Hope the reporter got it wrong

[heyjude]

"The oil and the lye must be exactly the same temperature, or else the soap essentially becomes hard as a rock. :shock:

"There's a crucial moment when everything's combined -- if something's off the oils will seize and it turns to cement," Tom said. "

This quote is from a local newspaper interview with a soaper who sells his soap at a local farmer's market. As he and his family have only been soaping for a short period of time, I was really surprised to read that they believed this about the temps.

Must not be a member of our forum!

Jude

 

[JenniferSews]

Oy! Even I know better than that! Personally, I would email the reporter. I've done that before and had a good response.

 

[IrishLass]

Actually this can happen with certain fats with a high melting point, such as kokum butter cocoa butter and illipe butter (ask me how I know!) :shock:

Although I wouldn't go so far as to say that the temps of the lye and oils have to be exactly the same when soaping such fats- they do need to be monitored somewhat to make sure the cooler lye water will not decrease the temp of the warmer fats too far below their melting points so as to re-solidify them in your soap pot when the lye hits them. This used to happen to me quite often when soaping with the butters I mentioned until I started soaping them much warmer.

I heat the butters to 120 degreesF now, and my lye is about 95-100 degreesF when combined with each other. This works out good for me and I get no more instantly-traced soap the minute the lye is added.

IrishLass

 

[cleanwater]

Sounds like maybe someone is trying to make soapmaking sound really demanding so everyone will be extra-specially impressed with the amount of work and excruciating attention to detail that goes into it. Personally, I've found it kind of funny how impressed people are with what I think of as fun.

 

[heyjude]

Irishlass,

The article mentions that they use co,oo, and pomice. (I should have mwntioned that!).

Thanks for the info about the other butters, sounds like a good story.....

Jude

 

[MsBien]

Perhaps the person learned how to make soap the same way that I did. I learned by using The Natural Soap Book by Susan Miller Cavitch back in 1997. At that time there weren't nearly as many references, and so I followed her instructions which indicate that it's important to have the oils at the same temperature. As a matter of fact, it's only been the last few years that I have begun to relax my methods, but I still try to make the oils & lye about the same temperature when I make soap.

Stacie

 

[oldragbagger]

Sounds like maybe someone is trying to make soapmaking sound really demanding so everyone will be extra-specially impressed with the amount of work and excruciating attention to detail that goes into it. Personally, I've found it kind of funny how impressed people are with what I think of as fun.

Exactly what I was thinking. It's funny to me sometimes, especially when you consider that making soap used to be as much a part of everyday life as making bisquits.

 

[MikeInPdx]

They don't have to be the same temperature, but if they're not, there's a chance that the universe may implode. :shock:



Other than the situation that IrishLass mentioned.....I don't think so. Although my older books are very hung up on that concept.

 

[Manchy]

lol
i touch both pots with my hand and estimate how close the temp is
well, i plan on getting a thermometer, as few times i had to stir for quite a long time (45 min when i was making soap for the first time)

 

[heyjude]

Perhaps the person learned how to make soap the same way that I did. I learned by using The Natural Soap Book by Susan Miller Cavitch back in 1997. At that time there weren't nearly as many references, and so I followed her instructions which indicate that it's important to have the oils at the same temperature. As a matter of fact, it's only been the last few years that I have begun to relax my methods, but I still try to make the oils & lye about the same temperature when I make soap.

Stacie

I hope that's what the real story is. They seemed like a lovely family in the newspaper article. Started soaping to help a daughter who couldn't use store bought soap/laundry detergent. Sounds like they started selling not too long after starting soaping.



Jude

 

[heyjude]

They don't have to be the same temperature, but if they're not, there's a chance that the universe may implode. :shock:



Other than the situation that IrishLass mentioned.....I don't think so. Although my older books are very hung up on that concept.

ROFL!!!!!

Jude

 

[Guest]

Well if it were true ,I would have enough little cement bricks to pave a nice large and very colorful path in my garden :shock:

I think when you start out taking temps is a good thing , after you know what your doing , feeling the lye and oil containers works fine , unless you are using the aforementioned butters etc.

Kitn