BIG buckets of palm... errr... how to melt down?

AmyW · Feb 12, 2012

I'd like to melt down these 5 gallon buckets of palm oil to stir in any separated stearic acid... but I have no idea how. Any practical ideas for someone not-yet set up for this?

krissy · Feb 12, 2012

if it were me, i think i would end up buying 1 more 5 gal bucket with a lid, then start scooping and melting what ever your largest pot(s) will hold. (i have a stock pot that would hold almost a gallon) melt that down and pour it into your new bucket, it will take a long time for everything to solidify again so you will have plenty of time to stir as it sets up. once one bucket is empty move on to the next bucket and fill the one you just emptied. it will be time consuming but is the only thing i can think of.

newbie · Feb 12, 2012

I use the bathtub or laundry room sink. Put your bucket/buckets in the tub/sink and fill as high as you can with hot water (as hot as comes out of your faucet). It will take a while for the whole bucket to melt and you may have to change the water a few times, but it will all melt, esp if you go in and stir it up every hour of so. Once it's all melted, take it out, split up as desired, and put it someplace cool. Stir it up every 30-60 minutes until you can't stir it anymore. Once it's thick enough that you can't stir it, you can let it solidify the rest of the way and that's it. I've done it with a couple 50 pound buckets. It takes time, but once you're done, you're done. Start in the am!

If you have any warm weather on the way and can wait, you can stick it in a car parked in the sun and it will melt without a problem.

AmyW · Feb 12, 2012

I like both ideas, thank you both! I think I'll try krissy's idea first for one reason - we have 9 people in the house and the hot water heater only lasts so long. I'd have 8 ticked off, stinky, people if I used that much hot water LOL Depending on how business goes, after we've built our house and I have a soap room, I'll see about a better solution. Thanks again!!

Guest · Feb 13, 2012

AmyW said:
we have 9 people in the house and the hot water heater only lasts so long.

A heating pad and lots of blankets will do the trick. it will take a while, but it will work.

Wrap the heating pad around the bucket and secure with bungees. Crack the lid of the bucket to relieve pressure. Cover the bucket with blankets, top and bottom. If you have some left over insulation board, you can make a nice incubator pretty quickly. It glues up nicely with urethane (Gorilla) glue or foam-in crack filler.

If you want to get fancy, check out the beekeeping supply websites. Beekeepers melt honey for bottling, in much the same manner, and there are bucket heaters made to do this sort of thing.

HTH

Clark · Feb 13, 2012

Don't laugh, but I placed my recent 5 gal bucket purchase in my hot tub with the lid closed. Three to four hours at 103 degrees pretty much melted the entire batch down.
Just be careful when placing in and out of the hot tub so that oil doesn't get on the outside of the bucket and into the water.