Incubator ?

[elbrecht]

Monday, Patty and I will be making our first batch of soap. [CP] As I was reading over Sandy Maine's book for the umpteenth time, I noticed a little line that said to be sure that the mold was at 98F.

While I was imagining different ways I was going to raise the temp of my HDPE mold to 98F from the ambient 65 I wondered why I hadn't read about incubators, rather than blanket wraps, to keep the curing soap warm for the first 24 hours. I even searched soapmakingforu.com and the only incubators I found were for fowl eggs or business plans.

If anyone has gone that route, what is a good temperature? Or is the whole point to let the temperature gradually reach ambient?

Thanks
Jim

 

[Sonya-m]

I've never heard of the mold having to be a certain temp? I pour mine into it at room temp

 

[Susie]

^ What Sonya-m said. Never heard of such a thing.

Also, be sure to run every recipe through a lye calculator for yourself. Typos happen, and it is your safety, as well as your family's safety at risk.

 

[navigator9]

When I was first learning how to use a computer at work,( years ago when we were switching over to computers), I wondered why it was that each time someone showed me how to do something, they showed me a different way of doing it. Finally someone said.....There are as many ways of doing something on the computer as there are people who show you how it's done. And that's pretty much true for soapmaking too. Each soapmaker has their own unique methods that they consider to be "the" way it's done. There are a few absolute truths about soapmaking, like you always pour the lye into the water, never the water into the lye, but the rest is pretty much individual style.

A warm mold promotes gel. I always CPOP, and I prewarm my molds, but I've never taken their temp. 98 degrees may be what Sandy Maine feels works best for her, but it's not an absolute. You can prewarm a mold in the oven, you can use a heating pad under a mold, you can wrap it in blankets or towels.....many ways of doing the same thing!

 

[cmzaha]

Do remember to line your hdpe mold or coat it will with vaseline or mineral oil. Unlike the advertisement, soap in hdpe molds does stick, especially if your particular molds have the textured hdpe sides, but I found the smooth hdpe can also stick. I know some here will disagree with me, but I use hdpe molds exclusively, and have for 5 yrs, for my 5lb logs. I just find that lining with freezer paper much less messy versus using a mold release. If I am being lazy I do not line the ends, just cut them off the mold. Sorry I know this was a bit off topic but I noticed you mentioned hdpe molds. I do not preheat my molds, sometimes I do chill them since I do not usually gel my soaps. You can also put your filled soap molds on a heating pad turned on the low setting to help make sure they gel. Once it has completely gelled turn off the heat pad completely. It will look more translucent. Just check on them for overheating, such as cracking on the top of your soap. When I used to gel my soaps I would put them on a heat pad and cover with a plastic tote so I could keep an eye on them. The tote used as a cover will also hold in heat

 

[dixiedragon]

Some people pre-warm their molds so the soap will reach gel. I would not put soap in an incubator, if I ever planned to use the incubator for baby birds again. I would be too concerned about lingering lye fumes or fragrance fumes hurting the chicks.

You can set your oven to its lowest setting and put your mold in there. I too have an HPDE mold:

It's from Cumberland Acoustic.

I grease the sides with mineral oil, and I line the bottom with a sheet of baking parchment. I don't pre-warm my mold, but I do turn on the oven to the lowest setting (150) and let it warm so it is toasty and I put the mold in once the soap is poured.

 

[elbrecht]

Thanks all!

I guess warming or not will be one of those things I'll play with. This will just be a short batch - a couple pounds- to see how it goes, and to replenish the 'mechanic's soap' that Patty helped make years ago.

Strictly a functional soap- so I don't see a *need* for gel.

Thanks for the warning on the HDPE- I made a single [long] loaf mold from a cutting board thinking I'd get away from lining-- best laid plans. . . Now I'm torn on using a release agent, some freezer paper-- or just seeing how hard it can be to get it out. Ater all, this *is* a 'learning' batch.

Thanks-
Jim

 

[Sabun]

Some people pre-warm their molds so the soap will reach gel. I would not put soap in an incubator, if I ever planned to use the incubator for baby birds again. I would be too concerned about lingering lye fumes or fragrance fumes hurting the chicks.

You can set your oven to its lowest setting and put your mold in there. I too have an HPDE mold:

It's from Cumberland Acoustic.

I grease the sides with mineral oil, and I line the bottom with a sheet of baking parchment. I don't pre-warm my mold, but I do turn on the oven to the lowest setting (150) and let it warm so it is toasty and I put the mold in once the soap is poured.

By 150 do you mean Celcius

 

[cmzaha]

By 150 do you mean Celcius

No Fahrenheit. 150 Celsius would be 302º F and that would be big time volcano.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I found that leaving the incandescent appliance light on in my oven brings the temp up to just over 100F and holds it there. I wonder if the recommendation to warm the mold before pouring into it is so that the batter remains a more even temperature? Perhaps it helps avoid the issue of gelling in the center, but not at the outside edges of the soap?