Hotter oil quicker saponification?

[Egzandra]

Hi again

I have just read on another thread where people are making soap with biodeisel, I think someone said that hotter oil will saponify quicker. I am thinking of making a batch of bar soap with a high ratio of olive oil to coconut oil (80/20) and started to wonder if I heated the oil up more would it go to trace quicker?

Some of you may remember a couple of days ago I was in a panic because my soap took a while to set, and I had used oils which take a long time to trace, just wondered if you had any tips for my olive oil batch.

 

[mamaT]

I don't know about heating oils but if you do a water discount then your soap should cure quicker.

 

[Val]

Egzandra........ I added my lye to oils at like 125 and took forever to come to trace so not sure that works. I would try using the water discount.

My recipe had 65% lard and like 23% olive oil and about 9% castor oil. ( not exact )


Oh and you might want to read that thread again as they are not using bio desiel as soap. they are similar processes

Val

 

[donniej]

There is cold processing and hot processing.

I cold process between 120 - 150*F and it can take 1/2 hour to an hour to saponify. Bar soap made this way takes a few weeks to dry.

I hot process around 220*F and it will saponify in half the time. The soap is ready to use in a couple days.

 

[Egzandra]

Thank you everyone for your replies, I shall use less water. I might try the hot process one this time. I don't need it to be ready that soon as it's for Christmas presents but it would be interesting to do it that way.

 

[ChrissyB]

When we make soap, once the batter has come "to trace", it begins an exothermic reaction, this is what we know as gel. This is saponification occuring. As we all know, there are ways of forcing gel, and ways of retarding gel. I have found that if you use a warmer lye solution, warmer oils, then yes, it does kick start the gel process, thus resulting in quicker saponification.
In my soap that I have gelled, I haven't been zapped at all after gel, whereas in my soap that I have retarded gel, I have been zapped, sometimes up to 48 hours after pour.

 

[Egzandra]

That is very interesting, Chrissy. Does "gelled" soap have a different consistency to "gel retarded" soap? The reason I say that is that my last two batches I put in the airing cupboard near the hot tank and they definitely looked different and cut up differently to some other batches I have made, and they have a more translucent look to them. No zap either, like yours! For my next batch, which will probably be the 80% olive oil batch I've been considering a) using less water, according to the kind advice I have had on this forum, b) using slightly warmer oil and lye and then c) stirring it over some gentle heat like a pan of hot water, then maintaining the warmth by using the airing cupboard (again).

I love this forum and the way people share their experiences.