Question: Curing Soap in a SoCal Garage - Any Experience?

[Juxtapose]

So, I'm in the process of setting up work spaces for making and curing CP soap.
The biggest area I have to work in is my garage where I've made making and curing areas.
My concern, what temperature extremes can my soap handle?

I live in the east part of San Diego country in California.
The coldest my garage gets is around 30 degrees F at night, the highest around 90 degrees F during the day.

My biggest concern is I'll ruin my batches if I leave them to cure in those temps.

So, should I be concerned?
Any advice?
I did buy wire kitchen shelves with castors so I can roll them inside if needed.

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[dibbles]

I've always cured my soap in my basement which is a pretty constant temperature all year, so I'll leave that to someone who has some experience with garage curing. (I'm in Minnesota and our winters are freezing and our summers can be hot and quite humid.) I will caution you to line the wire shelves with something - metal can react with your soap and lead to rancidity (DOS).

 

[Ford]

Hi, Many soaper's work in unheated areas. I would be concerned with humidity and soap sweating. Maybe a small dehumidifier. If this becomes a problem.

 

[AliOop]

My only concern about the low temps is if you masterbatch your lye solution. MB lye solution should be kept at 65F or above to prevent the lye from precipitating out of solution and forming a hard chunk or chunks at the bottom of your container.

 

[Juxtapose]

I've always cured my soap in my basement which is a pretty constant temperature all year, so I'll leave that to someone who has some experience with garage curing. (I'm in Minnesota and our winters are freezing and our summers can be hot and quite humid.) I will caution you to line the wire shelves with something - metal can react with your soap and lead to rancidity (DOS).

Thanks for the heads up on the metal. I am actually thinking of buying plastic bakery trays to hold the soap for easy moving around.

Hi, Many soaper's work in unheated areas. I would be concerned with humidity and soap sweating. Maybe a small dehumidifier. If this becomes a problem.

Thanks for the tip.

My only concern about the low temps is if you masterbatch your lye solution. MB lye solution should be kept at 65F or above to prevent the lye from precipitating out of solution and forming a hard chunk or chunks at the bottom of your container.

Ah, good to know. Thanks for the tip. I'm still pondering how I want to deal with my raw ingredients and if I want to pre-prep my lye solution.

Curious, just how long can lye solution sit before it needs to be used?

 

[AliOop]

Curious, just how long can lye solution sit before it needs to be used?

If you keep it tightly closed in a container with as little air in it as possible, it should last for months. I typically make enough to use within six months, and have never had issues except the one time I let it get too cold.