Hot process in a slow cooker

[hiacyntheab]

HI guys,
I made my first batch on hot process soap last night. It turned out ok but is quite soft and almost seems grease. I got the recipe from a book. Does anyone have a great recipe I can try.

 

[Healinya]

What oils do you have to work with?

 

[honor435]

oo, po, co, castor and shea or cocoa, but yes what do you have, what did you use, its not ready right away, even though its hp, you should let it sit for a wk or two, it will be better.

 

[hiacyntheab]

Hot process

With the soap last night I used oo and co and palm kernal oil. It only took about an hour and half to cook. Then the ph balance was fine so we put in in the mold. I coated the mold with cooking oil first. and left it over night. The recipe had more o.o than an other oil. Do you guys have any good recipes.

 

[Healinya]

If you get some lard, you could make 40% olive, 30% Lard, 30% Coconut. This isn't the 'best' recipe or anything, but it makes a nice hard bar that will not spoil (from my old batches anyway). If you want to lower the cleansing level, then take up to 5% away from the coconut. You could easily swap a small % of whatever spectialty oil you choose. Some say adding a small amount of salt will help it harden more, and a small amount of sugar will help keep it more fluid while working with it (so you could use less water). I have seen some people use a 1:4 lye water ratio, I tried it once and all the bars became concave when they dried. Hp does have a different feel to it that cp, I can see why it would be described 'greasy'. I think that is the glycerin, and it's fine - just feels different, that's why some like it better

 

[hiacyntheab]

Thanks for the tips. I will have to try some more recipes and mess around with it. How long does the cold process take before you can use it. I've had a batch sitting down stairs for about 3 weeks I took some ph tester and it came out clear. I'm thinking it ready to use now is that correct. I just dropped a little onto the hard bar. I hope I'm doing this right. Sorry for the silly questions but I'm just getting used to cold and hot process, I've always been a melt and pour person.

 

[Healinya]

I personally, have scraped the gelled soap from a crock pot and used in the shower an hour after cooking. But the soap should cure for a minimum of 4 weeks, whether cp or hp. I personally like 8, but I have more patience now than I used to lol. This is who taught me how to do it - lots of good info http://www.msbrenda.com/basictutorial5.html

 

[honor435]

hp does not have to cure for 4 wks, it is ready to use, but you want some of the water to evap. and get a harder bar. You can use cp after 3 wks, it will get better after time though, ph test not so accurate, try the zap test.
I have tons of recipes, pm me.

 

[rubyslippers]

Thanks for the tips. I will have to try some more recipes and mess around with it. How long does the cold process take before you can use it. I've had a batch sitting down stairs for about 3 weeks I took some ph tester and it came out clear. I'm thinking it ready to use now is that correct. I just dropped a little onto the hard bar. I hope I'm doing this right. Sorry for the silly questions but I'm just getting used to cold and hot process, I've always been a melt and pour person.

When I first began soaping, I used ph test strips and would periodically check the bars as they were curing. It then occured to me that by adding water to the soap bar that I wondered if I was getting a true ph reading anyway. I mean, could the tap water I was using alter the ph? So many on this forum claimed to use the taste test so I ditched the ph strips and started using this method. At first I thought I must not be doing something right because I never got a "bite" so I checked it within the first 24 hrs of pouring and there is definitely a bite! At least now I know what to look for