Hi all! I've been working with hot process soap making recently and I wanted to try a recipe that includes adding honey after I reach trace. I've heard horror stories about honey in cold process making a "volcano". Does anyone have any tips or tricks for adding honey in HP without having it explode all over the kitchen?
Honey in Hot Process
- Thread starter EAStewart
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I use honey in soap quite often and I've never had any problem. What I and a lot of others here do is reserve a small amount of water from the recipe, warm and dissolve my honey in that and add to my cooled lye solution. Let that cool somewhat again and then you are good to go.
To speed things up, sometime I use 50/50 ice/room temperature water so I don't have to wait as long for it to cool.
Beware when adding the honey, it will heat up again and it will darken to almost black, that's normal.
When adding honey this way it will be able to react with the lye before its added to the soap and make for a much less dramatic reaction when in the soap.
Others have mentioned that when adding honey at trace or to oils the honey have a tendency to sweat out of the soap during cure, this will not happen when honey is added to the lye solution.
I have never done HP with honey but keep an eye on the soap so you can stir it down/ lower the heat if necessary and I think you should be fine.
To speed things up, sometime I use 50/50 ice/room temperature water so I don't have to wait as long for it to cool.
Beware when adding the honey, it will heat up again and it will darken to almost black, that's normal.
When adding honey this way it will be able to react with the lye before its added to the soap and make for a much less dramatic reaction when in the soap.
Others have mentioned that when adding honey at trace or to oils the honey have a tendency to sweat out of the soap during cure, this will not happen when honey is added to the lye solution.
I have never done HP with honey but keep an eye on the soap so you can stir it down/ lower the heat if necessary and I think you should be fine.
I dissolve my honey in a bit of water but I add it to my oils. I mostly do CP though and don't generally have an issue with overheating.
dixiedragon
Well-Known Member
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=57877
Here's a thread where I did honey hot process. I really like it b/c I like to add beeswax to my honey soap so I have to soap hotter.
I have a theory that it's not the honey by itself that is a huge problem - it's the combination of honey + FO. Most people add Honey or OMH FO to their honey soap.
Here's a thread where I did honey hot process. I really like it b/c I like to add beeswax to my honey soap so I have to soap hotter.
I have a theory that it's not the honey by itself that is a huge problem - it's the combination of honey + FO. Most people add Honey or OMH FO to their honey soap.
Complexions
Well-Known Member
I add honey to my hot process after the cook. I reserve 20% of the liquid and mix the honey in that. I warm it up some so it's very fluid and add to my soap once it has cooled to at least 170F to keep it from scorching and turning dark brown. I've never experienced any problems with the honey sweating out.
