Your Thought's

[LuvOurNewf]

I found this little snippet while surfing the web. I changed the name to avoid any conflict with the actual author.

"He developed a sealed room to help speed the soap-drying process. It normally takes between four and five weeks for the soap's moisture to evaporate and be ready to sell, John Doe explains. This isn't fast enough to keep up with turnover. Doe added a dehumidifier and a high velocity fan to the room, which can dry out a bar of soap in as little as 10 days."

What about the quality of the finished product? I would think that even though the soap may be "dryer" it hasn't aged enough to complete the process of turning the oils into a good quality bar of soap.

Although I've only been at this for a few months from what I've read there's more that goes into a nice bar than just eliminating the water content. I guess this would work for volume but if it's about volume and not quality why bother?

 

[dcornett]

I'm with you. I've always believed there is more than just the loss of water that is involved in a good "cure". I think of it like wine, or cheese to name a few, imho there just isn't an acceptable alternative for a nice long cure...some things really do get better with age. :wink:

 

[fiddletree]

I think I may have asked the same thing on here last year... most people don't think it is a good idea! I think the problem is that it won't dry as evenly... the center will probably still have a higher water content than ideal after 10 days, and the outside will probably be a bit too dry relative to the center of the bar. That's my guess, anyways. I have wondered about why bars seem to get to much better the longer the cure, because from a chemical standpoint they shouldn't change much after saponification is complete, aside from water evaporation. But we all know that they are better, so whatever the reason, it is important to keep in mind!

 

[AmyW]

I wouldn't do it. Don't think it's the best idea. If you can't keep up, make bigger batches/use bigger molds. Hire help. Don't cheat the customer out of the best bar you can provide.

 

[LuvOurNewf]

I wouldn't do it. Don't think it's the best idea. If you can't keep up, make bigger batches/use bigger molds. Hire help. Don't cheat the customer out of the best bar you can provide.

This is exactly what I felt. In every industry when quantity becomes the main factor quality always takes a back seat.

 

[xyxoxy]

I can't explain why but I too believe there is no substitute for a good long cure. I'm not opposed to dehumidifiers because they are necessary in certain environments. But if pure profit is the only motivation then they are not focusing on quality and will likely pay for it in other ways.

It's the same thing with using cheap oils. You can use large amounts of peanut and corn and canola oils and it will still become soap. And you will save lots of money that way. But when your soap turns rancid in a customer's cupboard a few months later they probably won't be back for more.

 

[carebear]

For many soaps, the first two weeks seem to be crucial for mildness, and after that it's about evaporation.

The exception, IMO, are soaps high in coconut oil which get milder over a longer period - up to 2 months.

But that's based simply on my experience.

 

[Bayougirl]

It wouldn't work for salt bars, they are really great after a really long cure. I found some from over 1 1/2 ago and they are great now. I would imagine the same goes for Castille and bastille soaps, too.