on equipment (soaping containers that hold heat better, or less well), on recipe, on technique.
for me - not a good choice even with 100% coconut oil
rubyslippers
Well-Known Member
Gave it a try once when I was in a hurry to get a batch made....partially premelted my hard oils & then mixed my lye solution and immediately poured it into the oils to finish melting them. I didn't have any problems and will try that method again sometime in the future. I just prefer to work at cooler temps.
Becky
Well-Known Member
It works perfectly for me.
I pre-make my lye solution and batch up a 20 litre drum full of my oils and let it cool to room temperature. When I want to soap, I just measure out what I need of each.
I pre-make my lye solution and batch up a 20 litre drum full of my oils and let it cool to room temperature. When I want to soap, I just measure out what I need of each.
Different people define the room temp method in different ways. To some it's just what carebear said, using the hot lye solution to melt your oils. Other people let their melted oils/butters cool to room temp and mix them with lye solution that's also been allowed to cool to room temp. The latter works well for me because my recipe doesn't use a ton of hard oils and my room temperature is pretty warm as a rule.
I'm like tess. I used to call it RTCP (room temp cold pour) but now I don't call it anything LOL.
pre melt and mix the oils & butters, make up the lye solution, let both cool to near room temp - no higher than 110F.
pre melt and mix the oils & butters, make up the lye solution, let both cool to near room temp - no higher than 110F.
MissMori
Well-Known Member
By the definition carebare gave, I guess I've been doing RTCP all along and didn't know it. I always let my lye and oil cool to about 95 to 100 degrees. I don't take the temperature, just feel the side of the container and when I can't tell the difference between my body temp (temp of hands) and the containers, I make soap.
An aside, wouldn't true room temp be at whatever your room happened to be. I made soap the other day when it was 95 degrees. Hot to me, but the soap loved it. In the winter, if I let the oils and lye cool all the way, I'd be making soap at anywhere from 40 degrees (morning) to 60 degrees (afternoon). Perhaps room temperature is a misnomer.
I've found that 95 to 100 degrees works well for me. I get the best texture to the final soap.
In the Soapmaker's Companion, many of the recipes call for a temperature of 80 to 100 degrees.
An aside, wouldn't true room temp be at whatever your room happened to be. I made soap the other day when it was 95 degrees. Hot to me, but the soap loved it. In the winter, if I let the oils and lye cool all the way, I'd be making soap at anywhere from 40 degrees (morning) to 60 degrees (afternoon). Perhaps room temperature is a misnomer.
I've found that 95 to 100 degrees works well for me. I get the best texture to the final soap.
In the Soapmaker's Companion, many of the recipes call for a temperature of 80 to 100 degrees.
soapbuddy
Well-Known Member
I combine my oils and lye when the pot and pitcher are warm to touch from my hands, but a little higher than skin temp.
Bubbles Galore
Well-Known Member
What Soapbuddy said. I took the temp once to check and it was 40C.
punkflash54
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2007
- Messages
- 216
- Reaction score
- 0
ive done it and it worked fine. i usually do hot process though
