Cold Process vs Hot Process

[NameThatCandy]

Hi there,

I am new to soap-making and this forum. I am very excited to find this forum. I want to make my own soaps for long time, but the "LYE" part kind of scare me away.

However, I decide to try. After I read tons of books, I am not sure that what methods should I use. I know the advantages and disadvantages of both processes.

I want to know that is it any difference (the quality of soaps) between Cold and Hot process?

thanks

NameThatCandy

 

[NEASoapWorks]

Newbie!

I've never made HP soap. I've used it, though. The quality of soap is not dependent on which process is used. There's good CP soap and there's good HP soap.

If I were you, I would start with CP. CP and HP share the same beginning steps. I think once you get to the separation point, HP is a bit more complex — there's stages the batter goes thru, as it cooks that you have to look for. I wouldn't be bothered with that, until I had a basic understanding of the entire CP procedure, but that's just me.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Ummmm....A Butterfinger Bar!

No, seriously welcome to the forum! We hope you enjoy it as much as I have! I agree with NEA, a good recipe CP soap with the right synergy of oils and correct super fat content and allowed to cure fully is every bit as good as it's cousin hot process soap. The only difference the saponification process is fully completed by "cooking" or applying heat to the soap and allowing water to evaporate from the batter. A HP soap is ready to use immediately, verses a good cure time of at least 3 to 4 weeks for CP soap, with up to 2 months being even better!

Enjoy our "home!"

Paul.... :wink:

 

[NameThatCandy]

Thank you both of you.

The reason I want to try Hot Process is "Cure Time", CP takes a little too long!

Do you know any recipes for small batch? The recipes from the books are for 2 to 3 lbs. I want something small (maybe 1lb) I am worried that I will screw up.

thanks again

 

[edco76]

Thank you both of you.

The reason I want to try Hot Process is "Cure Time", CP takes a little too long!

Do you know any recipes for small batch? The recipes from the books are for 2 to 3 lbs. I want something small (maybe 1lb) I am worried that I will screw up.

thanks again

Hello and welcome. I am a bit of a beginner myself compared to some of these old goats (HA HA Pun)
Let me say this though
1. Good things are worth waiting for.
2. Don't be afraid of a larger batch. In my experience they are actually a little more forgiving on noobs than a small batch because if you are a little off on a measurment on a large batch it is not as high a percentage of the recipe as it would be in a larger batch. It isnt as scary as it seems on paper .
3. Dont worry about "screwing up" Dont hurt you! (or others) almost all soap (in my limited experience) is savable.
4. Have fun!
5. Don't worry about cure time. I find that one of the most enjoyable parts of my soapmaking process is checking on my cure stock in the pantry daily. I always pick it up and sniff it. Poke it a lil to see if it is firming up. I actually start washing my hands with my scraps in about a week and have not had any ill affects. Now that I have actually sold some soap I find that waiting may actually be the best part of the whole endeavor.

 

[NameThatCandy]

thanks edco76.

I have one more question, during the cure, do you wrap the soap with the blanket the whole 4 - 6 weeks? How do you know that they are ready?

 

[CPSoaper]

When making cp soap, soapers wrap the soap up in blankets once it has been poured into a mold. This is done to insulate the mold and encourage the soap to heat up enough to get gel. The time for a soap to go through the whole process to be set up enough to unmold is on an average of 24 hours (sometimes its less and sometimes it is more depending on the recipe and even the mold used). Once it is hard enough, you can unmold and cut it. This is when the cure begins.

Once your soap has been unmolded and cut, let it sit out and get air while it cures. I cure mine for a few weeks, unless it is a castile soap, then I give those a few months. Some place their soaps on shelves and others will put them in shoe boxes while they cure. Oftentimes, I will leave them on my soap shelf while curing unless I run out of room, then its to the shoe boxes for the older batches. I still leave the newer batches on the shelf. But whatever you do, don't leave it in the mold or covered while curing. The longer you let it cure, the harder it will be to cut it so cut it when it has just been unmolded and still pretty soft. You should be able to tell if it is still too soft to cut. If that is the case, let it sit for just a bit and then try cutting again.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Sorry for the hijack of this thread, but, Ed this old goat, pun intended, loves your avatar! A Piggly Wiggly at the computer---LOVE IT! Just had to throw that in. I need to find an old goat doing the same!

Paul.... :wink:

 

[NameThatCandy]

thank you CPsoaper.

I can't wait to try to make my first batch.

I saw a website to make soap with "Blender". Have anyone tried it?

Thanks again

 

[CPSoaper]

I've heard of blender soap but have not made it myself. I stir by hand and use a stick blender. Just be careful to get the raw soap everywhere. Lye burns like the dickens. You have to be careful for this when using a stick blender too.

 

[NameThatCandy]

I have another question, are HP and CP recipes interchangeable? Can I use HP recipes to make CP Soaps? Or CP recipes to make HP Soaps?

thanks for all your helps

 

[Soapmaker Man]

I have another question, are HP and CP recipes interchangeable? Can I use HP recipes to make CP Soaps? Or CP recipes to make HP Soaps?

thanks for all your helps

Yes, they are, bar the water amount. On HP you need to use a bit more water, or the full amount. When doing CP, a person can discount water more, meaning less cure time. That is really the main difference. The recipes are mostly interchangeable.

Paul.... :wink:

 

[NEASoapWorks]

Soapmaking

This is coming from a newbie, so...:

I think it's important to "experience" soapmaking. I think it's important to learn the basics, and then branch off into advanced techniques. I stick blended my first batch, but I'm glad I didn't listen to the multitude that spoke of the "horrors" of hand-stirring. Now, while I knew I wouldn't be bothered trying to hand-stir a castille soap batter (I don't plan on making castille soap anyway), I definately wanted to experience what it's like to stir a soap batter all the way to trace. What I found out is that I actually like it — it's relaxing to me. I get into a groove, while I'm watchin' a video and the time goes by. The transformation is fascinating, and I wouldn't have wanted to miss that, by only stick blending. But that's me. Plus, I'm making smaller batches.

Everybody rushes everything. Gotta make the soap cure in two weeks, instead of four. Okay. If I was selling soap, MAYBE that would be a concern. But right now, in the "hobby" stage, I'm just enjoying learning the craft and getting the basics down. I definately wanna try HP, but I'm havin' so much fun with CP — I love to watch my soap go thru the curing process.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Yup, NEA, fun is what it is mostly about! I'm happy to hear your testimony about experiences hand stirring. 8) They didn't have stick blenders when my granny was making it either, or 100 or 1000 years ago, but they made soap!

Paul.... :wink:

 

[soapgardener]

I love HP!

Hi Everyone,

I'm totally new to this forum, so I do apologize in advance for butting in. I just had give my two cents about HP; I am very excited about it and I absolutely love it. I make my soap in a large dutch-oven pot. Once I reach trace I heat it on the stove on LOW heat. I do continue to stir. Don't worry; you won't suds up too much. Keep heating until your soap "gels". It will look like hot vaseline. Also don't worry if your soap totally falls apart and you get curd-like things floating in oil. Just keep heating and stirring. Heat and stir, heat and stir. You really can't screw this up. (don't heat TOO much or you'll "bump"- you'll boil over like jam) Just keep that burner dial on "low" or "2". I monitor the pH both with pH paper and a digital pH meter. Once the pH meter gives you a reading around 9 or so you're done. The paper will read a 7 at this point. This has to do with the nature of soap in an aqueous solution. At this point you can add your superfatting oils and botanicals and scent. You'll have to scoop into a mold; you'll have hot paste.
Soap is the best stuff ever; the chemistry is fascinating.

 

[NameThatCandy]

Thank you very much.

I told my hubby about making our own soaps, he is very excited about it. I am going to order my supplies soon.

I can't wait.

 

[soapgardener]

Sure thing. Here's a recipe for a small batch to get you started:

8 oz soybean oil (I use Wesson brand- no additives)
4 oz palm oil
4 oz coconut oil
2.27 oz lye
4 oz distilled water

If you want to just give it a whirl with ingredients you can find locally, try shortening and lye from Lowe's. They sell a 100% lye under the brand name Robotic, or Robric, something like that. It's a big yellow canister that you can find in the plumbing department. It says "100% lye" on the label. This could be a nice way to experiment with the process before committing a lot of money. I love the lye calculator on Magestic Mountain Sage's website (www.magesticmountainsage.com). It is very simple and easy to use. It will tell you just how much lye and water to use depending on the amounts of oils you enter.

 

[NameThatCandy]

One more question about oils, I found some soybean oil, palm oil and coconut oil in Cooking Section in Whole Foods, Can I use those?

thanks

 

[soapgardener]

Definitely. I started out making small batches and I did just that- I bought my oils locally. I even found essential oils and fragrance oils at whole foods. You'll just find that you can get WAY cheaper prices online. I like Magestic Mountain Sage because they are in Utah and I'm in Colorado.... so the shipping for me is very reasonable. Find an online supplier that is close to you to save on shipping. Magestic Mountain Sage has pretty reasonable prices and good quality.