Hot process soap hardens quick and is kind of lumpy??

[Jen74]

So I just made Hot process soap and cooked it for about and hour and 10 minutes in our slow cooker on low. I stirred it a few times in intervals( like every 15 to 20m minutes). I notice it started hardening really quick so I had to fill my molds quickly. It seems lumpy and they are going to be very rough looking. It almost seemed rubbery in a way. Is this normal?

 

[msunnerstood]

Low might not be enough heat. you will start seeing thickening at 170. 1-1/2 hours is a long time to cook and it may have gotten overcooked.

For me, I stir often to keep even cooking and make sure the pots covered in between. I also use a higher water percentage. Around 38%. Adding your superfat at the end or adding a bit of yogurt after the cook may also loosen things up for you.

 

[AliOop]

^^ what @msunnerstood said - sounds like it was overcooked. Don't rely on time as much as how it behaves and looks, and whether it zaps. Once it stops zapping, it is cooked and can be molded.

It's also best not to scrape the soap off the sides of the crockpot. Those pieces are usually dried out and overcooked. They make usable soap, but will leave uncolored, hard lumps in your bars. You can always scrape them out later for rebatch scraps, or just use them to wash up the crock and utensils when you are all done.

 

[Jen74]

Low might not be enough heat. you will start seeing thickening at 170. 1-1/2 hours is a long time to cook and it may have gotten overcooked.

For me, I stir often to keep even cooking and make sure the pots covered in between. I also use a higher water percentage. Around 38%. Adding your superfat at the end or adding a bit of yogurt after the cook may also loosen things up for you.
[/QUOTE

Well the temperature got to 165. I had the crock pot on low. If I overcooked it, does that mean it's no good, that I need to trash it, or can it still be usable after it cures?

 

[AliOop]

Overcooking makes it a little crumbly and not as pretty, but it's definitely still usable.

We've all had a few HP batches like that. It just takes some practice. That's why it is good to start with small batches.