Food dehydrator for curing???

[Cattleyabubbles]

I'm thinking about a non-heated dehydrator. If none are easilly available commercially, a person could simply buy one from WalMart or someplace, then take it to a electrician to have the heating element circiut cut.

Wouldn't that basically be a fan?
I'm thinking a dehumidifier in a small enclosed space might make a slight difference in that it would actually REMOVE the moisture from the air and take it away (especially if you add a pump and hose), ensuring maximum evaporation for the soap. However I'm not sure the return would be worth the cost of the electricity.

I'm with the "just let it cure naturally" bandwagon.

Yes, it would basically be a fan, only it would be blowing through a bunch of drying racks inside an enclosure that directs airflow for maximum evaporation.

Although I agree that adding a dehumidifyer may be a good option, food dehydrators very effectively dry food without them, and I'm not sure if the extra cost would be justified in the results.

Of course, a simple drying rack with no fan or dehumidifyer would be even cheaper still.

Personally, I'm with the open minded/scientific approach bandwagon, that's why I said earlier that I'm not sure whether there would be any appreciable benefit to enhanced drying.

For the average home hobbyist, a set of drying racks is sufficient. Someone banging out 3000 bars per day may have a different view.

@Welder: Keep at it you'll figure it out eventually, like Dyson, said it took over 1000+ failures to create one successful prototype.

 

[welder]

Welder: Keep at it you'll figure it out eventually, like Dyson, said it took over 1000+ failures to create one successful prototype.

Yeah, I might actually try it some day.

It was just an idea I had.

It looks like Maria has also had a similar idea on improving the way she was doing her curing.

I'm not against anyone doing things the traditional ways, I just don't understand why anyone who hasn't thoroughly expiremented with different approaches would believe that there couldn't be a better way.

Of course the term "better" means different things to different people.

Like I said, a home hobbyist has different needs than someone leasing a large commercial soaping facility.

 

[Maria]

I am one of those who think anything can be improved with a little thought. It works for me because my soap is pretty hard and very mild. Getting the excess moisture out was the missing part.

 

[carebear]

re: the HP doesn't need a cure period thing.

in theory CP doesn't need a cure period - you CAN use it straight from the mold. but it benefits tremendously from about 4 weeks of curing. Same with HP IN MY EXPERIENCE. Sure you can use it right away, but it's not the best it can be until it's had that time.