HP Questions

[MarnieSoapien]

I'm considering trying HP but I have a few questions before I give it a go. I've done some research but still have questions and thought I would ask the people who have experience with HP.

1. I don't have a crock pot or slow cooker and would be doing this on the stove top with a double boiler. Anything I should be aware of, aside from not using aluminum and watch for volcanos?

2. The main reason I want to try HP is because I want to start using EOs and I have read/heard somewhere that by doing HP your EOs don't get eaten by the lye monster. Any truth to this?

3. I also read/heard somewhere that you can use the same CP recipe for HP. Is there any reason or need to modify my CP current recipe?

4. On average, how long does it take to make a batch of HP soap (not including cure time)?

5. How long after molding before you cut your soaps?

Thank you for any input you can give me!

 

[qtkitty]

It has been a few years since I did hot process. I made mine in a stainless steel pot like from a resturant supply store and finished it off in the oven on low once I got it to pudding stage. You can run 20 batches with all the same variables that you can tell, then one will take off on you. I didn't really have a problem with this because I had a large pot until I started making triple batches. Then when it did take off it would over flow.

EOs head to head I don't know how they compare, but the high temps when you can mix in the EO causes evaporation so in my experience it didn't make a huge difference. Now I haven't done a head to head comparison either.

I had a different recipe that I used when I was making HP, but it's also been 10plus since I made HP. Back then I was making it weekly in triple batches as I was selling soap at a flea market.

The amount of time to make a batch and time to unmold and cut completely depends on the recipe you are using, because some recipes are faster and harden quicker than others. It also depends on how much water your using as well. To little water you can litterally end up with soap on a stick even in hot process. I can't even remember the recipe I used, but I remember that it was fairly quick and we had to act fast to get it into molds, bubbles removed by banging on the floor and pressed down before it solidified. Within an hour it was being cut. If we waited to long it was really hard.

I also let them cure for a month, because back then things were more close lipped and it seemed to be a big no no to go for water discounts. Now I have been doing cold process with a steep water discount and I am enjoying it. I don't have to worry with volcanoes and things and am unmolding in under 24 hours even for castile. Although I was running a test with a new recipe and it's really slowed down the soap, so this one DEFINITELY will be a 48 hours to cut. This recipe (minus additives) I am usually unmolding in well under 24 hours. I do love to experiment though.

 

[Kcryss]

I do only hot process. I do use a crockpot and have not attempted on the stove, but others seem to be fine doing it that way.

I agree with @qtkitty, be sure your pot is large enough to hold a potential volcano.

I also have not tried oven process ... I do it all in the crockpot.

1. I don't have a crock pot or slow cooker and would be doing this on the stove top with a double boiler. Anything I should be aware of, aside from not using aluminum and watch for volcanoes?
I agree with @qtkitty, be sure your pot is large enough to hold a potential volcano.
Also, keep an eye on temp. Best to keep oils at 150 or less when adding the lye. Be sure lye is within 10 degrees of the oils.

2. The main reason I want to try HP is because I want to start using EOs and I have read/heard somewhere that by doing HP your EOs don't get eaten by the lye monster. Any truth to this?
I don't know if there is any truth to it or not, but it makes sense to me and it's one of the reasons I do HP. I can cook the soap, then add other things afterwards that will not be eaten by the lye monster. pH can take a toll on somethings though so it's not a magic bullet by any means.

3. I also read/heard somewhere that you can use the same CP recipe for HP. Is there any reason or need to modify my CP current recipe?
Yes, this is true, but be sure to change the water to lye ratio if it's low. For HP you need a bit more water during the cook due to evaporation, but don't go above 3 to 1. I try to keep it around 2.7 or so.

4. On average, how long does it take to make a batch of HP soap (not including cure time)?
Some people on here are luckier than I. lol For me, even though I cook very hot, my batches can take 30 to 60 minutes cook time depending on oils etc.. Others can do all their batches in under 30. I plan on 2 hrs total start to finish. Measuring everything, get all additives ready etc., cook time, molding, and cleanup. But I'm probably slow. I'm still fairly new, I've just hit my 31st batch the other day.

5. How long after molding before you cut your soaps?
Depending on how fluid the soap is ... if doing swirls etc. I chill at least 4 hrs. Sometimes longer, sometimes less. I think 4 hrs is a good average as long as it's chilled first. I have left in the fridge or outside overnight and cut the next morning when I'm soaping late.

Hope this helps!

I've also recently learned that adding botanicals to the lye water or the oils for hot process doesn't always go very well. Going forward, I will either try to soap cooler (which I somehow have a hard time doing) or just wait until after the cook.

 

[msunnerstood]

I'm considering trying HP but I have a few questions before I give it a go. I've done some research but still have questions and thought I would ask the people who have experience with HP.



4. On average, how long does it take to make a batch of HP soap (not including cure time)?

5. How long after molding before you cut your soaps?

Thank you for any input you can give me!

4. On average, how long does it take to make a batch of HP soap (not including cure time)? It depends on what temperature you soap at. I believe 160 is a good starting temperature if you want to do any designs.

5. How long after molding before you cut your soaps? You can put your soap in the freezer after its pours and be able to cut it in a few hours but generally, mine has to sit at room temp for 8-12 before its not to soft to cut.

 

[szaza]

I never dit stovetop HP, but generally do oven HP (I put my oven on the lowest temp and control oven temp by opening and closing the door according to what my oven thermometer says). I try to keep the oven temp around 70-80°C and I think it needs about 30-45mins to cook (but I'm not good at keeping track of time when I soap).

I once did a test with EO's comparing cpop to hp. Hp did better for fresh citrussy top notes, but I think with lavender it made less of a difference. I don't know how hp compares to cp without gel.

 

[Ale]

I made some attempts with HP too, both in the oven and with bain-marie cooking (I hope the translation is correct, I'm Italian...)
In the oven, I kept 70-80°C while in bain-marie I think the temperature is around 90°C.
But how you underatand when the soap is "ready"? I let it cook for a fixed time just to be sure it completes the reaction: about two hours and a half in the oven and one hour and a half in bain-marie. Is it too much? I found them in an Italian website that seems very good.

 

[Ale]

An other question. When I made HP in the oven I obtain a softer soap that was difficult to extract from the mold, and on the free surface I observed a white powder that I think is soda ash. Is it normal?