How important is it to get lye/water and oils the same temp?

[Lyndsay]

How important is it to make sure that your lye/water mixture and oils are the same temp? Some people (books) say for the mixture and oils to be between 95 and 110 degrees, then mix. But Ive noticed some people on here just say "when the mixture and oils are warm, I combine them." ?

[MissMary]

I found that getting them the same temp helped me out TREMENDOUSLY. My first batch, I mixed and poured... wondering why my glop was... well glop. I did a few other batches, came back and researched (how were these people having time to swirl) and noticed many many people giving that advice prior. So I got a laser thermometer, and I had oodles of time to play, swirl, color, etc. I wasn't happy at the 95 degree temp though in how my soaps came out, so I did start waiting only til about 110-115, because for me, it made a better soap. Odd how much the little things can change a soap and the steps so drastically.

[Scented]

Some of us soap much cooler than the 95-110. It seems to give a little more time for us to play.

You want the temp within that range to keep the oils from heating up too quickly. Going down to room temp, which is lower, has afforded me more time to play so to speak and FOs that have a tendency to move fast, don't move quite as fast. It doesn't mean that all FOs slow down. I still have some that move rather quickly.

[soycrazy]

I used to watch the temps, but don't bother anymore. I usually just wait 10 minutes for my lye to cool a bit then add it to my oils. I haven't had any problems with not being able to swirl since my tracing takes a bit longer. Maybe someday I'll have the patience to try RTCP lol.

[Meridith]

I use to make sure my oils and lye were around 90-100. But now, I'm not even melting my butters or waiting for my lye to cool down. I weigh all my oils and butters, place them in my bowl, make my lye and as soon as it is made, I start to add it to the oils and butters, using the heat of the lye to melt them. This method has saved me tremendous amounts of time.

[TexasBrat]

Me too, I don't check the temperature anymore either. I first make my lye and let it come down from being so hot and then work on my oils and when they are finished my lye is cool and I make my soap. I haven't noticed any difference from when I use to hover over my lye and oils to make sure they were just the right temp.

[thesoapbox]

I do all of mine at room temp by touch. I don't even use a thermometer. I have had no problems soaping at all this way and takes a lot of stress out having to worry about getting them both at the same exact temp.

Angi

[CareBear]

Please don't take this wrong, but each question you have asked has been the topic of multiple discussions here. I strongly suggest you STOP and start reading. Start here and work your way backward, or start with the oldest and read until you get back to the present.

You will be AMAZED at what you can learn. In fact, you will find the answers to questions you don't even have yet.

[beekeeper_sd]

I'm not even melting my butters or waiting for my lye to cool down. I weigh all my oils and butters, place them in my bowl, make my lye and as soon as it is made, I start to add it to the oils and butters, using the heat of the lye to melt them.

This works? I love that idea!

[Lyndsay]

Thanks for the responses!! Carebase...I have read tonsss on here...which is what made me ask this question. i looked for the answer before I asked but couldnt find it.

Man oh man, Im on alot of forums and I have never had so many "harsh" responses from ppl (or read so many dircted to other "new" ppl)... Im thinking I may need to find another forum.

[CareBear]

I didn't intend my response to be harsh, it was simply a suggestion that I thought you might get something out of - but hell, take it as you wish.

And I'm CareBear - not Carebase.

[soycrazy]

This works? I love that idea!

It does work as long as you don't do it with hard butter or waxes. I do it sometimes & it works really well

[Meridith]

It does work as long as you don't do it with hard butter or waxes. I do it sometimes & it works really well

Not true for me. I do it all the time and have no problem whatsoever and I do it with hard butters like cocoa and PKO that is not flake form. I don't add wax to my soaps though so I can't speak for that. Also, my shop is very large and cold so my butters stay very hard during the winter. I thought it would be a problem, but it isn't at all.

ETA I make sure that my butters are in smaller pieces when its cold out so that they lye can melt them all the way.

[Scented]

Maybe I'll get gutsy enough to try it, but absolutely no chunks of ingredients that don't melt?

[soycrazy]

That is awesome I'll have to give it a go again and see what happens. I'm using a different brand of lye now and it seems to get hotter so maybe that will do the trick. I do use soy wax in some of my batches so I was having problems melting it that way and with the pko flakes.

[tootie04]

Please don't take this wrong, but each question you have asked has been the topic of multiple discussions here. I strongly suggest you STOP and start reading. Start here and work your way backward, or start with the oldest and read until you get back to the present.

You will be AMAZED at what you can learn. In fact, you will find the answers to questions you don't even have yet.

I did that over at the Dish one time....took me a month! But it was the BEST reading I ever did. I may have to do that here....it has been a LONG time since I made soap...I feel almost like a virgin again!!

tootie

[Meridith]

Maybe I'll get gutsy enough to try it, but absolutely no chunks of ingredients that don't melt?

I've never had chunks that did not melt. I use stainless bowls so the steel also helps to melt the butter. I think as long as you make sure your hard butters are cut up small enough, it should not be a problem. At least it has not been a problem for me. This method has saved me so much time.

[Meridith]

Thanks for the responses!! Carebase...I have read tonsss on here...which is what made me ask this question. i looked for the answer before I asked but couldnt find it.

Man oh man, Im on alot of forums and I have never had so many "harsh" responses from ppl (or read so many dircted to other "new" ppl)... Im thinking I may need to find another forum.

CareBear was in no way rude/harsh or out of line with you. If you stick around, you will find that it is common to see some newbies that want to be spoon fed everything rather than do the work themselves. It is especially common to see this at certain times of the year - like this time of the year.

[cindym]

The important thing is to get comfortable with the process of soaping itself. Do it safely is number one. I have done all of the above, poured hot lye right into butters and oils. Room Temp. HP in a pan in the oven.

Know how your fo's are going to react and take it from there. Safety first and a complete understanding of the process is key.

[CareBear]

I've never had chunks that did not melt. I use stainless bowls so the steel also helps to melt the butter. I think as long as you make sure your hard butters are cut up small enough, it should not be a problem. At least it has not been a problem for me. This method has saved me so much time.

I know some, many really, folks have great luck with this but even when I was soaping 100% coconut oil I could NOT get consistently good results. I tried again and again cause I WANTED it to work (what a time saver!!! I could soap with a moment's notice!) but I got such uneven results I gave up.

I did soap in plastic though (still do) so maybe metal would be a help.

I'm terrifically envious that it works for you!

[Meridith]

I know some, many really, folks have great luck with this but even when I was soaping 100% coconut oil I could NOT get consistently good results. I tried again and again cause I WANTED it to work (what a time saver!!! I could soap with a moment's notice!) but I got such uneven results I gave up.

I did soap in plastic though (still do) so maybe metal would be a help.

I'm terrifically envious that it works for you!

If you can, try it in a stainless steel bowl. I've not made soap in plastic during the colder months when my butters were hard but I did do make soap this way in a plastic bucket during the summer when my butters were softer. Thinking about this now, I do think that stainless steel will make a difference. If you get a chance to use SS, let us know how it goes.

[Jeana]

When I first started, I noticed I would get a very soapy smell, rather than smell the scent I added if I soaped hot. So those of you who soap hot, you don't notice this?

And those of you who soap without melting the oils at all, doesn't it seem like you have a trace before you really do?

For a while I was working with harder oils( shortening rather than soybean and .......) and once they got more toward RT and I added the lye, it got very thick and I had to work fast. I couldn't tell if it was trace, or just the oils hardening back up. That was with the lye RT too.

[cbv1]

I use to make sure my oils and lye were around 90-100. But now, I'm not even melting my butters or waiting for my lye to cool down. I weigh all my oils and butters, place them in my bowl, make my lye and as soon as it is made, I start to add it to the oils and butters, using the heat of the lye to melt them. This method has saved me tremendous amounts of time.

I have never tried this, and don't remember ever hearing about this method. Thanks for the tip! :smiley2:

[eugenia]

All of my problems were solved a few years back when I started soaping room temp. I melt all the oils, mix and make up the lye water the night before. If I "master batch" (mix up a large batch of the oils first) I just make sure to stir before weighing out the amount for the batch.

Yes, the hard oils stay melted when mixed with the soft. Use the stick blender before mixing in the lye solution.

e