Room temperature method

Miz Jenny · Mar 16, 2013

Just finished making 2 batches of room temperature soap. So much less trouble than constantly measuring oils & lye temps. If it works :thumbup:

, it will be my preferred method.

1. Takes a little longer to trace. 1st batch was unscented with colloidal oatmeal & took longer to trace than 2nd batch where I used coconut f.o. Both batches were coconut milk.

2. Used a hot water bath to melt solids. My shop is between 60-63F all year, so butters & solid oils really do stay solid.

Took less time to make 2 room temps soap than 1 cold process soap.

VanessaP · Mar 16, 2013

Room temp is still cold process

Personally, I don't really care for RTCP because I like to make sure my high stearic oils are fully melted before I add my lye. For those who use it and it works for ya, I'm happy for you, but I tried it twice and didn't like it. I keep my lye from getting super hot by using ice (made with the fridge's filtered water) as at least half, closer to 3/4, of my water amount, so it doesn't take nearly as long to cool down. By the time I mix the lye, then measure out my oils and warm those up, my lye is cool enough to use

Miz Jenny · Mar 16, 2013

VanessaP said:
Room temp is still cold process

I know that. From now on I'll call it room temperature cold process.

Personally, I don't really care for RTCP because I like to make sure my high stearic oils are fully melted before I add my lye.

My oils were fully melted, because I used a hot water bath.

Shannon_m · Mar 16, 2013

I soap at close to room temp. I soap around 80 degrees this way I know my solid oils are still melted and my lye is usually around room temp. I don't like to wait too long for to soap once I get started so I mix my lye first and then I walk away and do whatever needs done (usually laundry.. le sigh) and by the time I get back to check on my lye it's around 90 so I start measuring out my oils, preparing my mold, getting my colors and fragrance set up and by that time both my oils and my lye are between 75 and 80 and it's time to go!

squeakycleanuk · Mar 16, 2013

I had never heard of this technique until just now, sounds interesting, lets us know how it turns out Miz Jenny. I'm curious though, are there any differences to the end product with using this method or does it produce a soap which is exactly the same as one done the traditional way. Maybe I'll give it a try one day

melstan775 · Mar 16, 2013

I soap at room temP. I do lyewater first and get setup, line the mold and melt my oils while water is cooling. I can melt one an a half pounds of hard oils in the microwave in 45 seconds, and stir the rest in to melt them. Sometimes it needs an extra 20 secs to melt any stubborn floaters. Then mix and voila, trace happens in about 3 minutes.

nebetmiw · Mar 16, 2013

Yes, there is more than one way to do RTCP. I prefer also to melt my oils in microwave and then tranfer them to my moxing bowl and let them cool. Then mix my lye and water in an ice bath. I only use a small amount of water as the rest is coconut milk I put in at light trace. I wait till lye cools down before adding to oils.

One of the other way is using the lye mixture to melt your hard oils. This works for some but not everyone.

Clemmey · Mar 16, 2013

I actually mix my lye outside or in the garage... to be away from the kiddos. Then it will sit until I am ready to soap... Which is nap time... Then I mix the oils and they sit until they have cooled... it all works and soaponifies...

Miz Jenny · Mar 17, 2013

squeakycleanuk said:
I had never heard of this technique until just now, sounds interesting, lets us know how it turns out Miz Jenny. I'm curious though, are there any differences to the end product with using this method or does it produce a soap which is exactly the same as one done the traditional way. Maybe I'll give it a try one day

I will let y'all know, after I cut my soap, how it turned out.

Miz Jenny · Mar 17, 2013

Just finished cutting my soap. Cut beautifully. Now, to see how it cures...

Lindy · Mar 17, 2013

My room temperature method includes me melting my hard oils, but I use stove-top method because the microwave can burn the oils and if you are using oils like Tallow or Lard you can get am animal fat scent from using the microwave. Once my hard oils are melted I add my liquid oils and then just let everything sit while I do other things. I do not take the temps of my oil because they've been sitting long enough that I know everything has cooled down, including my lye.

I love that it takes longer to come to trace as it gives me time to play. If I am using a fussy FO/EO then I reduce my water discount and once the oil/lye has emulsified I add the FO/EO and hand stir to light trace before pouring.

Miz Jenny · Mar 20, 2013

AN UPDATE ON RTCP: The only difference I've noticed between RTCP & CP is it takes a full 24 hrs to harden before I can unmold & cut. Other than that, which, for me, is not a biggy, I'm very happy with the results. I'm still using a hot water bath to help melt the hard oils & the lye to finish the melting.

Ruthie · Mar 20, 2013

I have found RTCP to be a boon to my soapmaking. I work full time M-F and after the home obligations are taken care of in the evening, I usually do not have time to fully make a batch of soap. Plus I may just be too tired! I can measure oils, line my molds, etc. one evening. Then I can make the soap the next evening or the following one depending on how my days go. If I know what soap I am making next I can go ahead and mix my lye (because sometimes I discount water and other times I don't.) If I do not have lye already mixed, I just put it in a sink of cool water for a while. Room temp soapmaking does not affect cure time overall, at least as far as I can tell. But I never let my soaps gel either, so I expect times to be a bit longer. I do find that if I use full water amounts that my logs seem to take a day or so longer before they are ready to cut, but I have not noticed a difference tied to RTCP.

100%Natural · Mar 20, 2013

After reading all these great posts, I'm going to give this method a try. I'm so tired of thermometers!

Question - Do you need to still be sure that your oils and lye are within 10 degrees of one another before mixing?

I usually soap in the 110 degree range and fully gel all of my soaps. I'll be interested to see if there's a difference and if it's easier! Always looking for quicker ways of doing things.

Miz Jenny · Mar 20, 2013

100%Natural said:
A
Question - Do you need to still be sure that your oils and lye are within 10 degrees of one another before mixing?

No. Just until the lye goes from really cloudy to somewhat clearer.

I weigh out my hard oils & put them in a hot water bath. Then I weigh my liquid oils, essentials, frangrance & additives. THEN I combine my water & lye.

I stir the hard oils in the water bath until lye is ready. Combine & stir again to finish the melt. Then you proceed as in the regular cp way.

Because it's slower to trace, gives me time to mix additives with soap.

paillo · Mar 20, 2013

Lindy said:
My room temperature method includes me melting my hard oils, but I use stove-top method because the microwave can burn the oils and if you are using oils like Tallow or Lard you can get am animal fat scent from using the microwave. Once my hard oils are melted I add my liquid oils and then just let everything sit while I do other things. I do not take the temps of my oil because they've been sitting long enough that I know everything has cooled down, including my lye.

I love that it takes longer to come to trace as it gives me time to play. If I am using a fussy FO/EO then I reduce my water discount and once the oil/lye has emulsified I add the FO/EO and hand stir to light trace before pouring.

This is what I do too, though I do use the microwave, set at cook control 3. If it's not a fussy EO/FO I add it to my oils before adding the lye, but I do what Lindy does if it is fussy. Depending on how my day has gone I often just let my melted oils and lye water sit overnight. Then next day when I'm ready to soap I gently warm my milk portion to room temperature, but that's it.

Bama · Mar 20, 2013

I have been soaping cool for about a year now and i like doing it that way. Gives me much more time to work with colors and swirls. I always put my molds in the oven for 20 min on 170 I then wrap it in a towel and it goes thru the gel phase and i unmold in 24 hrs sometimes less. Rarely have ash any more either. Dont know if this has anything to do with it because I havent changed my recipe

jcandleattic · Mar 20, 2013

I masterbatch all oils and lye now, so yes, I RTCP. No, I don't heat up my oils, and I do a 50% lye solution and just add the extra water needed for my recipe.
It does take a tad longer to get to thin trace than it ever used to, but that works for the methods I do.
However, that is where the differences in my "hot" soaping and my room temp soaping methods ends.
Once I get it in the mold it acts exactly the same. Takes just as long to be ready to cut, takes just as long to gel (or not depending on additives, etc.) And behaves exactly the same way as far as cutting, curing and using.

100%Natural · Mar 20, 2013

MIZ JENNY said:
100%Natural said:

A
Question - Do you need to still be sure that your oils and lye are within 10 degrees of one another before mixing?

No. Just until the lye goes from really cloudy to somewhat clearer.

I weigh out my hard oils & put them in a hot water bath. Then I weigh my liquid oils, essentials, frangrance & additives. THEN I combine my water & lye.

I stir the hard oils in the water bath until lye is ready. Combine & stir again to finish the melt. Then you proceed as in the regular cp way.

Because it's slower to trace, gives me time to mix additives with soap.

Click to expand...

Sorry to be such a dummy here, but does that mean you use hot lye or do you wait for it to cool to room temperature as well?

Smee · Mar 20, 2013

100%Natural said:
MIZ JENNY said:

Sorry to be such a dummy here, but does that mean you use hot lye or do you wait for it to cool to room temperature as well?

Click to expand...

If I'm kootchie-fotchin' around and the lye water cools down, that's fine.
If I'm on the ball & the lye water is still hot, that's fine.
IOW, I don't take temps. WYSIWYG* around here 8)

*Disclaimer: I do not sell soaps, lotions, or anything else I make. Do your own due diligence and decide how you want to do things if you do sell.

Room temperature method

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